1 october 2024 : The upcoming tour of British rock band Coldplay in India has prompted a police investigation and frustrated fans after scalpers purchased inexpensive tickets to resell online for over $1,000 each.
Thousands of music enthusiasts attempted to buy tickets for three concerts scheduled in Mumbai next January, which were sold through the popular Indian ticketing platform BookMyShow. All three shows sold out within minutes, leading to outrage when $70 (6,000-rupee) tickets appeared on resale sites at drastically inflated prices.
“The tickets are being sold for 10, 20, even 30 times the original price,” said 19-year-old student Anna Abraham. “I wouldn’t feel good knowing I paid 30 times more than what I could have.”
Local reports indicate that the chief operating officer of BookMyShow was questioned by police following a complaint from Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who alleged that the vendor was colluding with “black marketeers” to profit from ticket sales. “I checked with nearly 100 regular concertgoers, and none of them managed to get a ticket. This made me suspicious, leading me to report it to the police,” Vyas stated, according to the Indian Express.
In response to the public outcry, BookMyShow released a statement claiming it had “no association” with unauthorized ticket sales. “We strictly condemn scalping and black marketing of tickets, which is punishable by law in India, and we vehemently oppose this practice,” the company said.
Ticket-related controversies for major international events are not uncommon. For instance, US pop star Taylor Swift criticized Ticketmaster in 2022 over fan outrage regarding ticket sales for her ‘The Eras Tour,’ which sparked discussions about Ticketmaster’s dominant position in the industry amidst complaints about hidden fees, widespread scalping, and limited availability due to presales.