Travel itineraries are changing and instead of scrolling through the usual beach or hill-station packages, a whole generation is checking festival line-ups first. Gone are the days when a long weekend automatically meant a beach escape or a hill station retreat. For a growing number of young Indians, the journey now begins with a concert lineup rather than a destination map.
Whether it’s dancing beneath the stars in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley, soaking in the music at Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Festival or planning months ahead for Tomorrowland, travel is increasingly being shaped by live music.
A new report by backpacker hostel chain Zostel reveals that one in three Gen Z travellers now choose a music festival over a conventional holiday, signalling a major shift in how India’s youngest travellers are planning their getaways.
According to The Sound of the Route Report, music-led trips booked through Zo Trips, Zostel’s experiential travel platform, have grown four to five times year-on-year.
Image: Cherry Blossom Festival/@Ministry of Tourism
Festival travel now accounts for 30% of Zo Trips’ experiential portfolio, with demand fuelled by destination festivals. Over 50% of those booking these trips are aged 21-28, another 30% fall between 28 and 34, and most of them around 80% book solo.
Destinations Setting the Beat
Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as the breakout star, with bookings tracking 7-8 times higher than last year. Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Festival, which already led the portfolio last season, is projected to grow at least three-fold for 2026. The Northeast continues to dominate, thanks to its deep indie and rock culture and destinations that feel like destinations, not just concert venues.
Travellers are planning ahead typically 45 to 60 days in advance, and up to six or seven months for the most sought-after events. Groups stay intentionally small (14-15 people per batch), and the average trip stretches 5-8 nights so people can soak in both the music and the place around it.
What They’re Willing to Spend (and Experience)
Entry-level festival trips start around ₹20,000-25,000. Marquee domestic circuits such as Ziro, Cherry Blossom and Majuli sit in the ₹25,000-45,000 range, while international heavyweights like Tomorrowland begin at ₹1.5 lakh.
Image: Ziro Music Festival 2024/@ZIRO Festival
Almost every traveller adds local experiences—treks, cafés, sightseeing to the itinerary. Loyalty runs deep too: 68% are repeat Zo Trips customers and 95% have stayed at a Zostel before.
Music Tourism is Becoming a Major Travel Economy
As music tourism gains momentum, destinations are evolving alongside it. Hostels, homestays and local communities are increasingly creating experiences that go beyond the main stage, giving visitors a chance to discover regional culture, cuisine and landscapes.
Aviral Gupta, CEO of Zostel and Zo World, believes India is witnessing the early stages of a much larger travel movement. He notes that India’s live events industry is growing rapidly, but the real opportunity lies in everything that happens beyond the concert ticket. Travellers spend on accommodation, transport, local food, guides, cafés and shopping, creating economic benefits for destinations that host these festivals.
“A traveller is no longer choosing between a concert and a holiday, because the festival is now in a valley in Arunachal Pradesh and getting there is the trip,” says Gupta.