India’s fast-expanding orange economic system, which spans leisure, tradition and stay expertise, is pushing sports activities franchises to evolve into way of life manufacturers, and the Mumbai Indians are the most recent to lean into that shift. In partnership with BookMyShow Reside’s BrandLabs, the IPL franchise has launched The MIX (A Mumbai Indians Expertise), a two-day experiential competition aimed toward remodeling how followers have interaction with the crew past cricket.
Scheduled for March 21–22, 2026, at Jio World Backyard, the occasion positions the franchise as a cultural platform quite than only a sporting entity. The competition will mix stay music, immersive installations, fan zones, merchandise drops and branded experiences showcasing how sports activities IPs are more and more intersecting with leisure and youth tradition to construct year-round relevance.
Such initiatives replicate a broader development within the business with franchises monetising fandom by way of experiences as media consumption fragments and youthful audiences prioritise tradition, group and participation over passive viewership. For Mumbai Indians, the transfer marks a strategic enlargement from cricket dominance to model energy throughout way of life, music and digital tradition.
MI captain Rohit Sharma invited supporters to affix what the franchise described as a first-of-its-kind expertise, urging followers to be a part of a brand new method of celebrating the crew off the sphere.
The competition’s music line-up options worldwide digital duo CamelPhat, Indian hip-hop star Divine, digital producer Nucleya and different up to date acts designed to draw a era that engages with sport by way of leisure ecosystems.
A Mumbai Indians spokesperson stated the initiative displays how fandom is evolving: “Cricket will all the time be at our core, however immediately’s younger followers join with manufacturers by way of tradition, way of life and experiences first. The MIX permits us to fulfill them the place they’re.”
BookMyShow Reside framed the challenge as a part of a broader push to construct branded experiential mental properties in India, positioning followers not simply as spectators however members in a shared cultural narrative. Owen Roncon, Chief of Enterprise – Branded IPs, BookMyShow, added, “The MIX is a transformative step in how we reimagine fandom in India… We’re bridging the worlds of cricket and up to date tradition, ensuring that followers usually are not simply spectators however lively members in a vibrant, evolving narrative.”
India’s push towards experiential fandom mirrors a world playbook the place sports activities franchises are evolving into leisure platforms. Golf equipment reminiscent of Actual Madrid and FC Barcelona now function immersive stadium excursions, museums and fan zones that perform as year-round vacationer points of interest. Within the US, Golden State Warriors have remodeled the Chase Heart right into a multi-purpose cultural venue internet hosting live shows, festivals and group occasions past basketball, whereas the Los Angeles Rams leverage the SoFi Stadium advanced as a vacation spot for large-scale leisure experiences.
Components One has equally expanded its footprint by way of city-wide fan festivals round races such because the Miami Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix, mixing sport with music, nightlife and luxurious hospitality to draw new audiences. In the meantime, groups like Paris Saint‑Germain and Manchester Metropolis have invested closely in way of life collaborations, pop-up retail and cultural programming to increase their model affect past matchdays.
These initiatives underscore a broader shift: international sports activities properties are not simply competition-driven entities however cultural IPs designed to interact followers throughout leisure, commerce and group touchpoints all year long.
