People Sang And Swayed To ‘Michael’ And ‘Billie Eilish’ Concert Film, But Will Live Concert Screenings Work In India?

AMC Theatres has partnered with Arena One for a new initiative that will bring live concerts to cinema screens across the US Launching in June, the series will feature performances by Bebe Rexha (June 17), Paris Hilton (June 18), Kim Petras (June 19) and Maren Morris (June 20), all of which will be simulcast live in more than 300 AMC theatres nationwide.

This marks a major transition for the cinema industry as multiplexes and single-screen theaters are trying new ways to attract audiences and generate revenue.

In India, while “Michael” had people singing along in theaters, the screenings of “Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” saw fans clicking selfies with their idol on screen and even dancing in the aisles. Theater owners and artists share their thoughts with Variety India on the concept and its potential to find an audience in India.

Pointing out that theatres are already exploring the live events format, Aamer Bijli, Lead Specialist - Innovation, Film Marketing, and Digital Programming, PVR INOX Limited, says, “Audiences know what a big‑screen experience can deliver. When a film is built for immersion, they seek it out in the largest, premium formats. It’s not just watching a movie in a theatre; it’s feeling it the way you would a live performance in the first row. Our alternate‑content initiatives — from BTS screenings and IPL matches to live on‑stage events — mirror that shift. Every element, from layered sound design to song‑driven storytelling and performance‑centric narratives, transforms the big screen into a shared, larger‑than‑life, almost concert‑style event that audiences feel as much as they see.”

Highlighting the structural growth of the industry, Siddhesh Kudtarkar, Founder, Team Innovation, says, “The stadium-to-cinema model represents a logical and timely evolution of India’s live entertainment landscape. As concerts in India scale up in production value and audience engagement, they are increasingly designed as immersive, visually rich experiences — making them naturally suited for cinematic adaptation... The potential is undeniable but unlocking it will require a structural shift from performance-led touring to IP-led entertainment franchises.”

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Speaking on the shift in artist-fan engagement, Chaitanya Kataria, CEO, Gully Gang Ent., says, “Storytelling around western pop stars has long been central to their media and content ecosystem, particularly through concert and tour films... In India, musicians and singers have historically sat in the background of popular culture, with little storytelling beyond the songs themselves. The last decade has changed that. A wave of artists have built themselves into personalities and engaged in worldbuilding... Concert films becoming a core layer of artist storytelling, and a deeper bridge to fans, feels like the natural next step.”

Behram Siganporia, musician and frontman of electro-pop band Best Kept Secret, says screening live concerts would be interesting, but it might not work for all artists. He shares, “The entertainment industry is constantly changing. While previously the only way to catch a concert was to watch it at your neighborhood pub or certain live music venues, that has changed and evolved. Today, you have all kinds of events like music fests and road shows. I feel it will work in India, although only a limited number of artists will be able to pull this off.”

Sunil Narang, Film distributor and co-owner, Asian Cinemas, Hyderabad and Telangana, adds, “Today, theatres offer multiple options like live entertainment and good sound systems. A few multiplexes offer billiard tables and video games as added entertainment today. Films like ‘Michael’ have performed very well, and live shows are an interesting concept. I would love to see how it works.”

Elaborating on adding concert screening to theaters’ revenue model, Anoop Naroor, MD, Aura Cinemas, Karnataka and Kerala, says, “Theatres are solely dependent on movie content and their business depends on the quality of content received. Identifying other revenue potential will be a strong step for the business. Education, which could include video content screening for students, is another option we could look at.”

Some theater owners are unsure of the concept picking up here. Oum Pradyutt Arya, Founder & MD, Phase 1 Events & Entertainment Private Limited, says, “The concept of screening a live concert is unique and would work for the artist as well as the multiplexes. It works there because their multiplexes are not doing as well as ours. We have more movies than Hollywood does and need more screens. Also, I believe live performances require a large format.”

Others feel that the response to such live screenings would depend on the popularity of the performer. Vinod Iyer, owner, Crown Theatre, Kozhikode, Kerala, says, “The reason behind the success of ‘Michael’ is that Michael Jackson is a global figure and known by everyone. We had a good collection at our theatre, and the audience included people of all ages. But this is not a consistent trend, as ‘Iron Maiden: The Burning Ambition,’ a similar movie, didn’t make any impact. The concept of doing live shows is certainly a new trend and a way forward. It would be interesting to see how it pans out.”