I was trying to make a social media post the other day. Something about the experience economy, a few data points, a nice hook. I figured I’d pull some stats from a report I’d seen, design a few slides, done in an hour.
Three hours later I was still reading. And honestly, I think this does more justice to what I found than a carousel ever could.
It started with the BookMyShow report. Their year-end throwback for 2025. India’s live entertainment sector grew 17% last year. Over 34,000 events across the country. That’s concerts, comedy, theatre, experiences — everything.
But the number that stopped me was this: 1.8 million people attended events solo last year. Not with friends. Not on a date. Alone. By choice. 1.8 million people in India walked into a room full of strangers because they wanted to be somewhere.
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Then I pulled up the BookMyShow-EY Parthenon report from earlier this year and it got even more interesting. 78% of Indian consumers now say they’d rather spend money on experiences than on products. That’s not a niche thing. That’s 8 out of 10 people saying they’d pick a night out over a new purchase. India’s live events market hit ₹13,000 crore in 2025. Theatre alone grew 45%. Over 5.6 lakh fans traveled to a different city just to attend a concert.
This isn’t a trend piece on some tech blog. This is BookMyShow’s actual data. This is what’s happening on the ground.
Then I found the Eventbrite study and the picture got bigger.
They surveyed over 4,000 people aged 18-35 in the US and UK. Nearly a quarter of 18-29 year olds say they feel lonely. Globally, India’s even worse — 43% of us report feeling lonely, third highest in the world.
The loneliest generation on record. The most online, most connected generation in history. And nearly half of them feel alone.
But — and this is the part that matters — 79% of those same people plan to attend more events in 2026. They’re not withdrawing. They’re looking for rooms. Real ones.
Then I started reading what they actually want from those rooms and I just kept underlining things.
79% value spontaneity over a perfect plan. The over-produced, every-detail-controlled event? That’s what they’re walking away from. They want the night that couldn’t have been scripted.
58% prefer events where socialising isn’t even the main focus. Not networking. Not icebreakers. Just — sit next to someone at a pottery class and let it happen.
44% are more likely to spend if the venue is something they’ve never seen before.
On Eventbrite’s platform, the stuff that’s surging is wild. Urban Afro music rooftop events up 444%. Coffee runs up 233%. Flower arranging up 282%. Forest bathing up 25%. Not concerts. Not conferences. Niche, weird, specific things.
And this is where it all connected for me.
Because I see the same thing on Offlyn every week. The mango rave that sold out in minutes. The weekday pottery with a waitlist. The supper club run out of a 2BHK with no Instagram page. The open mic that starts at 8 and ends at midnight with 30 people who didn’t know each other four hours ago.
BookMyShow’s data says 78% of Indians prefer experiences over products. Eventbrite’s data says they want those experiences to feel spontaneous, unpressured, and unrepeatable. Our data says the stuff that fills up fastest is always the smallest, weirdest, most human thing on the platform.
All three are saying the same thing.
The forced-networking event is dead. The polished, predictable, every-minute-scheduled experience is dying. What’s replacing it is smaller, weirder, more honest — and that’s exactly why it works.
I never made that carousel. I’m writing this instead.
Because if you’ve been thinking about hosting something — anything — the audience has literally never been more ready. 78% of them would rather spend money on your event than on a product. 1.8 million of them showed up to something alone last year. They’re not waiting for a perfect setup. They’re waiting for someone to open a door.
The most connected generation in history is looking for the one thing only a real room can give them. To be present. To be surprised. To belong somewhere that doesn’t exist on a screen.
If you’re building that room — you’re already ahead.
Sources: BookMyShow #Throwback2025 Report, BookMyShow-EY Parthenon ‘Beyond Attention. Into Immersion’ 2026, Eventbrite Social Study 2026, CNBC India.
If any of this resonated — reply to this email. I want to hear what you’re building.
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