Diljit Dosanjh announced the India leg of his AURA World Tour on September 12, revealing from the stage at London’s sold-out Wembley Stadium that he would play Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on November 21. With six more cities added later, the run stretches from October 30 to December 5. The tour has already taken AURA to sold-out stadiums in Australia, USA, and Wembley – where he became the first Punjabi artist to headline and sell out the venue – and now brings it home.
From the Delhi opener to the final bow, Billboard India tracks the run city by city.
Delhi: October 30, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
The Delhi opener was on unstable grounds when police permission was reportedly withheld, but was given a green light on October 24. On October 30, all tickets to the day’s show sold out. Delhi Traffic Police put restrictions and diversions around Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and the Delhi Metro extended services till midnight so the 70,000-plus concertgoers could reach and leave the venue with ease.
On stage, Dosanjh opened with “Morni”, and took the stadium through some of his biggest hits, including “G.O.A.T”, “Ikk Kudi”, “Lalkara”, “Sanson Ki Mala” and “Water”. He pulled fans onto the stage to dance and sing beside him, and paused mid-show to thank the Delhi Police for keeping the evening safe.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding Satluj, his biographical drama about Punjabi activist Jaswant Singh Khalra which was removed from the OTT platform ZEE5 within 48 hours of its release. “Don’t teach Punjabis how to fight,” the singer behind the I Am An Artist EP said. “We fought for [Satluj] for a very long time.”
The night closed with a drone show spelling out “Panjabi Aa Gaye Oye!”. Off stage, fans could get their turbans tied at a complimentary turban camp before entering the stadium.
After the show, the artist went on Instagram live to thank the people who made it possible. He thanked Delhi Police, the CRPF, and Metro personnel and his organising teams. He also announced dates for the following:
- December 31 – YAS Island, Abu Dhabi
- December 12 – Chandigarh [Venue to be confirmed]
- December 19 – Kolkata [Venue to be confirmed]
“Many people tried to stop it, but we made the Delhi show happen,” he said. He also thanked Daddy Yankee, with their new track “Pokito” playing in the background.
