British rock band Coldplay will be performing in Mumbai next January. Tickets for their highly anticipated concert went on sale on Sunday and sold out within minutes, leaving many fans disappointed. The ticketing website experienced crashes due to overwhelming traffic. In response, the platform announced a third concert day in India. This move, along with the rapid sellout, generated even more excitement and buzz around the event.
Google Trends indicated a peak in searches for "Coldplay" twice during the day: first at 12:10 PM on Sunday, followed by a smaller spike around 1:45 PM. The highest search traffic came from Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, in that order. The significant demand in Goa can be attributed to its hippie culture and lifestyle, which emphasizes the enjoyment of international music. In Maharashtra, the highest traffic naturally came from Mumbai, the city where the band is set to perform. Mumbai, known as a highly bipolar city, serves as the economic capital of India, further boosting the demand. In Karnataka, the maximum traffic came from Manipal, a major student hub with a vibrant young crowd of music enthusiasts.
Soon after the sellout, memes about the rapid ticket sales flooded social media, providing fans who missed out with a sense of solace through self-deprecating humour. But what led to such unprecedented demand for the concert? Several factors are at play. First is the obvious increase in the band's fan following, fueled by audio and video streaming services as well as social media. Fans who discovered Coldplay through these platforms have developed a loyal following. YouTube has become a gateway for potential concert-goers to experience what a typical Coldplay concert looks like, with results that are undeniably appealing.
Interestingly, the band's best live performance was almost 20 years ago in Toronto, Canada, during their Twisted Logic Tour. Another significant factor is the influx of young professionals entering the workforce with high-paying jobs and minimal financial liabilities. The FOMO (fear of missing out) surrounding such events is immense, as seen with the recent iPhone 16 launch and the Diljit Dosanjh concert tickets in India. The urge to capture a moment at the concert, even from the cheapest seats, and share it on Instagram Stories often overrides rational decision-making, leading many to chase trends regardless of the potential financial consequences.
This FOMO can be traced back to a colonial hangover and aspirations for everything Western. India, a country rich in Carnatic and Hindustani music, has produced many musical geniuses, such as sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, who collaborated with George Harrison of The Beatles. Yet, homegrown artists seldom receive such overwhelming responses unless influenced by external factors.
Another reason behind the staggering demand is the expansion of the Indian economy. When Michael Jackson performed in Mumbai in 1996, he drew a crowd of 35,000 roaring fans, marking a sold-out concert at that time as a result of India's economic opening. The King of Pop reached the most remote areas of the country without smartphones or the Internet. Fast forward to Coldplay's last concert in Mumbai in 2016, which attracted a crowd of 80,000. The average Indian has come a long way, willing to splurge for an instant burst of dopamine, social media clout, or simply out of love for the craft.
(With IANS inputs)
