Posty came & left no crumbs

For the longest time, anyone from outside the Northeast has always been sceptical about the region. People often made comments about the appearance of the locals, their food, culture and even infrastructure.

Those from the region took every remark as a bitter pill but continued working hard, determined to highlight the Northeast through their talent and resilience.

Cut to a little over a decade ago. Slowly, people across India began to understand and appreciate the region.

Its culture, music and the energy of its people started drawing attention. It began with the Ziro Festival which, back in 2012, very few outside the Northeast knew about.

But over the years it gained momentum, and people from all corners of the country began travelling to Arunachal Pradesh for the experience.

By then Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival also started growing massively, becoming one of the most sought-after festivals globally, and attracting lakhs of visitors every year.

Then came Meghalaya. The Cherry Blossom Festival, the Me’Gong Festival, and even major concerts like Bryan Adams and Ed Sheeran brought a big shift. These events left a strong cultural and economic footprint in the region.

Friends from Delhi and Bengaluru now started calling to ask for good places to eat and stay. Suddenly, everyone wanted to experience the Northeast; to try local brews, taste the food they once made fun of and immerse themselves in the culture they once misunderstood.

It felt like all the waiting, the patience, and the hard work had finally started paying off.

During Advantage Assam 2.0 in February 2025, when Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Assam would soon see a “concert economy”, not many believed it would happen so quickly.

But within months, the announcement came that Post Malone would perform in Guwahati and people absolutely lost it. Still, many wondered quietly whether Guwahati would be able to pull it off.

And what a spectacular way to prove every one of us wrong.

In today’s terms, Posty really came and left no crumbs.

Guwahati witnessed first ever International concert (Photo: @Bookmyshow_live/X)

With over 20,000 tickets sold, the crowd was not only from the Northeastern states but also from Kerala, Ahmedabad, Delhi and beyond India.

This was Guwahati’s first-ever international concert on such a scale, the first major step towards the promised concert economy.

It doesn’t feel too long ago that, in 2001, the Vengaboys, the Dutch eurodance group, were supposed to perform in Assam but the event was cancelled.

That moment made it seem like the city was not ready for global events. And today, we just witnessed Post Malone live in Guwahati.

Friends who travelled from metro cities were surprised at how smoothly the parking arrangements worked.

One even said, “Didn’t know Guwahati Traffic Police were so tech-savvy.” While residents complained about traffic near the venue, many visitors defended it, saying they had seen far worse at concerts in bigger cities.

I guess that was a positive sign. Yet for many in Assam, the concert came at a difficult emotional moment. People were still grieving the loss of Zubeen Da (Garg). Some called for a boycott of the event, while others said Zubeen Da would not have wanted that.

What made the night even more meaningful was Post Malone taking a moment to address the crowd and say, “Great to be in the land of legendary Zubeen Garg.”

Fans grooving to Post Malone’s hits (Photo: @Bookmyshow_live/X)

Imagine being loved so deeply that a global superstar pays tribute to you in front of thousands. That is the legacy Zubeen Da has left behind; the love, respect, and admiration for artists.

Today, as people continue to process what felt like a dream, the heart hopes that this is only the beginning. And that the Northeast and Assam will continue to welcome many more moments like this.