Outrage in India over Coldplay Tickets Selling for Exorbitant $11,000 after Rapid Sellout and Subsequent Resale at Ludicrous Prices
The renowned British rock band is set to perform three shows in Mumbai during January, as part of its widely acclaimed Music Of The Spheres tour, marking its first shows in India since 2016.
The ticketing process for these highly anticipated events was scheduled to commence at 12 p.m. local time on September 22, via the official vendor, BookMyShow (BMS). However, the website and app encountered numerous technical issues due to the overwhelming demand, causing frustration among fans.
Once fans managed to queue up virtually to purchase tickets priced between 2,500 to 35,000 rupees ($30 to $417), they found themselves trailing behind hundreds of thousands of users in line. Within minutes of the tickets going on sale, they were all snatched up, only to reappear on unauthorized platforms for as much as 960,000 rupees ($11,458), which sparked resentment over the ambiguous buying process and potential bot interference.
To put this outrage into perspective, India's yearly per capita GDP stands at approximately $2,500.
Amit Vyas, a Mumbai-based lawyer, was among the disappointed fans who were unable to secure tickets due to technical glitches. He subsequently filed a complaint with the police, accusing BMS of enabling scalpers and third-party websites to resell the tickets on the black market.
On Monday, Ashish Hemjarani, the CEO of BookMyShow, was summoned by Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing for questioning over the alleged exploitation of tickets for these concerts, a police official confirmed.
In a public statement, BookMyShow emphasized that it had no connection to any unauthorized ticket selling platforms or third-party individuals responsible for secondary ticket resales. The company also filed a complaint with the police concerning the sale of fake tickets through specific platforms.
BookMyShow denounced scalping as an illegal practice that attracts punishment by law in India.
Frustrated Coldplay fans vented their displeasure to CNN, sharing their experiences of failing to acquire tickets for January's performances at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
Arkatapa Basu, a 26-year-old journalist from Bengaluru, keenly followed the ticket queue only to learn that a third concert had been scheduled. By the time she joined the waitlist for the third show, she was stuck behind 700,000 other hopeful attendees, ultimately deciding to abandon her pursuit.
Ishaan Jhamb, a Delhi-based engineering student, and his friends opted to travel nearly four hours to witness the band in Abu Dhabi, as the exorbitant resale costs for the Mumbai concerts made the alternative more cost-effective.
The process of purchasing tickets for major concert events has consistently attracted criticism from globally dissatisfied buyers.
Last month, British rock legend Oasis announced a reunion tour, precipitating a wave of public backlash against Ticketmaster's allegedly manipulative dynamic pricing feature, which adjusts prices based on factors such as demand.
At the time, a Ticketmaster spokesperson clarified that the company does not control ticket prices, with promoters and artists holding the power to establish prices, which can either be fixed or variable based on demand.
Ticketmaster also encountered scrutiny following its handling of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour last November, which generated an "unprecedented historical demand."
Despite the band's decision to perform in Mumbai for the first time in six years, many Asian fans, including those from India, struggled to secure tickets due to technical issues and resale on unauthorized platforms. The high cost of these resold tickets, up to 38 times the average yearly per capita income in India, further exacerbated frustration among fans.
