New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) "O, ki haal Dilli walo!!!" echoed through the packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as Diljit Dosanjh made a grand entry and captivated the crowd with an energetic performance that kicked off his eagerly awaited 'Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024'.
The concert, the first of two scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in the national capital, saw the singer enthral thousands of fans with his chart-topping tracks like "Lover", "5 Taara", "Do You Know", "Ikk Kudi" from "Udta Punjab", and many more.
"It's an amazing vibe, and people have been waiting for the last half hour, so the craze is full-on. And as he said 'Punjabi aa gaye oye', it really felt like he's come back home. We're enjoying it," one fan told PTI.
Dosanjh, dressed in an all-black outfit, complete with a black turban and sunglasses, waved the national flag at the start of the concert. He then gave a salute in front of the flag, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
Addressing his fans, Dosanjh, 40, said, "O, ki haal Dilli walo? (How are you people in Delhi?)" The crowd responded with a massive roar.
"Delhi, we had a full house, sold out. We got permission only for this much, otherwise, we would have done it for three days in a row with a stage at the centre. Thank you guys, appreciate," he said.
Many took to social media to complain about being stuck in long traffic jams while trying to reach the venue. Several videos showed long queues at the Barapullah Bridge.
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal was among those caught in the jam and had to leave his car and walk the last stretch to the venue. Sharing a video on his Instagram Stories showing bumper-to-bumper traffic, Goyal wrote, "Walking the last mile to JLN Stadium for Diljit. So much traffic!"
At the venue, large crowds waited for hours to enter, but the excitement was palpable.
"There used to be fights back in the day, and the same is happening today because we weren't getting tickets. We had to ask some of our friends to help us get them,” another fan added.
"On a scale from 1 to 100, my excitement level is 110," said one enthusiastic concert-goer.
Others felt lucky to have secured tickets amid the heavy demand.
"It was pure luck that I got the tickets. My favourite Diljit song is with Gurdas Maan, 'Ki Banu Duniya Da', and my current favourite is 'Born to Shine'," said a fan.
Fans also detailed the struggles to book the tickets for their favourite singer's concert.
"I struggled for nine hours on Zomato Live to get some tickets, and finally got one. My girlfriend has another ticket, but she's sitting on the other side. We're in two different rows," said one concert-goer.
While many were fortunate to be part of one of the biggest shows in recent memory, others found themselves stranded outside, unable to enter as they learned their tickets were invalid.
Despite pleading with the organisers, they were denied entry, leaving some furious and others heartbroken.
"It was a total waste to come here," said one disappointed fan, who was turned away by the security.
Another added, "I came here without a ticket and met someone who sold me a fake one. They charged me a lot of money for it."
Delhi will witness a second date with the singer that he added after the tickets for the first show were sold out within minutes.
The Sunday show is going to be sold out as well with only lounge tickets remaining and they are priced between Rs 32,000 and Rs 60,000.
Organised by Ripple Effect Studios and Saregama India, with Zomato Live handling ticketing, the tour has already broken records, becoming the fastest-selling and highest-grossing concert event in Indian history.
Dosanjh, who has captivated music lovers globally with his Punjabi hits, announced his arrival in Delhi in an Instagram post on Friday.
"Delhi Ka Mausam Kya Keh Raha Hai. DIL-LUMINATI TOUR Year 24," he wrote, sharing photos from the plane and the airport.
In another post on Saturday, the 40-year-old musician shared a video from the stadium as he inspected the arrangements ahead of the concert. "All set for tonight," he captioned the video.
The Delhi shows mark the beginning of a 10-city tour for Dosanjh, which will take him across Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata, and more, before concluding with a grand finale in Guwahati on December 29.
In recent years, Dosanjh has transcended cultural and language barriers, becoming one of the most prominent South Asian artists on the global stage. A pivotal moment in his journey was his 2022 performance at Coachella, where he became the first Punjabi artist to perform at the iconic festival.
In June this year, Dosanjh appeared as the musical guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," where he performed his popular tracks "G.O.A.T." and "Born to Shine." Fallon hailed him as "the biggest Punjabi artist on the planet."
Dosanjh has also made his mark in films, recently appearing in "Amar Singh Chamkila", "Crew" and the Punjabi movie "Jatt and Juliet 3". His upcoming films include "Border 2" and the sequel to "No Entry."