At Lollapalooza India, Here’s How Brands Went Bold and Playful
When Yungblud landed for Lollapalooza India this year, fans were already waiting at the airport with handmade signs, chanting his name before he had even reached the festival grounds. Later that weekend, Playboi Carti performed in front of 65,000 fans in Mumbai, many of them traveling across the country just to see this lineup.
Moments like that say a lot about what’s happening with live music in India right now. Fans there have always been plugged into global music culture. But now they’re showing up in person, and showing up big. And as the demand for live music in India moves faster, brands are responding to that energy.
When the Energy Is High, Brands Lean Into Play
One thing stood out walking around the festival grounds this year: brands weren’t playing it safe. Everywhere you looked, there was something interactive pulling fans in. Slides. Ball pits. Claw machines. Pickleball courts.
Google built a slide that dropped fans straight into a ball pit to showcase its AI-powered search. Lenovo leaned into gaming with an interactive Creator House where fans could see their creativity come to life. H&M turned its presence into a playground with a claw machine filled with limited-edition letters, a conveyor belt of beauty products to try, and even a mini sphere where small groups stepped into a swirling visual world. Airbnb brought fans behind the scenes through exclusive Experiences like joining Ankur Tewari’s entourage at Lollapalooza India or getting a backstage tour with the festival’s director — giving fans a look most people never get to see.
None of these moments felt like traditional brand activations. They felt like part of the weekend.
The Numbers Back It Up
That kind of playful energy translated directly into measurable fan engagement.
of fans said Budweiser enhanced their experience
of fans recalled H&M after engaging with them onsite
of fans felt Airbnb was a good fit
97% of fans say they would attend Lollapalooza India again, and 71% engaged with a brand over the festival weekend. Nearly half of fans talked about brands onsite — a sign that the experiences brands created were becoming part of the festival story itself.
The Power of Play
There’s a reason playful ideas work so well in a setting like this.
Live music naturally puts fans in a more open, curious mood. In fact, 91% of global fans say the energy of live music makes them more willing to try new things, including brand experiences.
At a festival, people are already exploring, wandering, discovering things with their friends.
When brands meet that energy with something interactive, colorful, or unexpected, fans jump right in.
That’s what stood out at Lollapalooza India this year.
Fans showed up with passion. Brands showed up ready to play. And together they turned the festival grounds into something bigger than just a lineup.