Footfalls cross 25,000 at Nykaaland 2.0

The second edition of India's first-ever beauty festival saw over 80 Indian and international brands, over 10 new launches, multiple masterclasses, and much more

By Naini Thaker Forbes India Staff

Published: Oct 30, 2024 02:05:17 PM IST

Updated: Oct 30, 2024 02:46:05 PM IST

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Nykaaland is a dream come true for beauty and fashion lovers,” says Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO, Nykaa.

The second edition of Nykaaland, co-produced by beauty and lifestyle retailer Nykaa, and BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, was packed with beauty enthusiasts attending from all across India. The event took place at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse between October 25 and 27.

After close to a year of hard work, this first-of-its kind festival in India saw a footfall of over 25,000 across three days. “We came up with the concept of Nykaaland a couple of years ago, as an immersive destination for beauty enthusiasts, to experience beauty the way we see it globally,” says Nayar, in a conversation with Forbes India.

The festival was a playground for all things beauty with interactive experiences, brand launches, music performances and more, providing consumers access to both local and international beauty and fashion brands. About 4,00,000 samples were distributed, allowing fashionistas to explore and experiment with a range of products.

Nykaaland 2.0 continued to raise the bar with an exciting line-up featuring 80+ Indian and international brands, 10+ epic new launches, 10+ immersive experience zones, 12+ workshops and expert sessions and over 500 beauty icons, including celebrities and experts. With more than 12 hours of non-stop music performances, Nykaaland 2.0 also showcased make-up masterclasses by the biggest in beauty including Sofia Tilbury and Patrick Ta.

“After the success of our inaugural edition, scaling up while maintaining quality has been crucial. Collaborating with a diverse range of beauty brands required us to align different visions and expectations, which was essential for creating a unified experience,” explains Owen Roncon, chief of business—live events, BookMyShow. “Balancing beauty-focussed experiences with a vibrant mix of entertainment and interactive, immersive elements, along with a strategic programming schedule that appeals to various demographics and psychographics required expertise and months of meticulous planning.”

As for Nykaa, Nayar feels having acquired LBB has really helped execute events such as Nykaaland at scale.

Sofia Tilbury's masterclass with Shanaya Kapoor as her muse at Nykaaland 2.0

This year, at the festival, a number of brands launched new products, along with immersive experiences. “This is definitely a big budget spend for brands,” says Nayar, “They would have to spend anywhere between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore, given the kind of differentiated experience this is.” While many homegrown brands participate, she adds, “A lot of international brands like to participate because they are used to doing such festivals globally. And they all try to do something unique, in terms of the experience.” Last year, Nykaaland alone saw close to 4 billion impressions. “For all the brands that participate, and pay so much, the festival gives them access to the right target audience and also quality social media execution to grow their brands in India,” she adds.

Roncon remarks, “Nykaaland is more than just a festival; it's a lively celebration of beauty, lifestyle, and creativity. This collaboration with Nykaa underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, pushing the limits of traditional live entertainment.”