While millions of fans cheer British rock band Coldplay's return to India after eight long years, for many, the only way to get tickets was turning to a shadow market where forbidden deals move faster than frontman Chris Martin's fingers over the keyboard.

Over 13 million fans joined a virtual line as early as September 22 last year to purchase tickets for Coldplay's Music of Spheres' tour in Mumbai.

The surge crashed the ticketing website and kicked out many fans. Soon after, tickets emerged on the resale market for up to 100 times the price.

As fans vented their anger on social media, a lawsuit was filed alleging foul play by the ticketing platform, and authorities opened an investigation into ticket scalping.

One fan told DW that she found tickets after looking on social media, and paid five times the original price of around $110 (€107).

"I was a teenager without the means or money to attend their concert in Mumbai when Coldplay played in 2016. There's no way I was going to let this chance go," she said.

To meet demand, Coldplay added more shows, with a total of five in Mumbai and Ahmedabad between January 18 and 26.

For many young Indians, attending big-ticket concerts has emerged as a status symbol.

BookMyShow, the leading company in the sector and the ticketing partner for Coldplay in India, saw sales of live entertainment rise 82% in 2023, according to its year-end report.

International names like Bryan Adams, Alan Walker, Maroon5, Ed Sheeran, and Dua Lipa graced Indian cities last year. Domestic artists like Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla hit dozens of cities with packed shows.

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© Deutsche Welle