Music for all: How inclusive and accessible are Mumbai's concert venues?

A differently-abled fan enjoys the music at Lollapalooza Music Festival in 2024. Pics Courtesy/Instagram

One of the highlights from Taylor Swift's Eras tour was the presence of four sign language interpreters on stage. Such was the performance that one of them, Jill Deaton, received a standing ovation during the show in Dublin. With India growing as a destination for international music artistes, accessibility has become a talking point for music fans and organisers equally.

Last month, at an Alan Walker concert held in an open-air venue in Bandra Kurla Complex, fan and accessibility advocate Virali Modi found herself struggling to navigate the venue in her wheelchair. "There were several points where gravel was carpeted over, obstructing my wheelchair. By the time we made it in, we [Modi and her partner] were exhausted," she says. Though the organisers sought to fix it, it is an example of the problems that differently-abled fans want to be addressed.

Pranav Naik

A cultural practice

The 2011 census marked out 27 million Persons with Disabilities (PwD) making up almost 2.1 per cent of the gross population of India, a number that has since tripled. In stark contrast, a 2023 survey by the Laboratory of Architectural Planning, Hokkaido reveals that over 42 per cent of Indian cities lack facilities for universal mobility.

Modi observes, "The issue runs deep. We rarely see people with disabilities at festivals, and it's a chicken-and-egg problem. No visibility means no accessible infrastructure, and without accessibility, people with disabilities can't participate."

(From left) Virali Modi at an earlier concert; fans at the Alan Walker concert dance on the bumpy carpet

Despite his immobility, Varun Khullar AKA DJ Aamish has been a music producer and creator for seven years. Working the console on his wheelchair has put him face-to-face with the issues on the ground, even losing out on opportunities. "The community [PwDs] should not have to ask for basic facilities. We are a part of society, and if you tell me you did not even consider my presence [when designing such a space], it sounds callous and dismissive."

Pranav Naik, principal architect at city-based Studio Pomegranate, suggests that the issue also reflects lack of representation. "We have building codes and even the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016, but implementation is difficult. Even facilities at public and government spaces are built as an afterthought,"
he says.

DJ Varun Khullar at his console

Key to accessibility

Accessibility requirements in general, and at music venues are often overlapping, but distinct. Modi points out to some key features as:
1. Clearly marked parking spaces close to the venue
2. Paved pathways for easy movement
3. Ramps to elevated viewing platforms/consoles
4. Wider bathroom spaces and medical facilities

Siddhant Shah, founder, AccessforAll, a disability-service platform that undertakes inclusivity outreach programmes and offers solutions, adds, "You have to take in account the caregivers as well. Most attendees at music events are not alone. You also need a team of volunteers sensitized and informed."

VG Jairam and Siddhant Shah

The money tale

For organisers, these variables add up to the logistics of event management, coupled with permissions and added costs. VG Jairam, director of Hyperlinks Brand Solutions that organises events such as Mahindra Blues Festival and The Mahindra Independence Rock Festival admits, "It is both an economic and infrastructural challenge. High costs and the need for specialised equipment, trained personnel, and retrofitting older venues can be deterrents." While collaboration is growing, he adds that policy-level support and funding are needed.

Volunteers assist differently-abled visitors at Lollapalooza 2024. Pics Courtesy/Instagram

Roshan Netalkar, founder and director of the Echoes of the Earth Music Festival, agrees saying, "The venue, space and the deliverables of the festival matter. The last decade has seen a boom in events. Our cities have always been crowded; throw in a music concert, and it can become difficult to manage despite all the planning," he says. This year, the festival in December will have ramps, separate wheelchair entries, spare wheelchairs, and a special platform as part of their inclusivity exercise.

Change in the offing

This is a sign of change, especially with global events such as Lollapalooza. Earlier this year, Shah's platform collaborated with the international music festival in Mumbai to create a disabled-friendly space, complete with an enclosure for a sensory break.

Roshan Netalkar

Netalkar notes that international brands can be a catalyst. "The international stars as well as brands emphasise on these requirements. Indian venues will have to deliver to these guidelines. This could turn into a practice rather than an aberration in the future."

For Naik, it comes down to a change in the culture. "The cost involved is minimal. The bigger issue is cultivating a culture of empathy. This will stem from policy-making, and will have to slowly trickle down into daily practice in urban life."

The ramp at the Echoes of The Earth Music Festival in Bengaluru

Modi believes music should be the magnet. "Organisers will prioritise accessibility if they understand the inclusive nature of music. Music unites us." In short, as Kevin Costner learned in the 1989 cult film on baseball, Field Of Dreams, ‘If you build it, they will come.'

Also Read: Lights, sound, action! Tracing the dynamics of concert culture in India