Sold Out in Minutes, Resold for Millions: Coldplay Tickets Cause Outrage in India

The British rock band is set to perform three shows of their Music of the Spheres world tour in Mumbai next year, but tickets have been reselling for exorbitant prices after selling out in minutes on BookMyShow (BMS), the official ticketing platform.

The tickets went on sale last Sunday, priced between ₹2,500 and ₹12,000. Over 10 million fans competed for around 180,000 tickets. Many reported enduring hours-long digital queues and site crashes, while others alleged that the sales were rigged, as resellers began listing tickets for up to five times their original price—reaching as high as ₹900,000—before they were officially released.

A similar incident occurred earlier this month with tickets for Oasis’ concert in the UK, where resellers charged more than £350 for tickets originally priced at £135. However, the inflated prices for Coldplay tickets have drawn particular attention. For context, Madonna's VIP passes for her Celebration tour sold for £1,306.75, while the best tickets for Beyoncé's Renaissance concerts reached £2,400.

This situation has ignited a discussion about ticket scalping in India, where individuals use bots or automation tools to bypass queues and purchase multiple tickets for resale on various platforms. Fans are questioning whether the official site took adequate measures to prevent this or if it simply turned a blind eye.

BMS has denied any connection to resellers and urged fans to avoid tickets from "unauthorised sources," warning that they may be counterfeit. Despite this, many people remain suspicious of the site.

Fans have reported similar experiences while attempting to buy tickets for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh's upcoming concerts. Tickets released on Zomato Live, the concert promoter, sold out quickly and then appeared on reselling platforms at several times their original prices.

While ticket scalping is illegal in India, experts suggest that it might still be occurring. It’s also likely that some legitimate ticket holders are selling their tickets through resellers to profit from the overwhelming demand.

While the steep prices for Coldplay tickets are startling, the intense demand for tickets to see popular international artists perform is not surprising. The live music industry in India has been experiencing significant growth over the past few years.

A report indicates that music concerts generated approximately ₹8,000 million in revenue last year, with projections showing a 25% increase by 2025. Brian Tellis, a veteran in the music industry and co-founder of the Mahindra Blues Music Festival, notes that concerts have become an integral part of both individual and national cultural currency.