Ashneer Grover vs Chetan Bhagat on Coldplay ticket frenzy: ‘What percentage of your monthly salary…’

The race to get tickets for British rock band Coldplay's much-awaited Music of the Spheres World Tour in Mumbai has left the internet feeling disappointed as even die-hard fans missed out on the opportunity to see the band perform due to high demand.

While some fans rejoiced at the band's return after a nine-year hiatus, many have questioned the high prices of the concert passes which ranged from ₹2,500 to ₹35,000. Reports suggest that resell sites have now listed the tickets - which went on sale on Sunday exclusively on BookMyShow - for as high as ₹3 lakh.

Author Chetan Bhagat and BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover also joined the debate on fans paying exorbitant prices for such concert tickets.

'Who's paying so much?'

Bhagat, the author of popular books like Five Point Someone and 2 States, said the "mania" for concert passes and the "Indian salary percentiles" were not comparable and labelled the ticket frenzy as "YOLO logic" at work.

"On one hand we get figures of Indian salary percentiles and on the other there’s near mania for concert tickets. Who’s paying so much and buying all these tickets? What percentage of your monthly salary are people spending on these tickets? Some YOLO logic here? What?" he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Responding to the post, Ashneer Grover said the demand of tickets and the high prices were hardly surprising, adding that a greater number of students are now choosing to spend more money to study abroad.

"It’s a large country - and lot is disparity on either end - why is filling of 80k stadium surprising anyone? 800k students go overseas every year - spending $50K on an average. Also now that most people who can afford have phones - things will fill up instantly as well," he said.

Take a look at the exchange here:

Here's how the internet reacted to the arguments shared by Grover and Bhagat:

One user attacked the Shark Tank fame entrepreneur's post calling it "flawed". "Your argument is flawed here! education and smartphones can be investments when used wisely. Attending a Coldplay concert. That’s just chasing a fleeting dopamine hit. Artificial beats, flashy lights, and no real substance—what are we really getting out of it? It's all for show. Time to ask: are we investing in personal growth or just showing off for a quick thrill?," he wrote.

Another user agreed with the author's argument over low salaries in India. "There are 2 worlds one is flaunting their money and other is struggling to meet their family expenses and this disparity in income is increasing rapidly," he said.

(Also Read: Unacademy CEO gets Coldplay tickets: 'Didn’t clear IIT-JEE, but got Coldplay tickets')

Coldplay craze takes over India

After the release of tickets, lakhs of fans waited in a virtual queue for hours to secure passes to the band's three shows on January 18, 19 and 21 in Mumbai next year.

Many were left disappointed as after hours of wait, tickets quickly sold out. Others chose to use online marketplaces that resell tickets for a higher price. HT.com found that on one such platform ticket prices began at ₹38,000 and went to a staggering ₹7.7 lakh.

(Also Read: Coldplay tickets listed for ₹3 lakh on reselling platforms despite BookMyShow’s warning)

Even as BookMyShow was criticised for failing to handle the large rush of users, it warned that tickets purchased from re-selling platforms would be not be valid for entry to the concert.

The Coldplay ticket mania came weeks after the tickets for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh's Dil-lluminati tour sold out within minutes of being released. The high prices sparked online debates on the affordability of tickets for fans to witness their favourite artists perform.