Coldplay concert ticket scam: BookMyShow boss summoned for alleged fraud

The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) questioned Anil Makhija for nearly seven hours on Monday (September 30) over an alleged ticket scam for upcoming Coldplay concerts in January 2025. Makhija is COO of Big Tree Entertainment, the parent company of BookMyShow .

Vyas’ complaint to the EOW alleged that BookMyShow worked with ticket resale platforms like Viagogo to market the concert tickets on the black market. Fans took to social media to express their disappointment and disbelief, saying that tickets for the concert were being sold for hundreds of rupees on unofficial websites.

An EOW police official said, “We questioned Anil Makhija, COO of Big Tree Entertainment for seven hours. We had summoned CEO Ashish Hemrajani, but he sent Makhija. We have questioned him and are trying to understand the entire matter. “He has given answers to our questions (and) we will analyze them and then decide on the further course of action.”

The complaint said: “The sale of the concert tickets was controlled by BookMyShow in such a way that the real customers…were intentionally logged out of the platform seconds before 12 noon.” [on 22 September]the time the tickets were activated or were not allowed to access the platform to purchase tickets for the concert.”

He further added: “At the same time, however, the tickets were made available in bulk to Viagogo, which began black-selling these tickets at very high prices. A ticket sold for INR 2,500.” [on BookMyShow] was sold for INR 96,300 [on reselling platforms]which rose to INR 2,50,000.”

The concerts are scheduled to take place in January 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. However, as tickets sold out quickly last week; The overwhelming response caused BookMyShow’s app and website to crash briefly just before tickets went live at 12pm on September 22.

In response to these allegations, a BookMyShow spokesperson previously said: “We have become aware that unauthorized platforms have listed (and continue to list) tickets for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India both before and after the official sale. . BookMyShow has no affiliation with any such unauthorized ticket sales/resale platforms, including but not limited to Viagogo and Gigsberg or any third party, for the purpose of reselling Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India.”

The spokesperson further emphasized, “Scalping and black marketing of tickets are strictly condemned and punishable by law in India. BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice. We have not only lodged a complaint with the police authorities, but are also proactively working with them to provide full assistance in the investigation of this matter in any way necessary.

The company also warned consumers, emphasizing: “We would like to reiterate to our consumers that purchasing tickets from unauthorized sources is at your own risk and they are likely to be invalid or counterfeit tickets.”