Akhilesh Yadav: “Everyone Deserves Coldplay!” Amid Ticket Scalping Outcry

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed alarm on Monday regarding the black-market sale of tickets for the upcoming Coldplay concert in Mumbai. He raised questions about law and order, emphasizing that the rapid sell-out of tickets, followed by their appearance on the black market at inflated prices, poses significant governance challenges.

“Tickets are selling out almost immediately after booking opens, only to be resold at exorbitant rates—20 to 50 times their original price,” Yadav stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He criticized the role of middlemen profiting from these illegal sales, arguing that such practices violate the rights of artists and deprive the government of tax revenue.

Yadav underscored the principle that everyone should have equal access to entertainment, warning that when access to art is determined by purchasing power, it becomes a mere business transaction.

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His comments followed a chaotic ticket sale for Coldplay’s Mumbai concert, where tickets sold out within minutes. In response to the high demand, the band quickly announced a third performance.

Many fans were disappointed as BookMyShow, the official ticketing platform, crashed under the weight of approximately 10 million users attempting to purchase tickets. While 150,000 tickets were available, the website was overwhelmed.

The concerts are scheduled for DY Patil Stadium in January 2025, with initial shows on January 18 and 19, and a newly added third show on January 21. Ticket prices range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 35,000, but resale listings on platforms like Viagogo reached up to Rs 10 lakh.

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