For millennials, the music of the 1990s and early 2000s carries memories of a different listening culture. Before streaming platforms and endless playlists, there were cassette collections, recorded mixtapes, CDs and songs that became soundtracks to friendships, first crushes and growing up. It is this era that Avinash Gupta revisits through Cassettes & CDs Nostalgia, a live format built around familiar melodies and the memories attached to them.

Describing himself as a 90s kid on his official artist profile, Gupta approaches nostalgia from the perspective of someone who grew up with this music. In an interview with The New Indian Express, he spoke about missing the slower pace of life from that period, when people made their own playlists on cassettes and spent more time with the music they loved. He also described songs as a time machine, capable of taking listeners back to particular moments in their lives.

That connection comes through in the repertoire. At a recent performance at The Piano Man in New Delhi, his set included Lucky Ali's 'O Sanam' and 'Purani Jeans', 'Roja Jaaneman', 'Zara Zara' from Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and Bryan Adams' 'Summer of '69'. The evening closed with 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', with the audience singing along. Moving between Hindi film music, Indian pop and international favourites, the selection brings together songs that continue to resonate across generations.

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Gupta's musical background, however, extends well beyond nostalgia. Encouraged by his mother, he began learning Hindustani classical music as a child. Music did not immediately become his profession, and he has spoken about exploring different paths before deciding to pursue it seriously. His professional profile describes him as a pilot-turned-restaurateur who eventually moved towards playback singing.

His recorded work reflects a similarly wide range. Alongside releases such as 'Yeh Jo Raat Hai' through Zee Music Company and devotional recordings including 'Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam' and 'Mann Ki Lagan', Gupta has explored regional music through Saregama's Tamil Unplugged Classics. His interpretations include 'Snehidhane', 'Vaseegara', 'Venmathiye' and 'Pachai Nirame'. His repertoire spans Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu.

He has also developed different live concepts through Avinash Ensemble, including Tamasha, Khichdi, NostalJam and Unheard Sufi. These formats allow him to explore different musical styles while creating performances around distinct themes and moods.

The response to his recent Mumbai shows has now brought him to a significant milestone. Following two full-house performances at The Fine Arts Society and two more at Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Gupta has announced his first-ever stadium show in the city. The performance is scheduled for November 29, 2026, at Dome, SVP Stadium, Worli.

In his announcement, Gupta credited the Mumbai audience for encouraging him to dream bigger, recalling the familiar faces returning for multiple shows and crowds singing along to every word. For an artist whose performances are rooted in shared musical memories, the move from intimate venues to a stadium represents more than a change in scale. It is an opportunity to take the songs that defined a generation to an entirely different setting.

Avinash Gupta will perform at Dome, SVP Stadium, Worli, Mumbai, on November 29, 2026.