Lollapalooza India 2025: Shawn Mendes wows fans with this special tribute

Lollapalooza India, one of the largest musical gatherings in the country, has kicked off to a great start in Mumbai. And the huge crowds who had gathered to watch Canadian musician Shawn Mendes perform was in for a huge treat as the Canadian singer entered the stage in a casual T-shirt and pants, before quickly switching to the Indian cricket team's blue coloured jersey with 'Virat' and the number '18 written on the back as a hat-tip to the popular batter. 

The special tribute to the cricket team touched a chord with the audience who screamed in joy and happiness in seeing the music icon acknowledge their idol and the game, which will be played between India and New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

As per PTI, this thoughtful gesture also sent a wave of excitement into the crowd, whose chants of 'KohliKohliKohli' filled the air. "India, I know you have a match tomorrow. Good luck. I hope it goes well, Mendes said amid loud cheers from fans. 

The international pop sensation kept music aficionados engaged with his energetic performance. The first day of the two-day music gala, known for bringing together a diverse mix of global music talents, certainly made its mark, saw Mendes serve a perfect finale performance on Saturday at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in South Mumbai.

Mendes kept the spectators captivated with his popular songs such as 'There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back', 'Treat You Better', 'Senorita', 'Why', and 'Do I Ever Cross Your Mind'.  Many of them sang along with the singer, swaying to the beats of his melodies. "Dher sara pyaar, Mumbai! (Lots of love, Mumbai!)" said the musician as he addressed the huge crowd gathered at the Mahalaxmi Racecours.

Another highlight of Mendes' performance was the fusion of different musical instruments: he was on the guitar and was joined by two artists, a tabla and a sitar player, respectively. The singer said he admires Indian culture, music and musicians. "No matter where I go, music is the one thing that unites (people) in a beautiful way. I've always had such love and admiration for India, India's music, and its musicians here. One of the greatest, beautiful and magnificent cultures... It is amazing... I want to do something special for you guys tonight," he said as he introduced the tabla and sitar players on the stage. The fireworks lit up quite a few times during his performance and Mendes also never let the energy drop as he kept urging fans to sing along and clap with him.

See you, namaste, bye-bye, he said in his concluding remarks. The first day of Lollapalooza India 2025 also saw performances by popular rock band Glass Animals, German record producer and DJ Zedd, and American musicians Cory Wong and Isabel LaRosa performed. Homegrown talents such as Jonita Gandhi, Dot., Sahil Vasudeva, Frizzell D'Souza and Dhanji, and Spyryk too delivered a vibrant performance.