EOW issues new summons against BookMyShow over Coldplay ticket controversy

The arrival of the British rock band Coldplay in India is generating significant buzz. However, the excitement has been marred by fan discontent regarding ticketing issues and pricing. The controversy has escalated as the entertainment platform BookMyShow (BMS) faces potential legal action.

The CEO and co-founder of BMS, Ashish Hemrajani, along with the technical head, has received fresh summons from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) over allegations of black marketing tickets for the Coldplay concert. This much-anticipated event is set to take place at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai from January 19 to January 21, 2025. The Mumbai Police's EOW has requested that Hemrajani and the technical head appear before an investigating officer on Monday. Reports indicate that they have not yet contacted the police regarding the matter.

The issue came to light when advocate Amit Vyas accused BMS of facilitating the black marketing of tickets. He alleged that tickets for Coldplay's India tour, originally priced at Rs 2,500, are being resold by third parties and influencers for as much as Rs 3 lakh.

Fans were left disappointed when many were unable to secure tickets, as the queue on the ticketing platform reached as high as a million. Meanwhile, third-party websites have been selling tickets at exorbitant rates in the black market.

Coldplay’s Mumbai concert is part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour. This marks the band's second performance in India; they last visited in 2016 for the Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai. The tour will also include stops in Abu Dhabi, Seoul, and Hong Kong between January and April 2025.