October 19, 2025

Get ready to rejoice! The festive vibe is lighting up India’s eating-out and entertainment scene like never before. Even without a GST cut on restaurant services, places serving up tasty treats and drinks are seeing an impressive jump of 8-20% compared to last year. After several months of sluggish sales, restaurant chains, pubs, and online booking platforms are finally buzzing with action. Anjan Chatterjee, managing director of Speciality Restaurants, the folks behind Oh! Calcutta and Sigree, shares some exciting news: “While October-December is always the strongest for the industry, gains are extra strong this year.” The surge in walk-ins during Navratri-Durga Puja was over 20%, and it is still going strong as Diwali approaches. Imagine that crowd! Rahul Ganjoo, CEO of ticket platform District by Zomato, spots a cool trend: more people eating out alone. Casual dining chain Burma Burma also reports a 10% rise in sales this year. But that’s not all! Live entertainment is dancing to the same upbeat tune. BookMyShow, India’s big name in show tickets, experienced a festival season rush. Anil Makhija, COO for live entertainment, says, “The festive season starting earlier this year and Dussehra and Diwali arriving in close succession has triggered the burst of consumption.” Music gigs, comedy nights, and grand shows all saw solid growth. Movie lovers got a sweet treat too! The government slashed GST on film tickets priced up to ₹100 from 12% down to 5%. This drop helped fill cinema halls, delighting both families and friends heading out together. Ashish Saxena, BookMyShow’s COO for cinemas, confirms, “We’ve seen a clear rise in out-of-home entertainment.” Not just quantity, but quality is also the name of the game. The crowd is drinking better! Minakshi Singh, cofounder of pub chain Sidecar, applauds this trend of premiumisation—when people choose finer drinks over cheaper options. Long weekends packed back-to-back are also giving wallets a nudge to loosen. In short, the festive season’s economic magic has sparked a joyous revival for spenders and businesses alike. So whether you’re craving a feast, fancy a drink, or want to catch the latest live show, this October-November is your time to shine and celebrate!

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Tags: Gst reduction, Dining out, Festive season, Live entertainment, Premiumisation, Consumer spending,