District has partnered with Airtel to strengthen the digital infrastructure at a large-scale live entertainment venue in Bengaluru, which will now be renamed Airtel Arena.
Spread across 16 acres, the open-air venue is developed by Go-Golf Entertainment LLP and has a capacity of over 17,000 people. Under the partnership, District will continue to manage the on-ground experience for audiences, artists and event organisers, while Airtel will invest in dedicated digital infrastructure to improve network connectivity across the venue.
The planned upgrades will focus on delivering high-capacity, high-speed connectivity during large-scale events. This is expected to enable audiences to livestream performances, share content in real time, make digital payments and stay connected throughout events. The improvements will build on existing facilities at the venue, including mobile pre-ordering and cashless top-ups, and are expected to be introduced ahead of the upcoming event season.
The partnership comes amid growing demand for large-scale concert infrastructure in India, where the availability of purpose-built venues remains a constraint for the live entertainment sector.
Commenting on the collaboration, Rahul Ganjoo, CEO, District, pointed to the shortage of large-capacity venues as a key challenge for the industry. He noted that India has fewer than ten purpose-built venues capable of hosting more than 10,000 people, despite the growing scale of its live entertainment market. He also emphasised the need for brands beyond the traditional live events ecosystem to invest in the infrastructure required to support its growth.
For Airtel, the partnership is centred on making connectivity an integral part of the concert experience. Suchita Salwan, Chief Customer Officer, Airtel, said that the company’s investment in its 5G network and digital infrastructure would address audience needs such as real-time content sharing, digital payments and staying connected with friends and family during events.
K Vasudeva Udupa, Founder Director, Go-Golf Entertainment LLP, said the venue was developed to offer international-standard experiences for audiences while providing organisers, promoters and artists with the infrastructure required to stage large-scale productions. He added that District’s on-ground management and Airtel’s investment in digital infrastructure would build on the venue’s existing capabilities.
The venue has previously hosted performances by artists including Arijit Singh, Anirudh Ravichander and Bryan Adams. Its infrastructure includes a modular main stage built to international production standards, a dedicated artist village and backstage area, an 80-foot box office, and parking facilities for 4,500 cars and 1,000 two-wheelers. Dedicated service roads have also been incorporated to support emergency access and backstage logistics.
With the partnership, Airtel Arena brings together venue operations and dedicated telecom infrastructure under one collaboration. It also highlights how investments beyond physical venues, particularly in connectivity and audience-facing technology, are becoming increasingly relevant as India’s live entertainment sector scales up.
