Mumbai | At Lollapalooza, Sting, Jonas Brothers, Halsey and OneRepublic bring forth music, charm, and nostalgia

Lollapalooza India brought together a diverse lineup of artists who delighted attendees with their performances and created a nostalgic musical experience.

As attendees made a beeline for the BUDx stage on Day 1 of Lollapalooza India, the unmistakable beats of ‘Gallan Goodiyaan’ from the film Dil Dhadakne Do filled the air. “Is this the Jonas Brothers warming up? Are they going to sing some lines for their mic check,” a few wondered. 

Of course, their connection to the country came up moments after they took the stage. Kevin Jonas cheekily introduced Nick Jonas as ‘Jiju’, even as the crowds chanted and called him the nation’s brother-in-law. “This is our first time performing in India together, and no, the sangeet performance doesn’t count,” Nick said, to raucous cheers from the audience. 

Over two days in Mumbai, Lollapalooza India brought together a line-up of artistes who constantly spoke about how happy they were to be performing in India. In its second edition, the multi-genre festival recorded a footfall of thousands of attendees. It was a musical experience where the audience discovered new sounds and beats and soaked in some nostalgia by revelling in many old favourites. 

If watching the Jonas brothers perform ‘S.O.S’, ‘Year 3000’, ‘When you look me in the eyes’, and even a song from their 2008 musical film Camp Rock was a good throwback to the glorious days of Disney Channel for the millennials, multiple generations came together to revel in Sting’s magic as he closed the festival on Sunday night. Couples, groups of friends who travelled in from different states, and even larger families came together to watch the 72-year-old musician serenade them. They teared up, held each other, and swayed to the notes of ‘A Thousand Years’, ‘Desert Rose’, and ‘Every Breath You Take’. Sting’s last performance in Mumbai was 1980, and he ended the wait of nearly four decades by taking the stage asking a starstruck audience “Khai Zala Mumbai ‘‘ in Marathi. 

Across four stages, Lollapalooza India hosted nearly 35 artistes over the weekend. Promising a festival experience, the sprawling grounds of Mahalaxmi Racecourse had been transformed with colourful large high-top tents where attendees could lounge around and catch a glimpse of the performances. The spaces between the four stages were dotted with carnival games, and numerous food trucks, in addition to long lines of food and beverage stalls. BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow spearheaded Lollapalooza India along with global producers, Perry Farrell and C3 Presents.

Mumbai might have been reporting chilly nights, but the festival began at 2pm on Saturday with the sun beating down on the grounds.

“I sincerely wish it would rain now, but we’ll make up for that,” said Ashwin Gopakumar, lead vocalist of When Chai Met Toast as the indie-folk alternative band took the stage and performed some of their breezy numbers which included the ‘Sushi song’, and the ‘Joy of Little Things’, which had the crowds chorusing along. Later that evening, even as the air remained muggy and a spectacular sunset was just beginning, American singer-songwriter Lauv sang his lilting ‘Paris in the rain’ against the backdrop of an LED screen projecting a stormy cloud with rain seemingly falling on the stage. The crowd joined in to sing the lines to ‘I like me better when I’m with you’, and Lauv was more than thrilled. Crooning ‘Tattoo’, the singer even got off the stage to greet his fans at the barricade and sign autographs.