NEW DELHI. Fans of Coldplay in India have been left furious after tickets for the band’s upcoming concerts in Mumbai sold out within minutes, only to reappear on resale platforms for prices as high as $11,000. This has led to allegations of fraud, and the CEO of the event’s ticket vendor, BookMyShow (BMS), is being questioned by police over potential black-market ticket sales.
The British rock band, known for hits like “Fix You” and “Viva La Vida,” is set to perform three shows in Mumbai this January as part of its Music of the Spheres world tour, marking their first return to India since 2016. Tickets officially went on sale at noon on September 22, but fans quickly encountered technical problems. The BMS website and app crashed due to overwhelming demand, and those able to access the platform found themselves in virtual queues behind hundreds of thousands of users.
Tickets, originally priced between 2,500 and 35,000 rupees ($30 to $417), sold out almost instantly. Soon after, the same tickets were listed on resale platforms for exorbitant amounts—up to 960,000 rupees ($11,458). To put this into context, India’s GDP per capita is around $2,500 annually, according to the World Bank.
One of the frustrated fans, Amit Vyas, a lawyer from Mumbai, filed a formal complaint with police, accusing BMS of allowing scalpers to buy tickets for resale on the black market. “Not a single person that I know in Mumbai or outside Mumbai got a ticket,” Vyas said, adding that friends from Delhi also reported the same issue. He expressed frustration over the use of bots and the lack of measures to protect genuine fans.
In response to the allegations, Mumbai’s Economic Offences Wing summoned BMS founder and CEO Ashish Hemrajani for questioning. Hemrajani is being asked to explain the situation and address accusations of black-market ticket sales.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), BookMyShow denied any connection with third-party platforms or individuals involved in reselling tickets. The company emphasized that scalping is illegal and punishable by law in India, adding that it had filed its complaint regarding the sale of fake tickets on certain platforms.
The high demand for Coldplay tickets left many fans disappointed. One fan, 26-year-old journalist Arkatapa Basu from Bengaluru, said she was behind 130,000 people in the queue for tickets. Even after a third show was added, she found herself behind 700,000 others, ultimately deciding to give up.
Another fan, 22-year-old Ishaan Jhamb from Delhi, found the resell prices so outrageous that he and his friends opted to fly to Abu Dhabi to catch Coldplay’s performance there, which was more affordable than attending the concert in Mumbai.
The frenzy surrounding Coldplay’s India concerts mirrors global frustration over the ticket-buying process for major events. Similar outrage occurred last year when Ticketmaster faced intense criticism for its handling of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets. Scalping and dynamic pricing, where ticket prices rise based on demand, continue to be contentious issues for concertgoers worldwide.
The final show at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium is expected to sell out, with police investigations ongoing to address the growing concerns over fraudulent ticket sales.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
