Coldplay Tickets Sold Out in Minutes, Resold for Millions in India

If you were in India and had 900,000 rupees ($10,800; £8,000), what would you buy? A car? A world tour? Diamond jewelry? Or a Coldplay concert ticket?

The British rock band is scheduled to perform three shows in Mumbai next year as part of their Music of the Spheres world tour. However, after selling out in minutes on the official ticketing platform, BookMyShow (BMS), tickets are now being resold at exorbitant prices on secondary markets.

Tickets originally went on sale last Sunday, with prices ranging from 2,500 rupees to 12,000 rupees. Over 10 million fans attempted to buy just 180,000 available tickets. Many complained about long virtual queues and website crashes, but the situation escalated when resellers began offering tickets for five times the original price—even reaching as high as 900,000 rupees—before the official release had even concluded.

Earlier this month, a similar scenario unfolded for Oasis’ concert in the UK, where resellers charged over £350 for tickets that originally cost £135. However, the price inflation for Coldplay’s tickets is exceptional. For context, VIP passes for Madonna’s Celebration tour cost £1,306.75, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert tickets peaked at £2,400.

This situation has sparked widespread discussion about ticket scalping in India, where bots and automated tools are used to bypass queues and buy multiple tickets, which are then resold at inflated prices. Many fans are questioning whether BMS implemented sufficient measures to prevent this or if the platform turned a blind eye.

BMS has denied any involvement with resellers and urged fans to avoid purchasing tickets from unauthorized sources, warning that they may be counterfeit. However, skepticism toward the platform remains high.

Similar complaints arose during ticket sales for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming concerts. Tickets, released on Zomato Live earlier this month, quickly sold out but reappeared on reselling sites at inflated prices.

Ticket scalping is illegal in India. While experts acknowledge it is likely happening, they also suggest that legitimate ticket holders may be reselling their tickets for a profit due to overwhelming demand.