Sonu Nigam’s Srinagar concert sees low turnout as his old azaan remarks resurface; singer halts performance as azaan begins - watch

Sonu Nigam’s much-publicised concert in Srinagar witnessed a disappointing turnout on Friday evening, as many seats remained empty at the scenic SK International Convocation Complex (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake.

The event, part of the NDTV Good Times Concert, was organised to highlight Kashmir’s musical talent and promote tourism in the region. Alongside Sonu, local artists Qazi Touqeer and Rauhan Malik also performed, aiming to showcase the Valley’s creative spirit.

Despite the picturesque backdrop and the star-studded line-up, the response was lukewarm. Organisers, who had anticipated a packed audience, were reportedly left embarrassed by the sparse attendance. “There was an expectation that it would be house full, but most of the chairs were empty,” a Srinagar resident who attended the show was quoted by Deccan Herald.

The subdued response appears to have been influenced by calls for a boycott circulating on social media in the days leading up to the event. The backlash stemmed from Sonu’s controversial 2017 remarks about the Azaan, where he had criticised the use of loudspeakers for the Islamic call to prayer, calling it “forced religiousness” and “gundagardi” (hooliganism). Those comments, which had sparked outrage at the time, resurfaced online ahead of the concert.