The controversy surrounding the ticket sales for the upcoming concerts of the British rock band Coldplay in Mumbai has escalated as the Mumbai police have once again summoned Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment, the parent company of BookMyShow, for questioning over alleged black marketing practices.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police summoned Hemrajani and the company’s technical head on September 30, for questioning regarding the alleged black marketing of tickets after they failed to report previously.
The first summons was issued on September 27, but the two did not appear, prompting this latest request for their presence.
When happened on the ticket sale day?
On September 22, the tickets for the "Music of the Spheres World Tour", Coldplay's concert, which will be held in Mumbai next year went live and sold out rapidly. More than one crore fans competed for approximately 1,80,000 tickets, leading to overwhelming demand.
Following high demands, several fans faced server crashes and long wait times, with approximately 1.3 crore people attempting to access the website and app during the sale.
There was a queue system implemented on the booking platform to manage the demand. However, many fans expressed frustration over the difficulties in securing tickets.
What is the controversy?
Coldplay fans who were trying to book concert tickets complained about hours-long digital queues and site crashes. But there were also a lot of complaints regarding the insanely high prices as resellers were selling tickets for five times the price before they were released on the official site.
However, the police came into the picture after Advocate Amit Vyas filed a complaint accusing BookMyShow of facilitating black market sales for the British band's concerts, scheduled in January. Vyas alleged that tickets, originally priced between Rs 2,500 and Rs 12,500, were being resold at exorbitant prices by third-party sellers and scalpers.
Vyas, who logged onto BookMyShow to purchase tickets, experienced sudden logouts and discovered that many friends faced similar issues. “I was disappointed that I did not get a ticket. However, when I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket. This made me suspicious,” he said, as per The Indian Express report.
Following his suspicion, Vyas filed a complaint against BookMyShow, Live Nation, and other promoters, alleging that the platform had engaged in foul play by using ticket bots to create an artificial digital queue. He expressed concern that genuine fans were deprived of their opportunity to purchase tickets, suggesting that the system favored resellers.
“They have a lot to explain for logging out or not allowing fans in India to access the BookMyShow app and site,” Vyas said.
How did BookMyShow respond?
In response to the allegations, BookMyShow has distanced itself from the claims, condemning ticket scalping. The booking platform asserted that it has no association with resellers.
"With 13 million fans eager to get tickets, emotions ran high on September 22nd. We capped it at four tickets per user across all shows, provided clear booking guides, and maintained transparent communication," a BookMyShow spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further explained that the queue system was implemented to maintain the overwhelming interest in the booking which caused the delay. The queue system was aimed at ensuring minimal disruptions during the booking process. that a third show in Mumbai was added due to the unprecedented demand. A third show was added in Mumbai due to an unprecedented demand, the spokesperson added.
BookMyShow has filed its own police complaint regarding the issue and has issued advisories urging fans to refrain from purchasing tickets from third-party sellers, citing the risks of counterfeit tickets and financial loss.
Shiv Sena(UBT) writes to CM Shinde to probe
Following widespread disappointment among fans, political parties have begun to address the situation, with allegations of ticket reselling and ‘nexus of black marketing’ coming to the forefront.
Anand Dubey, a spokesperson for the Shiv Sena (UBT faction), has written a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, highlighting the existence of "unofficial channels" where tickets were still available at inflated prices, despite BookMyShow's announcement of a sellout.
“It appears that there may be a nexus engaged in the black-marketing of tickets... This not only violates the principles of fairness but may also involve illegal activities such as money laundering, cheating, and fraud,” Dubey said as per a report by mint.
He has also sent copies of his letter to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and both the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai Police Commissioners, urging a thorough investigation.
Coldplay’s concert "Music of the Spheres World Tour" is scheduled from January 18 to 21, 2025.
The band which last performed in India in 2016 at the Global Citizen Festival is returning to India after an eight-year hiatus.
