Indian Authorities To Go Stricter On Rave Concerts, Here's Why

2026-04-22 04:18:20

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Fears of large crowds creating chaos and consuming drugs led Indian authorities to cancel concerts and parties, including the debut show of Spanish CircoLoco Ibiza rave band over the weekend in Mumbai.

Police told the media that EDMs (electronic dance music) and techno and trance music concerts will face more scrutiny, especially after the recent death of two students following drug use at a concert earlier this month in the city.

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Cancelling of shows, however, resulted in hefty losses for the organisers.

The event had been promoted extensively over the past six months. In an official statement, the organisers said the cancellation was because of regulatory hurdles.“The required permissions have not been granted,” it said.“As organisers, we fully respect and must adhere to all government guidelines and decisions."

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The police, however, said they had refused permission for the top international techno party band CircoLoco as the organisers had not taken prior permission about a fortnight in advance for the Sunday event.

Earlier on April 11, two MBA students had died after consuming alcohol and ecstasy pills at a concert in Goregaon, a northwest Mumbai suburb. Ten people, including security personnel, have been arrested in the case.

Another EDM concert featuring Calvin Harris last Saturday also saw mismanagement of the event with thousands of fans being stuck for hours at the venue.

The Mumbai police also cited the Yo Yo Honey Singh's concert at Bandra on March 28, which was equally chaotic. They have filed a case against the organisers for using illegal laser lights in the MMRDA ground, which is close to the airport zone. Using laser lights is prohibited in the area.

According to the organisers of the CircoLoco concert in Mumbai, over 4,000 tickets had been sold and many fans had flown in from Europe, the Middle East and other countries.

Some of the CircoLoco fans, who travelled from other cities, were critical of the last-minute cancellation. R. Tomar, who had booked the ticket last October, told the media that he had come from Delhi along with 15 others, spending a hefty amount on the trip.“It was disappointing,” he said.