Event Coverage
BookMyShow Live introduces the VerTech stage system to elevate Indian entertainment globally
Mumbai: In a landmark move set to transform the live entertainment industry, BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, brings to India a never-seen-before, cutting-edge stage that promises an exemplary production value for an unmatchable consumer experience.
Acquired from Star Live, global live event infrastructure leader, the VerTech Stage represents a significant engineering milestone and is the world’s first all-steel stage to feature on the Indian live entertainment landscape.
The VerTech stage (derived from Versatile Technology), marks a departure from traditional aluminium structures, offering unprecedented performance capability, sustainability and resilience. Its galvanised steel composition ensures maximum durability, making it an ideal choice for India’s diverse and largely tropical climate, providing superior weather protection and performance against wind, rain and heat especially for the largest scales of production.
BookMyShow Live will unveil this market-first mammoth stage at Lollapalooza India 2024, produced and promoted by the platform. Festival attendees will witness this historic moment of the stage unveil at the BUDX main stage of Lollapalooza India 2024 featuring headliner acts including Jonas Brothers and Sting. Brought to India by BookMyShow Live, the VerTech stage came to the shores of Mumbai from the UK in sixteen enormous 40-feet containers. The Mahalaxmi Race Course reverberated with cranes, yellow-hatted mechanics, engineers and technicians, meticulously assembling the stage, piece by piece to now proudly boast, a loading capacity of 50 tonnes, a massive increase from the conventional 15 tonnes that live event stages in India typically have a capacity for.
A unique selling point of the VerTech stage is its seamless structure, integrating towers mechanically into the substructure and a self-sustaining ecosystem, unlike any other in India. This unified design results in a robust setup capable of withstanding greater wind speeds and ever more complex production demands, including elaborate video technology and screens. Star Live’s VerTech range provides ultimate flexibility for a temporary stage structure with over 100 different configurations executed flawlessly, with the component range also able to deliver class-leading ground support for indoor and outdoor applications.
It is no secret that India has become a high-potential, high-demand market for live entertainment experiences. BookMyShow’s Best of 2023 – #EntertainmentOnASpree report revealed that Live Entertainment took centre stage with a footfall of 13.5 million entertainment-seeking audiences creating a ‘momentous year’ choosing to step out for live events throughout last year. In its journey to lead the pack for accessible, extravagant and globally acclaimed live entertainment productions and therefore experiences for the country, BookMyShow’s investment across significant areas to build this ecosystem has always been ahead of the curve. India’s leading entertainment destination’s visionary step in investing in the VerTech stage system signals a bright future for the music and live event industry in the country, aligning it with international safety and production standards and unlocking a world of opportunities for artists and fans alike. Internationally renowned and popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Madonna, Adele, The Rolling Stones, Justine Timberlake, Foo Fighters, Sir Elton John and more have performed on the VerTech stage that matched the gigantic production sets and scale requirements for their performances.
BookMyShow chief of business – live events Owen Roncon said, “The Indian live entertainment industry is at the cusp of a revolution signalled by a strategically woven mix of innovation, evolution and technology upscaling. This is exactly the mantra we’re following at BookMyShow Live to pave the way for curated live entertainment experiences that are unparalleled, unmatched and unmissable. With each experience, our work is focussed towards creating a new benchmark in the industry. Consumers are always at the heart of everything we do at BookMyShow and we are concentrating all our efforts in readying India for artists and performances from across the globe, delivering world-class entertainment on our stage, for our audiences that actively seek quality experiences in their leisure time. Bringing the iconic VerTech stage from Star Live to India furthered these efforts of a world-class platform for world-class artists and has opened up a sea of possible opportunities while elevating the industry standard of technical prowess, production value and sustainability.”
“As we mark this milestone with Book My Show, Star Live is proud to be a part of revolutionising India’s music events landscape. This exclusive collaboration not only reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainability but also showcases the immense potential of our global partnerships in enhancing the live entertainment experience” said, Star Live CEO Grahame Muir.
In alignment with the #LollaForChange initiative, the VerTech stage comprises over 95 per cent reusability of materials from show to show, with sustainability at its core. The ingenious design incorporates custom-designed handling frames and crates for efficient transportation and rapid setup, reflecting Star Live’s commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility, opening up a massive pool of opportunities for BookMyShow Live to bring widen its ability to bring bigger A-star international talent requiring a mammoth production set-up, to India.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
