"The amount will cover my travel expenses"
Coldplay sparked excitement among Indian fans when they announced two dates in Mumbai in 2025.
The demand for tickets was so high that the British band announced a third date.
But after selling out in minutes on BookMyShow (BMS), tickets are now being sold for huge amounts on reselling platforms.
The tickets ranged from Rs. 2,500 (£22) to Rs. 12,000 (£107).
More than 10 million people competed for 180,000 tickets.
Indian fans complained about long digital queues and site crashes but many claimed the sales were rigged as resellers had begun selling tickets for five times the price before they were officially released.
In some cases, prices have reached Rs. 900,000 (£8,000).
This has raised questions over ticket scalping in India, where people use bots or automation tools to bypass queues and buy several tickets to sell on reselling platforms.
Fans have wondered whether BMS had taken measures to prevent this or whether it chose to turn a blind eye.
BMS denied any association with resellers and urged fans to avoid tickets from “unauthorised sources” as they could be fake.
A similar instance happened for Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts.
Tickets were released on Zomato Live and shortly after selling out, they began appearing on reselling platforms for several times the original price.
Ticket scalping is illegal in India and according to experts, it is likely that legitimate ticket-holders are selling theirs through resellers to make a profit.
Graphic designer Dwayne Dias was able to buy Coldplay tickets from the official site, getting four for Rs. 6,450 (£57) each.
Since then, people have approached him and are willing to pay up to Rs. 60,000 (£535) for a ticket.
He said: “If I wanted to, I could sell all the tickets and watch the concert in South Korea [Coldplay’s upcoming touring destination].
“The amount will cover my travel expenses and I’ll be able to experience a new city.”
Despite the inflated prices of Coldplay tickets, the huge demand for tickets to see international artists is not uncommon.
Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have drawn in huge crowds during their performances in India.
Over the past few years, India’s live music business has rapidly grown.
It is reported that music concerts generated approximately Rs. 8 billion (£71 million) in revenue in 2023 and by 2025, this figure is expected to increase by 25%.
Before and after the Coldplay tickets went on sale, social media was full of videos of the band performing their hits in packed stadiums.
Influencers also spoke about their love for the band.
According to industry experts, targeted marketing has a key role in ticket sales.
The more demand is created, the more ticket prices can be raised.
Organising concerts is difficult, as they often incur losses, so when the opportunity arises, bankable performers are exploited for profits.
Some fans believe the Indian government should take steps to control ticket prices but Brian Tellis disagrees.
He said:
“This [selling tickets] is entrepreneurship – it won’t be right for the government to get involved.”
“Because if you want to control revenue, then you’ll have to also control costs.”
Although India’s live music business is on the rise, the country still has a long way to go before it is on the same level as the international music scene.
Tellis added: “We have very few concert venues and they are not up to international standards.
“That’s why artists perform fewer shows in India despite the massive demand.”
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