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BookMyShow chief admits faults following Coldplay on-sale

BookMyShow’s chief executive has defended the company after the “immense pressure” it encountered during Coldplay’s recent tour of India.

Ashish Hemrajani conceded that the platform was underprepared for the five-date series, which attracted millions of punters when tickets went on sale last year. However, the BookMyShow chief rejected some of the criticism, particularly accusations the company had been black marketing tickets. BookMyShow and its senior executives faced a criminal investigation and legal action amid the complaints.

Ashish Hemrajani
Ashish Hemrajani

Speaking to India Today, Hemrajani outlined how many of the challenges were created by the platform’s attempt to create a “democratic” ticketing system. When tickets went on sale in September 2024, huge interest from across India and a deluge of bots caused the system to crash.

The shutdown led to criticism from fans, while BookMyShow was accused of enabling it to funnel tickets to resale sites who sold them at a huge mark-up.

“Some media houses crucified us without checking the facts, accusing me personally of being a black marketeer,” Hemrajani said. “Various law enforcement authorities questioned us, but after reviewing the facts, they realised we were on the right side of the law. We did everything we could to manage the unprecedented traffic and ensure fairness.”

Tourists drove Coldplay sales

Coldplay played three dates at Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Stadium, with two dates at the vast Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Data revealed that only 30% of attendees in Mumbai were local, while 70% came from other states. In Ahmedabad, the figure was even higher, with 80% of attendees travelling from outside the region. The influx boosted local hotels, transport, and tourism during the concert period.

“For eight weeks, we were under immense pressure with people asking for refund and cancel tickets,” a BookMyShow spokesperson said. “Despite all this, we delivered. We spoke to fans and kids at the shows, many of whom flew in from across the country. It was special to see their excitement and dedication for Coldplay. All’s well that ends well.”

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