The anticipation was palpable among fans as the clock ticked down to Coldplay’s highly-awaited return to India with their Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025. For days, the chatter was relentless, stirring up memories of their last mesmerizing performance in 2016. As one fan aptly put it, “We’ve been in queues for Taylor Swift tickets before. This should be easier,” a sentiment shared amidst the excitement and apprehension brewing online and offline.
Big concerts in India are indeed few and far between. Although music festivals are gradually gaining momentum, attracting more international acts, a show by Coldplay is still an unusual and momentous event. What could be described as an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime,’ the journey to securing tickets for this landmark concert turned into an epic quest of its own.
The day after what is now being called ‘Coldplay Ticketing Sunday,’ the Internet remains a battlefield of emotions. On one side, there are the euphoric few who somehow defied the odds to secure tickets. On the other, the unlucky majority, still grappling with disbelief, some even questioning if anyone genuinely managed to get a ticket. Social media platforms turned into echo chambers of frustration and skepticism, with quick wit and humor taking the form of memes and viral tweets.
Several enthusiasts considered unconventional and costly alternatives. Booking a room at the nearby Marriott in Navi Mumbai for an alternative concert experience was one of them. However, the prevalence of scalpers reselling tickets at exorbitant prices incited anger and broad discussions about whether it would be more economically sensible to attend a concert abroad instead.
In the days leading up to Ticketing Sunday, elaborate plans were set into motion. Fans meticulously memorized seating charts, scrutinized multiple online reels about the best seats, and organized group bookings across cities. Many pertinent questions filled the pre-purchase strategy sessions: how would one balance logging in on both mobile and laptop while staying in constant communication with friends? Should a Zoom call remain active in the background for real-time updates? And most crucially, if fewer tickets were acquired than planned, who among friends would be left out?
Despite these well-laid plans, it became evident that the quest for the ‘adventure of a lifetime’ would be fraught with its own share of adventures. While ticket sales were scheduled to commence at noon, the ticketing portal BookMyShow crashed almost immediately, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people trying their luck. The Internet exploded with a barrage of “Fix it” memes, playfully referencing Coldplay’s hit song “Fix You.
.”
Once the ticketing portal stabilized and the virtual queues formed, fans found themselves waitlisted by thousands, sometimes even in the hundreds of thousands. The overwhelming demand compelled organizers to announce a third show, giving fans another ray of hope.
Ashwin Radhakrishnan from Chennai, among the fortunate to snag a ticket, attributed his success to his adeptness at booking tatkal train tickets. “I have a great strike rate and have gotten used to the system. We keep trying until we get it. A friend challenged me to book a ticket for her, and I managed to get her a standing ticket for the second day of the concert,” he shared.
However, a sudden last-minute change in ticketing regulations—from a maximum of eight tickets per person to just four—threw many well-conceived concert plans into disarray. For Pooja Hemalatha from Chennai, who regarded the concert as part of a broader friendship pact involving a large group, the change was particularly disruptive.
“When I got into the queue, there were lakhs of people ahead of me. Luck struck when an additional show was added; I jumped into the queue for the third concert. I was at 6,450 and managed to get standing tickets for the final day,” she recounted. Her successful booking was the result of strategic planning: logging into multiple devices, using different IDs, enlisting friends to log in from diverse locations, and preparing quick payment options in advance.
BookMyShow reported that a staggering 13 million fans logged in for tickets. “Today is a landmark moment in India’s live entertainment history as we saw true fandom, overwhelming love, and incredible excitement for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025,” said a spokesperson. To ensure a fair process, the company implemented a queue system and addressed technical challenges swiftly, leading to the introduction of the third Mumbai show—which also was met with enthusiastic demand.
As the dust settles, conversations around what is poised to be India’s biggest musical event of the coming months remain as fervent as ever. Many fans are now shifting their focus to the next phase: booking trains, flights, and hotels as they prepare for what promises to be an unforgettable concert experience. The journey to Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres in India is only just beginning.
