By Isabella Gallagher Rattan
Didn’t get Coldplay tickets? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, as thousands of people lost out on the so-called ‘Ticketmaster War’ to get tickets to the internationally famous band.
Tickets sold out in record time last Friday and Thursday, with fans reporting that pre-sale was sold out in just 20 minutes. Whilst this is normal for big-ticket events at Wembley Stadium, most recently Oasis and Taylor Swift, fans were outraged as they received notifications that tickets were already up for resale while still in the never-ending queue.
Ticketmaster was also under fire as they suffered from technical issues, with a small number of people being asked to authenticate their accounts with codes that never came, preventing them from being able to join the queue to buy tickets. In addition, it seems their anti-bot protection has failed, as hundreds of resale tickets have been cropping up for ludicrous amounts of money. What was particularly astonishing was the speed at which resale tickets were being advertised, leading fans to believe there were potentially hundreds of ticket-buying robots, and people buying tickets for the simple reason of selling them on for much more than the original price.
So why is the demand for tickets so high, especially since Coldplay have been on tour since 2022? One of the best parts of Coldplay as a band is seeing their live performances, as previous features have included fireworks, confetti, and LED wristbands that correspond to the song playing. Their stunning visuals and unforgettable live performances drive millions to purchase tickets to one of their 205 shows, but the demand is so high that it often leaves people disappointed.
So don’t worry if you didn’t secure those tickets, as you’re not alone. For each person heading to a highly-awaited concert, there are two more at home watching a live stream.