iWorld
Flipperachi to make Mumbai debut with high-voltage concert this March
Bahraini rap star brings his global hip-hop wave to Phoenix Marketcity on 13 March
MUMBAI: Global rap breakout Flipperachi is bringing his fast-rising Middle Eastern hip-hop sound to India, with a debut Mumbai concert slated for 13 March 2026 at Phoenix Marketcity. After racking up streams worldwide and building a cross-border fanbase, the Bahraini rapper is now eyeing one of the world’s most energetic live markets.
Produced and promoted by Eva Live and Zee Live, and powered by Mastercard, the show marks a key stop in Flipperachi’s global rise. The Mumbai gig promises an immersive set packed with his signature beats, high-octane visuals and crowd-led moments that have become a calling card at his international shows.
Flipperachi shot to prominence with the viral hit FA9LA and expanded his reach with a feature in the Bollywood film Dhurandhar. With raw lyricism, genre-blending tracks and candid storytelling, he has positioned himself among the most talked-about new voices in global rap, connecting with fans across languages and borders.
“India has shown me incredible love, and Mumbai is a city I’ve always wanted to perform in. The energy, the people, the culture, it all feels very familiar. This show is going to be loud, emotional and unforgettable. Mumbai, get ready!” Flipperachi said.
Deepak Choudhary, founder and managing director, Eva Live, called the rapper “a movement”. His rise, he said, has been organic and fan-driven. “Bringing his debut show to Mumbai was a no-brainer. This city understands global music, and we’re thrilled to present a show that reflects where hip-hop is headed next.”
Gareth Eswin Thomas, business head, Zee Live, framed the concert as part of a broader push. “Flipperachi represents the new wave of global hip-hop, where culture and music travel beyond borders. Our focus is to curate immersive experiences. Presenting his debut Mumbai show with Eva Live extends our premium Supermoon offering. This concert is set to elevate the live hip-hop experience for aficionados across the nation,” he said.
Zee Live, which curates properties across music, arts and spirituality, has been doubling down on hip-hop. It recently hosted Hanumankind’s HomeRun tour in Kochi and Bengaluru, drawing strong crowds and signalling a growing appetite for global rap acts in India.
Beyond Mumbai, Flipperachi is confirmed to perform in Bengaluru on 14 March at the UN40 Music Festival, making his India run short and his Mumbai stop especially coveted.
Ticket sales open in phases. An exclusive presale for HDFC Bank Mastercard credit and debit card holders runs from 14 February at 12:00 pm IST to 16 February at 12:00 pm IST. The Mastercard presale follows from 16 February at 12:30 pm IST to 19 February at 12:00 pm IST. General sales begin on 19 February from 12:30 pm IST on District by Zomato.
For Mumbai’s hip-hop faithful, the message is simple: a global rap wave is about to hit the city, and it plans to make noise.
MUMBAI: If cricket were a binge-worthy series, this one just dropped its most explosive pilot yet. The opening weekend of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has come out swinging, smashing records across both television and digital platforms and reaffirming the tournament’s unmatched pull in India’s sporting and media landscape.
Backed by two high-octane matches featuring 200-plus run chases, the tournament delivered a combined reach of over 515 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms via JioStar’s broadcast ecosystem, including Star Sports and JioHotstar. More tellingly, engagement surged alongside reach, with total watch-time hitting 32.6 billion minutes, a sharp 26 per cent jump over the opening weekend of the previous season.
The numbers reveal a deeper shift in how India watches cricket. Connected TV (CTV) consumption rose by 30 per cent, while peak concurrency on digital platforms jumped 61 per cent, signalling a growing appetite for shared, big-screen streaming experiences. On traditional television, the momentum held strong, with TV ratings (TVR) climbing 24 per cent compared to earlier seasons’ opening matches.
A key driver of this spike has been the evolution of the viewing experience itself. This season introduced differentiated feeds, most notably a Hindi CTV broadcast featuring cricketing voices such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Blending expert analysis with a watch-along format, the feed has added a conversational, almost second-screen feel without requiring viewers to leave their screens.
According to JioStar CEO for Sports Ishan Chatterjee, at the opening weekend underscores not just scale but also the depth of engagement that live cricket continues to command. He noted that the combination of large-screen viewing and digital interactivity is creating a more immersive and personalised experience, while also delivering tangible outcomes for brand partners.
From the league’s perspective, the early numbers point to a tournament that continues to reinvent itself. Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, said the strong start reflects how high-quality cricket paired with enhanced viewing formats is resonating with audiences nationwide, while Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted the “quality of engagement” as a key takeaway, not just the scale.
Commercially too, the opening weekend signals robust advertiser confidence. The broadcast is led by co-presenting sponsors including Google (Search AI Mode), Campa Energy, and Havells & Lloyd, alongside co-powered partners such as Birla Opus, Hero Motocorp and Amazon. A long tail of associate sponsors from OpenAI and Asian Paints to Flipkart and Amul further reflects the league’s unmatched ability to aggregate advertiser interest at scale.
Taken together, the opening weekend numbers are less a spike and more a statement. With 515 million viewers, 32.6 billion minutes of watch-time, and double-digit growth across formats, IPL 2026 has not just started strong, it has set the tone for a season that looks poised to push the boundaries of both sport and spectacle.
