Coldplay fans left high and dry as tech snags spark controversy, resale concern

Coldplay fans in India have found themselves humming the lyrics of the band’s hit song ‘Fix You’, as they frantically segue from one platform to another trying to get their hands on the concert tickets. The international band is scheduled to perform in Mumbai on January 18, 19, and 21, 2025, as part of its Music of the Spheres World Tour. Fans have pinned their hopes to their devotion, but it does not seem to be enough to tackle the technical glitches that have marred the booking experience.

On September 22, 2024, at precisely 12 pm IST, BookMyShow, the official ticketing partner, opened the sales window for the Mumbai shows. What followed was a storm of technical glitches, induced by overwhelming demand, and alleged scalping that left thousands of fans frustrated and ticket-less.

BookMyShow’s website buckled under the pressure. Users reported queue lengths exceeding 9,99,999 people, with many experiencing website crash and error messages. The digital queue, intended to manage the influx, became a virtual purgatory for fans, many of whom spent hours refreshing their browsers in hopes of securing the coveted passes to see the British rock giants.

By 6 pm the same day, on BookMyShow it was found that all tickets were sold out. However, the saga was far from over. Within hours, a significant number of tickets appeared on secondary market websites at astronomically inflated prices. Tickets, originally priced between ₹2,500 and ₹35,000, were being offered for ₹55,000 to ₹1,89,000 on platforms like Viagogo, which appeared as a sponsored link on Google for searches on “Coldplay concert tickets”.

Outrage on social media

The incident sparked outrage across social media platforms, with fans expressing their disappointment through memes and satirical posts. Many drew parallels to Coldplay’s lyrics, finding bitter irony in lines like “when you get what you want, but not what you need” and “lights will guide you home,” as they navigated the dark waters of online ticket purchasing.

Lloyd Mathias, a pan-Asia business leader and marketer, provided insight into the situation: “I think it’s bound to create a huge amount of excitement. People from all over, specifically outside Bombay, Bangalore, Delhi, want to go. So people see it as an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Mathias explained the potential reasons for the flood of resale tickets: “In every family, there are three or four people logging in simultaneously... so as it happens in a lot of cases, you have people who eventually ended up with more than, suppose, they wanted four tickets for their family, and by some fortune, three people have booked, they’ve got 12 tickets. So, obviously they want to sell the additional eight tickets.”

Digital economy and surge pricing

The surge in resale prices, according to Mathias, is a reflection of the modern digital economy: “Like anything in the internet economy, anything that’s scarce is bound to see what is called surge pricing. Now, BookMyShow can’t raise the prices because they are, in a sense, one of the organisers of the event. But having third parties doing it is pretty much a reflection of our new digital economy.”

In response to the chaos, BookMyShow issued two statements. The first announced a limit of four tickets per user across all shows, stating, “We heard you and want every fan to have a better chance of getting tickets to experience the show!”

The second statement warned against unauthorised sellers: “It has come to our attention that unauthorised platforms are listing tickets for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India, both before and after the official sale. These tickets are invalid. Ticket scalping is illegal in India and punishable by law.” The company emphasised, “Please don’t fall prey to this because you will be buying fake tickets. AVOID SCAMS! BookMyShow is the only official platform for ticket sales.”

Despite these measures, concerns persist around the fairness of the ticket distribution process. On X (formerly Twitter), user Siddharth Bhimani (@wittysiddharth) voiced a common concern: “The issue of our country is 50% people are booking the ticket to make money and not attend the show. I can already see black selling has started on X, it’s disgusting.”

While some have questioned whether BookMyShow might be involved in side deals, Mathias expressed doubt: “I don’t think a reputed website like BookMyShow, which has been in business for more than 15 years, would risk their reputation by doing a side deal.”

He did, however, acknowledge the possibility of tickets being reserved for VIPs and sponsors: “There will be requests coming in from all kinds of very senior politicians, very, very senior business leaders. That’s celebrities and such like. That’s bound to happen. So there could be a bunch of tickets set aside, which are not going for sale, which are to be given complimentary, to special people, et cetera.”

Debacle of online ticket booking

The Coldplay ticket saga in India mirrors similar incidents worldwide, most notably the recent ticketing debacle for Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. Ticketmaster faced widespread criticism for its handling of US ticket sales, with technical glitches, long queues, and accusations of bot activity plaguing the process.

In countries like Australia, the Eras Tour was declared a “major event” by the Victoria State Government, imposing legal penalties for scalping and misleading advertisements. Similarly, in New South Wales, reselling tickets for more than 10% above the original price is illegal.

As the dust settles on the initial sales frenzy, many questions remain about the fairness and efficiency of current ticketing systems for high-demand events. With Coldplay’s Mumbai shows still months away, it remains to be seen how organisers and authorities will address the concerns raised by fans and industry observers alike.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the live entertainment industry in the digital age, where the joy of securing tickets to see your favorite artist can quickly turn into a frustrating and potentially costly ordeal. It also highlights the need for more robust systems to ensure fair access to tickets and prevent exploitation by scalpers and bots.

As Coldplay fans in Mumbai and across India grapple with the aftermath of this ticketing chaos, many are left wondering if they’ll ever get to experience the ‘Music of the Spheres’ live. For now, they might find solace in another Coldplay lyric: “Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard”. The coming months will reveal whether the concert organisers can indeed “fix” this situation and ensure that true fans get their chance to see one of the world’s biggest bands perform in their country.