The city’s cultural calendar may soon see a revival as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has approved the Delhi Government’s proposal and reduced the booking prices by 40-50 per cent of major stadiums, including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, for both sports and non-sports events.
In a bid to preserve the sanctity of its stadia that also host non-sports events during the off season, the SAI has introduced significantly higher tariffs and stringent penalties for organisers who fail to return the five facilities here in good condition after such gatherings.
For schools, colleges, universities and registered societies, the fee has been kept at `1 lakh at JLN Stadium, `25,000 at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, and `20,000 to `40,000 for various ranges of the Karni Singh Arena.
According to SAI, national and international level sports events organised by the federations and associations recognised by the sports ministry will not have to pay anything to hire the venues except for electricity charges.
The decision to reduce booking rates comes after Minister of Art, Culture and Languages and Tourism Kapil Mishra met Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to discuss advancing the vision of making Delhi a ‘Global Event Hub.’
Mishra had requested the Union Minister to reduce the booking rates of stadiums in Delhi which will help to transform it into a global hub for live entertainment and concert economy. SAI has five venues in Delhi — Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN) and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.
Sharing SAI’s decision on social media, Mishra said the reduction in stadium-booking charges is a “historic step” in turning the capital into a hub for live events and concerts. “Nearly 40-50 per cent cut in the rents of Delhi’s major stadiums..! An important step towards making Delhi an international hub for Event and Concert economy... The rates of Delhi’s major stadiums have been reduced, so that more events can be held in Delhi Sports Authority of India, Union Minister @mansukhmandviya ji has taken this big step in the interest of Delhi,” he tweeted.
The revised rates, notified through a circular dated September 18, 2025, categorises events based on their organisers. Category 1 includes government schools, recognised sports associations, and government departments. Category 2 is for private educational institutions and registered sports societies. Category 3 encompasses all other events, primarily commercial and private bookings.
The JLN, primarily an athletics and football venue, is among the most popular cites for hosting non-sports events like music concerts and it earlier cost a relatively low `4.5 lakh to book its main arena by Indian artistes. The rates have hiked the cost of booking to a massive `25 lakh, which is a relief for international performers who were supposed to pay “around `50 lakh” earlier. “The main arena of the JLN Stadium will be given on rent for non-sports events on condition that the event organiser ensures proper protection cover (mats/rugs etc.) of area to be utilised on Field of Play,” stated the 66-page SAI notification which is in possession of the pioneer. In case there is a failure to ensure a post-event clean-up, SAI said that it would charge a penalty at 10 per cent of per day tariff and would also have the discretion to “blacklist” such organisers from future event bookings.
The introduction of penalties takes note of the poor condition in which SAI has sometimes received its venues, the most recent case in point being popular Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Dil-Luminati’ concert in JLN at the end of which the stadium was found to be in a messy state.
The Indira Gandhi Sports Complex’s main arena, which was earlier available for `8 lakh for non-sports events like music and fashion shows and film screenings, will now cost `16 lakh per day for upto five days as per revised tariffs. The IG Complex has facilities for boxing, gymnastics, wrestling and a cycling velodrome. As for the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, which is primarily a hockey venue, SAI has fixed the tariff for main pavilion and spectator gallery at `5 lakh per day. The concrete area around the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex, which could earlier be hired for a nominal `30,000 per day will now be available at `5 lakh.
“The Prime Minister’s vision is to make Delhi a hub for live events and concert economy. One of the major obstacles was the high booking rates of stadiums, which led to large events being organised outside Delhi, in cities
like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, and Noida. After extensive discussions with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and two roundtable meetings with the industry, this historic decision has been taken today. This step will be crucial in establishing Delhi as a hub for concert economy,” Mishra said.