Coldplay ticket scandal: BookMyShow registers FIR, provides details of 30 resellers to Police including Viagogo, says ‘concert won’t be cancelled’

The police have filed the FIR on the complaint of Pooja Mitra, general manager, legal department, BookMyShow, a group company of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited.

As per the FIR, after the tickets went on sale on the platform on September 22, BookMyShow received emails from an individual named Ashwin requesting them for separate pricing of tickets in bulk as he had promised many people that he would book tickets for them and had also collected advance from them. The complainant company declined his request.

Similarly, BookMyShow also received emails from one Arjun Singh who informed the company that there were several WhatsApp groups where unknown individuals were selling tickets for the concert at unreasonable rates.

BookMyShow verified the claims by carrying out a preliminary inquiry and prepared a list of such individuals, Instagram accounts and websites. This list includes a web page called viagogo.com.

Based on the complaint the Vile Parle police registered a case under sections 318(4) and 319 (2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and 66(C) of the Information Technology Act against the unknown persons and commenced an investigation, said a police officer.

“We have provided details of all the resellers that have come to our attention, including independent individuals reselling tickets for this tour across social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp and beyond, and even digital platforms such as Stubhub Holdings and more, in order to aid authorities in a thorough investigation,” said a BookMyShow spokesperson.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Viagogo, which describes itself as a secondary marketplace where sellers list tickets for events they are unable to attend and set their own prices, clarified that it neither sells tickets nor sets ticket prices.

“Viagogo is a safe, secure and regulated global marketplace that is open to all. Our platform is fully compliant with Indian law – as it is in all markets in which it operates. Our number one priority is to provide a safe option for fans to get tickets. We exist to get fans into once-in-a-lifetime live events – like Coldplay. To back that up we provide a guarantee that ensures fans receive their tickets in time for the event and in the rare instance of an issue, replacement tickets or their money back,” the company said in an email exchange.

Viagogo also emphasised its commitment to legal compliance: “We take our legal obligations very seriously. Whenever contacted by relevant authorities regarding any investigation, Viagogo fully cooperates and meets all its legal responsibilities.”

Addressing rumours of a possible concert cancellation, BookMyShow, the promoter and official ticketing partner for Coldplay’s tour in India, clarified: “Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India will proceed as planned. Reports to the contrary are factually incorrect.”

The platform added that it remains vigilant in monitoring ticket reselling through black-market channels and will continue to share relevant information with the authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken.

“BookMyShow is also assessing the potential cancellation of tickets which were sold unethically,” the spokesperson added, reiterating the platform’s lack of association with any unauthorised ticket-selling or reselling platforms and/or third-party individuals.

Earlier this week, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police questioned Anil Makhija, COO of Big Tree Entertainment (owner of BookMyShow), for four hours on Monday. The EOW also issued a second summons to Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment, and the company’s technical head after they failed to appear for an inquiry on Saturday.