BookMyShow has issued a statement urging fans not to purchase Coldplay concert tickets from unauthorised platforms, following the Mumbai Police's summons to the company's CEO, Ashish Hemrajani, and its technical head.
The summons was issued in connection with alleged black-marketing of tickets for the British band’s upcoming shows in Navi Mumbai, part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour in January 2025.
The legal action was initiated after advocate Amit Vyas accused BookMyShow of enabling ticket scalping. He claimed that tickets originally priced at Rs 2,500 were being resold for as much as Rs 3 lakh on various websites and through individuals. Vyas has called for fraud charges against the company.
In response, BookMyShow has distanced itself from any such resale activities and filed its own police complaint against the unauthorised selling of tickets.
Despite being summoned by the police on Friday, both Hemrajani and the technical head did not attend the scheduled hearing on Saturday. Authorities have confirmed that fresh summons will be issued.
The controversy arose when tickets for Coldplay’s January concerts at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai went on sale on September 22. The heavy traffic caused the BookMyShow website to crash, leaving many fans frustrated. Some users reported being over 500,000 in the queue when the site finally resumed operations.
In a statement, a BookMyShow spokesperson explained the overwhelming demand, noting that 13 million fans logged in for the ticket sale. To manage the surge, the company implemented a queueing system, limiting ticket purchases to four per user. The company also added a third concert date due to the immense demand.
BookMyShow emphasized that it has no ties with unauthorised ticket-selling platforms, such as Viagogo or Gigsberg, and condemned the practice of ticket scalping. "We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate the matter and ensure legal action against any black-marketing activities," the company said.
The platform also warned consumers that tickets purchased from unauthorised sellers could be invalid or counterfeit.
The statement concluded with a strong message, advising fans to only buy tickets through official channels to avoid the risk of invalid passes.