‘Pushpa 2’ most watched film of 2024, Coldplay concert to be biggest draw in 2025: Report

Mumbai: Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule has emerged as the most-watched movie of the year 2024 with 10.8 lakh solo viewers, according to a year-end report by BookMyShow.

As 2024 draws to a close, the entertainment platform has come out with a report, titled #BookMyShowThrowback, highlighting the pivotal trends that defined cinematic experiences in India and globally, as well as the meteoric rise of live entertainment.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, a sequel to 2021’s blockbuster Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise, has become a runaway hit at the box office, shattering many records while earning Rs Rs 1,500 crore at the global box office.

The follow-up, which arrived in cinemas on December 5, was released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam languages.

According to the report, which analysed data between January 1 to December 5, November 1 was a blockbuster day on BookMyShow as the company sold a record-breaking 2.3 million tickets in just 24 hours.

The most watched movies of 2024 also included Hindi hit like Stree 2, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 as well as Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu), HanuMan (Telugu), Amaran (Tamil), The Greatest of All Time (Tamil), Devara (Telugu) and Manjummel Boys (Malayalam).

The company revealed that one cinephile watched 221 movies during the year.

Taking note of the trend of old movies re-releasing in theatres, the report said films like Kal Ho Na Ho, Timbbad, Rockstar and Laila Majnu turned "theatres into time machines for fans revisiting beloved classics".

Hollywood films, especially franchise titles like Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, set screens ablaze with high-octane excitement, it added.

Small-budget films like Aavesham, Laapaata Ladies, and Merry Christmas proved that authentic narratives resonate deeply, regardless of scale, the report said.

On the live events front, 2024 proved to be a year of exceptional experiences.

BookMyShow offered a wide platter of an extraordinary 30,687 live events across 319 cities, marking a growth of 18 per cent in India’s live entertainment consumption.

The year began with Nick Jonas and the Jonas Brothers captivating India at Lollapalooza 2024, followed by Ed Sheeran's concert in March where he was joined on stage by Diljit Dosanjh.

Maroon 5 performed in the country on December 3 and made waves by filling arenas on a Tuesday evening, proving that weekday concerts can be just as electric.

“Music tourism surged, becoming one of the defining trends of the year. Over 4,77,393 fans travelled outside their cities to attend live music events... Tier 2 cities experienced a dramatic 682 per cent growth in live events, including markets like Kanpur, Shillong and Gandhinagar, signalling a democratisation of entertainment access across the country,” the report said.

For Coldplay’s upcoming concert in Ahmedabad, people from over 500 cities and 28 states have booked tickets on the company's platform.

The concert, part of Chris Martin-led band's Music Of The Spheres World Tour, will be held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on January 25, 2025.

The group will also perform three shows in Mumbai's DY Patil Sports Stadium on January 18, 19 and 21.

In 2025, Sheeran will also return to India with his Mathematics Tour and is set to perform in six cities — Pune on January 30, Hyderabad on February 2, Chennai on February 5, Bengaluru on February 8, Shillong on February 12 and lastly Delhi NCR on February 15.

Additionally, comedy, art and immersive experiences found steady audiences, with Nykaaland 2024, Van Gogh 360 and Peppa Pig’s adventure.