Coldplay Mumbai concert ticket: Rs 3.4 lakh for a Coldplay concert ...

The ticketing frenzy for Coldplay’s upcoming Mumbai concerts saw unprecedented demand from Indian fans, with over 1.3 crore people logging in to secure one of the 1.5 lakh available tickets. Fans flooded BookMyShow’s website and app when ticket sales began at noon on Sunday, but within just 30 minutes, all tickets for the British rock band's shows at DY Patil Stadium in January sold out.

The concerts, set for January 18, 19, and a third show added later on January 21, each have a venue capacity of 50,000. Despite BookMyShow’s efforts to manage the overwhelming traffic, many fans were left disappointed and empty-handed as tickets disappeared almost immediately.

Fans left shocked as Coldplay tickets for Mumbai concert vanish

Fans were prepared well before noon, eagerly refreshing their screens to get a chance at attending Coldplay’s second visit to India. As told to TOI, Pune-based musician Imaad Saraf shared his frustration, saying, "My whole family was trying to buy the tickets at the dot of noon, but the notification read ‘there are not enough tickets in the inventory’ on the portal.” His experience was echoed by thousands of fans, many of whom complained that they never stood a real chance at securing tickets.

Adding to the frustration was the news that reseller sites had begun offering tickets at massively inflated prices. BookMyShow priced tickets between ₹2,000 and ₹35,000, but soon after, resale platforms like Viagogo were listing them for as much as ₹10 lakh. A ₹12,500 ticket was being sold for over ₹3.36 lakh on these platforms, with standing tickets, originally priced at ₹6,450, being resold for up to ₹50,000.

Surge in Resale Prices Angers Fans

Fans were quick to voice their outrage over the black market for Coldplay tickets. Another fan, Joshua Fernandes, an IT professional from Bengaluru also told TOI, “Standing-on-the-ground tickets, originally priced at ₹6,500, are being sold at over ₹50,000 in black.” He added, “The band has a mandate for ticket prices to allow people a fair chance of buying them. But in India, these plans don’t work.” He however was one of the lucky ones, because he managed to secure his tickets.

Social media platforms were flooded with similar complaints. One fan tweeted, “Anyone trying to resell their Coldplay tickets for Mumbai shows at obviously inflated prices should have their tickets canceled. BookMyShow and Coldplay, please take strict action.” Another user wrote, “The issue of our country is 50% of people are booking the ticket to make money and not attend the show. I can see already black selling has started on X… it’s disgusting.”

The rapid escalation in ticket prices left many fans feeling cheated, with some suggesting alternative ticketing methods. One fan posted on X, recommending an IPO-style allocation system where seekers would open UPI mandates and tickets would be allocated based on an algorithm to ensure fair distribution. “The queue system gives an awful user experience,” they added.

Also Read: Coldplay concert in Mumbai sold out? Here’s how you can still snag tickets!

BookMyShow’s Response and the Addition of a Third Show

BookMyShow addressed the overwhelming demand and technical issues caused by the high traffic on their platform, which briefly crashed due to suspicious and malicious activity. A spokesperson from BookMyShow explained, “We implemented a queueing system to manage the overwhelming demand and addressed issues caused by suspicious and malicious traffic within minutes, causing a brief delay, but ensuring minimal disruption for genuine fans.”

To accommodate the unprecedented demand, BookMyShow added a third show on January 21, but even this additional show sold out in a flash. Despite the increased availability, fans continued to struggle with securing tickets while dealing with skyrocketing resale prices.

Also Read: 'SoldPlay': BookMyShow leaves many Coldplay lovers in the cold, memes flood social media

Black Market and Social Media Giveaways

As tickets continued to vanish from official channels, the resale market thrived. Viagogo, a popular reseller platform, listed Level 1 tickets for ₹1.05 lakh each, more than 234 times their original price of ₹4,500. Lounge tickets, which initially sold for ₹35,000, were listed at prices reaching ₹10 lakh.

In addition to formal reseller platforms, many individuals took to social media to sell ‘extra’ tickets they had purchased, often at exorbitant prices. Others capitalized on the situation by hosting ticket giveaways and contests. Many of these posts claimed that users had secured four tickets but only needed two, offering the remaining tickets for free to those who liked and shared the post.

“Some top tier engagement farming going on with the whole ‘I got 4 Coldplay tickets, but need only 2. So like and RT’ racket,” one user commented on the gimmick, mocking the widespread trend of engagement baiting.

Also Read: 'Invalid': BookMyShow's big warning after Coldplay India show tickets show up on reselling platforms

Frustration Mounts Amid Resale Crisis

The ticketing chaos has drawn comparisons to similar experiences during Taylor Swift’s concerts, where fans also faced a battle to secure tickets due to high demand and rampant black market sales. Coldplay’s fanbase in India has proven to be just as enthusiastic, with many willing to pay inflated prices for the chance to attend. However, the ongoing issues with ticket allocation and resale practices have left a sour taste for those who missed out on tickets.

Looking ahead, fans are calling for stricter regulation of the ticketing process to prevent resellers from exploiting such events. As one fan put it, “This is about the sheer joy of being there physically. You don’t just listen; you experience.”