Orange Economy Driving Mumbai Indians Lifestyle Brand Transformation

India’s rapidly growing orange economy, encompassing entertainment, culture, and live experiences, is motivating sports franchises to morph into lifestyle brands. The Mumbai Indians are the most recent team to embrace this transition. In collaboration with BookMyShow Live’s BrandLabs, the IPL franchise has unveiled The MIX (A Mumbai Indians Experience), a two-day experiential festival designed to change how fans interact with the team beyond just cricket.

Event Details of The MIX Festival

Set to take place on March 21–22, 2026, at Jio World Garden, the event aims to position the franchise as a cultural platform rather than merely a sporting entity. The festival will feature live music, immersive installations, fan zones, merchandise drops, and branded experiences that highlight how sports IPs are increasingly merging with entertainment and youth culture to maintain year-round relevance.

Broader Industry Trends

These initiatives mirror a significant trend within the industry, where franchises monetise fandom through engaging experiences as media consumption becomes more fragmented. Younger audiences now place a greater emphasis on culture, community, and participation rather than passive viewing. For the Mumbai Indians, this initiative signifies a strategic pivot from cricket dominance to brand strength across the realms of lifestyle, music, and digital culture.

MI captain Rohit Sharma has called on supporters to partake in what the franchise refers to as a unique experience, encouraging fans to engage in an innovative way of celebrating the team off the pitch.

Music Line-Up and Festival Highlights

The festival’s music roster includes notable international electronic duo CamelPhat, Indian hip-hop sensation Divine, electronic producer Nucleya, and various contemporary acts geared towards a generation that connects with sports through entertainment avenues.

A representative for the Mumbai Indians commented on the initiative’s significance, indicating that while cricket remains central, today’s youth engage with brands through culture, lifestyle, and experiences primarily. The MIX is designed to connect with fans in their preferred environments.

BookMyShow Live’s Vision for Engagement

BookMyShow Live has positioned this project as part of a more extensive endeavour to develop branded experiential intellectual properties within India, emphasising that fans are not merely spectators but active participants in a collective cultural story. Owen Roncon, Chief of Business – Branded IPs at BookMyShow, stated that The MIX represents an essential shift in the reimagining of fandom in India, bridging the gap between cricket and contemporary culture to ensure fans are engaged at multiple levels.

Global Trends in Experiential Fandom

India’s move towards experiential fandom reflects a global trend where sports franchises are transitioning into entertainment platforms. Clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have implemented immersive stadium tours, museums, and fan zones that serve as year-round tourist attractions. In the United States, the Golden State Warriors have remodeled the Chase Center into a versatile cultural venue that hosts concerts, festivals, and community gatherings beyond basketball. Similarly, the Los Angeles Rams utilise the SoFi Stadium complex to provide large-scale entertainment experiences.

Formula One has broadened its scope with citywide fan festivals surrounding events like the Miami Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix, integrating sports with music, nightlife, and upscale hospitality to reach new audiences. Teams such as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have also made substantial investments in lifestyle collaborations, pop-up retail, and cultural programming to extend their brand presence beyond matchdays.

These developments highlight a more extensive transformation: global sports properties are evolving beyond competition-focused entities to become cultural intellectual properties aimed at engaging fans across entertainment, commerce, and community touchpoints throughout the entire year.