As the clock struck midnight, anticipation mingled with apprehension. “We’ve been in queues for Taylor Swift tickets. This should be easier,” a friend optimistically remarked the night before. India seldom sees big concerts, with music festivals slowly inching their way into popularity. Yet, a Coldplay concert, part of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025, promised an ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’. Reminiscent of their last appearance in India in 2016, Coldplay’s return had stirred an almost palpable excitement among fans, especially older millennials who fondly recall their previous performance with joy.
Now, a day after what will be canonized as ‘Coldplay ticketing Sunday,’ the virtual world is split into believers and skeptics. While some fans are giddy with disbelief over securing their tickets, others wallow in wary acceptance of their ticketless fate. Still, a contingent remains in denial, flooding social media with reels and tweets questioning the very existence of these elusive tickets.
In a bid to secure tickets by any means necessary, some have delved into innovative and extravagant solutions. Booking a room at the Marriott in Navi Mumbai near the DY Patil stadium promises an alternate concert experience, though it comes at a steep price. Scalpers, as always, are rife, sparking outrage over astronomically high resale prices. For many, these prices make attending a concert abroad seem like a reasonable financial alternative.
The meticulous preparation for this day was akin to planning a military operation. Casual music lovers transformed into strategists, poring over seating charts, studying reels to identify the best seats, and coordinating group bookings across cities. Numerous practical questions emerged: How would we stay connected while logging in from different devices? Would a Zoom call keep the group in sync? If fewer tickets were secured than expected, who would be the unlucky friends left out?
Despite best efforts, the realization dawned that the adventure to secure tickets would be an adventure in itself. The atmosphere of excitement turned to chaos when ticket sales were scheduled to begin at noon. The ticketing portal BookMyShow crashed under the heavy load as lakhs of hopeful fans tried their luck. Memes circulated at lightning speed, many invoking Coldplay’s song ‘Fix You,’ urging, “fix it.” Once the portal was back online, fans found themselves in virtual queues, with some waitlisted in the thousands or even lakhs.
. The insatiable demand led to the addition of a third show, giving fans another shot at tickets.
Ashwin Radhakrishnan, a Chennai-based fan, who succeeded in procuring a ticket for his friend, credited his timely success to his experience with booking tatkal train tickets. “I have a great strike rate and have sort of gotten used to the system. We keep trying till 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.
The sudden reduction in the number of tickets allowed per person, from eight to four, threw many into disarray. Pooja Hemalatha from Chennai had grander plans for the Coldplay concert, which was part of a friendship pact involving a large group. She describes the tumultuous journey of securing tickets, “When I got into the queue, there were lakhs of people ahead of me. Luck was on my side when an extra show was announced, and I managed to get into the queue for the third concert. I was at position 6,450 and finally secured standing tickets for the final day.” This feat involved deft strategizing on her part—logging in from multiple devices using different IDs, coordinating with friends trying their luck simultaneously, and pre-arranging quick payment methods.
A BookMyShow spokesperson confirmed that approximately 13 million (1.3 crore) fans tried to log in for tickets. “Today marks a landmark moment in India’s live entertainment history as we witnessed true fandom, overwhelming love, and incredible excitement on BookMyShow for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India,” the spokesperson stated.
BookMyShow and BookMyShow Live reported that extensive efforts were made to ensure a fair booking process. They provided clear, step-by-step booking guides and maintained transparent communication through official channels. “We implemented a queueing system to manage the overwhelming demand and addressed issues caused by suspicious and malicious traffic within minutes, resulting in a brief delay but ensuring minimal disruption for genuine fans. Due to unprecedented demand, a third Mumbai show was added shortly thereafter, which received an incredible response,” they added.
As the dust settles, discussions about what is anticipated to be India’s most significant musical event in the coming months show no signs of subsiding. For many, the journey to the concert has just begun, with travel and accommodation arrangements now the primary focus.
