American rock band Linkin Park made their debut in India with a mind-blowing performance in Bengaluru earlier this week. They were initially scheduled to play at Lollapalooza India 2026 in Mumbai, and that show, too, proved unforgettable for many fans, including this writer, who was first introduced to them not through their most popular songs, but ‘Leave Out All The Rest’ on Vh1.
The bond, like that of many other fans, was so strong that when Chester Bennington passed away 10 years ago, they spent over three hours listening to the band’s music under the moonlight with a friend. So, when a new show was added due to popular demand, many fans went all out and attended both performances.
From Mumbai to Bengaluru, with love
Die-hard fans like Alisha Patel and her husband Neil Lopez are one such Mumbai-based couple. “We booked tickets for Lollapalooza even before the lineup was announced because there were strong rumours that Linkin Park was coming, and both of us are huge fans of the band,” shares Alisha.
When the second show was announced, the 34-year-old adds, “Each of our siblings Natasha and Allister wanted to go, and we jumped at the opportunity to go see them twice!”
Understandably, this meant not only spending on the Lollapalooza tickets but also for the Bengaluru show.
“We bought VIP tickets for Lolla and Fan Pit tickets for the Bengaluru show. Including flights, hotel, and food and beverages, we spent Rs 1.2 lakh for the two of us over those days,” shares the Andheri-based publicist.
The Mumbaikar attributes this not only to their fandom but also to the excitement of seeing the band twice, even if it meant catching flights and travelling through a packed weekend amid a busy schedule.
So, how long have they been listening to Linkin Park? “We`ve been listening to Linkin Park for as long as I can remember,” says Alisha. Neil chimes in, “It was probably around the time they came out with their first album, `Hybrid Theory`. `In the End` was an instant hit.”
Agreeing with him, Alisha adds, “It`s one of the songs we are most looking forward to hearing. Ever since Emily Armstrong joined the band, The Emptiness Machine has also become a song we play on loop. It’s been quite a journey with them.”
She continues, “It`s definitely going to be worth it. In the end, how many people can say they’ve seen Linkin Park perform live twice in the same week?”
“Even if they had a third show, I`d go for it”
Alisha and Neil are not the only die-hard fans. Elsewhere in Mumbai, Tarundeep Singh Wadhera has been riding an emotional rollercoaster ever since the shows were announced. As soon as the tickets went live, he didn’t think twice.
“Luckily, I got early bird tickets for both the shows, so I saved some money there. But if you include flights, hotels, local travel, food, and of course some drinks, I’d say I’m spending a good amount overall. Honestly, I didn’t even calculate it properly — I’m just going all in for Linkin Park. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me, so totally worth it.”
Tarundeep is among many fans, but fandom has its own unique tune that is felt differently by each person. Hailing from Karnal, Haryana, and now based in Mumbai, he says, ‘I’ve been following Linkin Park since I was 10 and have attended countless rock concerts, always hoping the band would come to India.”
Every show he attended made him think, “If this is so good, imagine how insane a Linkin Park concert would be.”
A childhood dream, he didn’t want to miss a single chance when it finally happened.
“That’s why I booked both Bengaluru and Mumbai,” says the 33-year-old graphic designer, adding, “Honestly, if there was a third show in India, I’d go for that too.”
Tarundeep has come a long way since he started listening to Linkin Park in the early 2000s.
“Back when the Internet in India was super slow (like 2–3 kbps), I used to search for Dragon Ball Z music videos and found some edits with Linkin Park songs. It was a perfect match, and that’s how it all started. I was around 10–12 years old,” he said.
Later, he started discovering the band properly and even downloaded their live shows.
“It used to take five to six hours to download a single video. I didn’t care, I was just enjoying their music and screaming along. As I grew older, I started understanding their lyrics more deeply, and that’s when the music really touched my heart. That’s when I truly fell in love with the band. It’s also why he says it is honestly very hard for him to choose favourite songs, because he’s deeply connected to every single Linkin Park track. He reminisces, “I tried to scream like Chester, rap like Mike, and even imagined playing drums like Rob. Even today, when I listen to their songs, I still dream about attending their concerts — thinking, if they play this song, I’ll jump, I’ll dance, I’ll scream like crazy.”
A dream come true, he has now attended shows not only in Bengaluru but also in Mumbai. “When they did their first comeback show in 2024 and Mike came on stage and said, ‘It’s good to be back,’ that moment honestly made me very emotional. It felt like a part of my childhood came back to life.” One that had also witnessed the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington, which affected him deeply and changed the way he listened to their songs. “I’ve already told my friends to keep an eye on me and take care of me, because I honestly don’t know how I’m going to react during the show. I don’t even know how I’ll feel when they start performing. I may scream like hell, I may cry like a baby — I really don’t know. All I know is that it’s going to be a rollercoaster of emotions for me.”
Need for more shows
While Mumbaikars and Bengaluru fans are slightly privileged when it comes to hosting concerts, it may not be the same for the rest of India. Elsewhere, Vidya Ram hoped they would play in north India, but unfortunately, only two shows were scheduled, even though Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata have hosted many concerts over the years. “They should have had a show here because they have a decent fan following, considering Linkin Park was one of the first exposures to commercial English music for many kids back then,” explains the baker, who has been listening to them for 16 years.
You can hear the yearning in her voice, as the American band — created in 1996 in the US — has been very special for her. “I started listening to them as a teenager. I kind of used their music to channel my angst, and it really helped in that sense.” With Papercut and Castle of Glass among her favourite songs, Vidya is excited about the new version of the band after they reunited in 2024, especially with Emily Armstrong. “Apart from her association with Danny Masterson, I feel she’s a decent addition to the band. However, you can never look at her as a replacement for Chester. I don’t think we’ll ever find someone as talented as Chester. I feel Armstrong has handled the comparison with grace and still has the potential to make her own place in the band.”
After her performance in Bengaluru on January 23 and last night, that certainly seems true, as this writer met many other fans from Bengaluru who attended both shows, as well as fans from Kochi and even Kolkata who travelled to Mumbai and sang along to many songs, including The Emptiness Machine.
Meet Mumbai`s Linkin Park superfans who spent over Rs 1 lakh to see them live
