Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; March 14, 2018)

After Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Wiz Khalifa, the next international music sensation set to enthral India is OneRepublic. The American pop group, known for its hits like Apologize, Secrets, Good Life and Counting Stars, will land in the country three days ahead of their Mumbai gig on April 21. Since it is their maiden visit, the band members are keen to explore the country. Ryan Tedder, founder of OneRepublic, tells mid-day, “We’ve wanted to visit India for years. Besides getting a chance to perform for our Indian fans, we are also excited about exploring your beautiful country.”

A source reveals that the organisers are charting out a sightseeing itinerary for them. “The cities haven’t been finalised yet, but they want to check out some historical sites.”

Visiting a film set and indulging in local shopping are among the activities planned. “They will go shopping in Colaba and try desi food in Bandra.”

The source adds that the organisers will throw a bash in their honour, and a guest list that includes Bollywood stars has already been drawn up. “The party will take place a day or two before the gig. Several B-Town celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, are likely to attend the do.”

Explaining how they managed to get the celebrated band on board, Cyrus Gorimar, director, Opium Events And Production (organisers), says, “We started the talks with their management more than six months ago. Our preregistrations have seen a phenomenal response with more than 10,000 registrations received in just 24 hours. We are anticipating close to 15,000 fans for the event.