“We’ve been in queues for Taylor Swift tickets. This should be easier,” a friend confidently remarked the night before the historic event. However, big concerts in India remain few and far between. While music festivals are gradually gaining traction, and more international acts are visiting, a Coldplay concert, especially their Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025, stands out as a truly rare spectacle – an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime.’ The last time Coldplay graced Indian shores was in 2016, a concert that older millennials fondly recall with immense joy.
Fast forward to what’s now being dubbed as ‘Coldplay ticketing Sunday,’ a day that has left the internet divided. On one hand, there are those who managed to secure tickets, still in shock and disbelief. On the other, there are those who, resigned to their fate, couldn’t get hold of any. Moreover, some fans are in denial, flooding social media with reels and tweets questioning whether anyone actually secured tickets.
In the frenzy, some have resorted to alternative but pricey solutions – like booking a room at the Marriott in Navi Mumbai, close to the DY Patil Stadium, for a unique concert experience. Scalpers are having a field day, reselling tickets at exorbitant prices, which has understandably riled many fans. The astronomical resale prices have led some to consider whether it might be financially wiser to attend a Coldplay concert abroad.
The lead-up to the Sunday ticketing was nothing short of a meticulously planned operation. Fans spent hours memorizing seating charts, analyzing various online guides on the best seats to book, and coordinating group bookings across cities. Some of the pertinent and practical questions raised included how fans would log in simultaneously on mobile and desktop devices while remaining in contact with each other. Would a Zoom call running in the background suffice? If they only managed to secure two tickets instead of four, who would be diplomatically asked to step aside?
Yet, despite the extensive preparations, the chaos unfolded almost instantly. As the clock struck noon, when ticket bookings were supposed to commence, the ticketing portal BookMyShow crashed, unable to handle the sheer volume of lakhs of fans logging in simultaneously. Social media was promptly flooded with memes, with many humorously referencing Coldplay’s hit song ‘Fix You,’ now mockingly rephrased to “fix it.
.” When the system finally started functioning again, fans found themselves waitlisted in the thousands, if not lakhs.
In response to the overwhelming demand, a third show was swiftly added, providing fans another opportunity to secure tickets. Chennai-based Ashwin Radhakrishnan, for example, managed to book a ticket for a friend, attributing his success to his regular practice of booking tatkal train tickets. “I have a great strike rate, and am used to this kind of system. We keep trying until we get it. A friend challenged me to book a ticket for her, and I succeeded,” he said, pleased with securing a standing ticket for the second day of the concert.
However, a sudden rule change limiting the number of tickets per person from eight to four threw many plans into disarray moments before the ticketing began. For Chennai resident Pooja Hemalatha, the concert was more than just a musical event; it was part of a larger friendship pact involving a big group. “I was deep in the queue, but luckily an additional show was announced,” she explained. She managed to secure standing tickets for the concert’s third and final day by logging into multiple devices, using different IDs, having friends try from various locations, and preparing rapid payment methods.
BookMyShow reported that around 13 million fans attempted to log in and purchase tickets. “Today marks a landmark moment in India’s live entertainment history, showcasing true fandom, overwhelming love, and incredible excitement for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India,” said a BookMyShow spokesperson on Sunday.
BookMyShow and BookMyShow Live emphasized their efforts to provide every fan with a fair chance to secure tickets. They implemented clear step-by-step booking guides and maintained transparent, consistent communication across all official channels. “We created a queuing system to manage the overwhelming demand and quickly addressed issues caused by suspicious and malicious traffic, resulting in a minor delay but ensuring minimal disruption for genuine fans,” they added. “Due to unprecedented demand, a third Mumbai show was promptly added, which too received a fantastic response.”
As the dust from this chaotic ticketing event begins to settle, discussions about what promises to be India’s biggest musical event in the coming months show no sign of abating. For many, the journey to the concert has only just begun, with travel and accommodation plans next on their bustling agenda.
Published – September 23, 2024 05:15 pm IST
entertainment (general)
/music
/The Hindu MetroPlus
