New Delhi: Bryan Adams has a deep connection with India. The Canadian rock legend has visited the country five times – starting 1993-1994 – and is returning for a sixth time on 10 December with his ‘So Happy It Hurts’ tour. Adams’ last trip was in 2018, when he performed in five cities including Ahmedabad and New Delhi.
“India has this incredible energy—an audience that feels music deeply. Every visit is like coming home; the connection is pure and unforgettable,” Adams told ThePrint. The singer-songwriter’s first-ever concert in Mumbai was even televised on Doordarshan. Adams’ multi-city tour this year will span six cities—kicking off in Shillong on 10 December and concluding in Goa on 17 December.
Sixty-five-year-old Adams has been a household name in India since the 1990s—his Summer of ’69 an anthem for the country’s urban music audiences. One of the world’s top-selling artistes, his performances attract huge crowds. In 2018, 10,000 people thronged his Mumbai concert despite the city’s notoriously humid weather.
Bryan Adams’ India connect
Nothing about India surprises Bryan Adams anymore. It feels far more familiar now compared to 1993, when his Mumbai concert venue was divided, with wooden fences, into two halves–one side for his audience and the other for tea-guzzling cricket club members.
“Once during a soundcheck, a cow wandered into the venue—it was such a quintessentially Indian moment. We all had a good laugh,” said Adams, whose 2024 India setlist comprises classics such as Everything I Do I Do It For You, Please Forgive Me, Run To You, and 18 Till I Die. His So Happy It Hurts tour has sold 75,000 tickets as of August, with the Mumbai tour tickets selling out in the first 24 hours of going live.
There’s plenty that Adams loves about India, from its musicians to its food. “I’ve always admired AR Rahman’s work—his music is powerful and transcendent,” he said. Adams met Rahman during his 2018 tour and had even shared the experience on Instagram.
A vegan, the Canadian music icon has tried quite a few “local” vegetarian dishes. “I tend to stick to simpler meals before a show. That said, the flavours here are unforgettable.” The singer stopped eating meat when he was 28.
Coming to India’s concert scene, Adams said some improvements are in order. “The audiences here are unmatched in passion, but there’s room for growth in [terms of] infrastructure. India has so much potential to host even bigger international acts,” he said. He has a suggestion for organisers, too. “Streamlined logistics for fans and better access to tickets—it’s all about making the experience as memorable as the music.”
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
Bryan Adams tour for 2014 started on 8th dec 2024 with kolkata and not 10th Dec. Please rectify your information.