Concert Tickets for the much-anticipated British rock band Coldplay's performance in Mumbai in January 2025 have been quickly sold out, but unauthorized sites are selling them at much higher prices raising concern about scalping.
In an attempt to purchase one of the 1.5 lakh tickets that were available, almost 1.3 crore users registered on BookMyShow.
However, customers have reported a variety of problems, casting doubt on the impartiality and effectiveness of the ticketing procedure.
Millions of fans competed for a limited number of Coldplay tickets, creating an unparalleled demand for tickets.
Within thirty minutes of the beginning of the ticket sale, it was all sold out. The excessive volume of visitors put a great deal of strain on the website and app, which caused some users to face technical issues.
The band's Music Of The Spheres World Tour is set to take place on Jan 18, 19 and 21 in DY Patil stadium which can hold 50,000 people.
Anxious fans were prepared long in advance of the midday sale, eagerly scanning their screens.
Most of them, despite their best efforts, encountered the sad message "Not enough tickets" on BookMyShow.
Tickets that were originally priced between ₹2,000 and ₹35,000 on BookMyShow have since resurfaced for a hefty amount on resale sites like Viagogo.
For instance, a ticket priced at ₹12,500 was being resold for an astounding ₹3.36 lakh — a rise of more than 2,700%.
Standing seats were listed for up to ₹50,000, an almost eight-fold increase from their initial price of ₹6,450. Original ticket prices of just ₹4,500 were resold for ₹1.05 lakh, representing a markup of more than 2,340%.
The staggering ₹10 lakh advertised price for Lounge Tickets, which were originally offered for ₹35,000, represents an almost 30-fold increase.
BookMyShow is the only authorized platform for ticket sales. Due to the lack of transparency, customers risked the danger of buying phoney or illegitimate tickets.
Fans who were unable to obtain tickets through official methods were unhappy to see that the original tickets were being resold at exorbitant prices.
Because there was a limited supply of tickets and strong demand, scalpers saw a chance to take advantage of the situation.
Scalping usually occurs when quick profits are made by reselling shares or tickets for a much higher price.
Common strategies for scalping include creating a false sense of scarcity, reselling on third-party platforms, and bulk buying.
Supporters also expressed concerns about other issues such as technical glitches and unfair virtual queuing systems on BookMyShow site.
Simone Khambatta, a content creator, was positioned behind other users in the queue despite having checked in before the official selling time.
This has raised concerns about possible manipulation or technical issues preventing equitable access for everyone.
Due to these problems, BookMyShow has been heavily criticized by fans who believe that the ticketing procedure unjustly disadvantaged them.
BookMyShow, the only authorized site to buy Coldplay concert tickets, has released alerts cautioning users not to fall for ticket fraud.
They have taken action to fix technical issues to enhance the platform's user experience. “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,” said a spokesperson from BookMyShow.
In an attempt to meet the extraordinary demand, BookMyShow added a third concert on Jan 21 but even that quickly sold out.
Fans have been warned about potential scams in a joint Instagram post by BookMyShow and its live events business, BookMyShow Live.
“It has come to our attention that unauthorized 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. 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,” reads the post.
