The rush to get tickets for British rock band Coldplay’s much-awaited Music of the Spheres World Tour in Mumbai has led to disappointment on the Internet as even die-hard fans of the band missed out on the opportunity to watch the band perform due to the massive demand.
While some fans are happy with the band’s return after a gap of nine years, many have questioned the high prices of concert passes, which range from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500. From Rs 2,500 Reports suggest that resale sites have now listed the tickets – which were exclusively available for sale on BookMyShow on Sunday – for prices upwards of Rs 35,000. Rs 3 lakh
Author Chetan Bhagat and BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover also joined the debate on the exorbitant prices fans pay for such concert tickets.
‘Who’s paying so much money?’
Bhagat, author of popular books such as Five Point Someone and 2 States, said the “mania” for concert passes and the “Indian pay percentage” are not comparable and termed the ticket frenzy as functioning as “YOLO logic”.
He wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “On one hand we get figures on Indians’ salary percentage and on the other there is a mania for concert tickets. Who is paying so much and buying all these tickets? What percent of their monthly salary are people spending on these tickets? Is this some YOLO logic? What?”
Reacting to the post, Ashneer Grover said the demand and high prices of tickets are not a surprise, adding that a large number of students are now preferring to spend more money to study abroad.
“This is a big country – and there is so much inequality on both sides – why is anyone surprised that an 80,000 capacity stadium is full? Every year 800,000 students go abroad – spending an average of $50,000. Plus now that most people who can afford have phones – things will fill up quickly,” he said.
Take a look at the exchange here:
Here’s how the Internet reacted to the arguments put forward by Grover and Bhagat:
One user attacked the Shark Tank fame entrepreneur’s post, calling it “flawed”. “Your logic is flawed here! Education and smartphones can be investments when used wisely. Attending a Coldplay concert. It’s just chasing a fleeting dopamine hit. Artificial beats, bright lights, and no real substance – what are we really getting from this? It’s all showoff. It’s time to ask: are we investing in personal growth or just showing off for a quick thrill?”, they wrote.
Another user agreed with the author’s argument on low salaries in India. He said, “There are two worlds here, one world flaunts its money and the other world struggles to meet its family expenses and this income inequality is increasing rapidly.”
(Also read: Unacademy CEO gets Coldplay tickets: ‘Didn’t clear IIT-JEE but got Coldplay tickets’)
Coldplay craze takes over India
Following the release of tickets, lakhs of fans waited in queues for hours to get passes for the band’s three shows scheduled on January 18, 19 and 21 in Mumbai next year.
Many were disappointed as tickets were quickly sold out after hours of waiting. Others chose to use online marketplaces that sell tickets at higher prices. HT.com found that ticket prices on one such platform start at Rs 150. 38,000 and the staggering thing is Rs 7.7 lakh
(Also read: Coldplay tickets listed Sales up to Rs 3 lakh on reselling platform despite BookMyShow’s warning)
BookMyShow was criticised for failing to handle the massive rush of users, and warned that tickets purchased from resale platforms would not be valid for entry to the concert.
The Coldplay ticket frenzy began weeks after tickets for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour sold out within minutes of their release. The high prices sparked an online debate over the affordability of tickets for fans to watch their favourite artists perform.
