After months of speculation, there is finally confirmation: popular British alternative rock band Coldplay will indeed play a gig in Mumbai in November.
The news, first reported by Mid-Day, spread like wildfire on social media on Friday. According to the tabloid, the band will perform, as part of the charitable Global Citizen Festival run by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, on November 19 at the Bandra grounds of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The paper added that the ticket prices will start at Rs 25,000 and go up to Rs 5 lakh – “the official tickets will go live on Book My Show on September 12”, it said.
The reported ticket prices tickled social media’s funny bone, with many people making references to the recently-launched iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that are priced, tentatively, at Rs 60,000 and above.
No kidney selling jokes for Coldplay tickets because everyone is allowed only 2 jokes on biological grounds & Tim Cook called dibs on them
— Sonali Thakker (@SonaliThakker) September 9, 2016
It didn’t make any difference even when Vijay Nair, CEO of Only Much Louder, claimed that 90% of the tickets for the Global Citizen Festival are free.
As a thumb rule, let A tabloid not be your source of information on any concerts, ticket prices or life in general.
— Vijay Nair (@vijay_nair) September 9, 2016
Global Citizen has a global format that takes a Google search to find out. 90% tickets are free and 'earned'. That's 25 k less than 25 k.
— Vijay Nair (@vijay_nair) September 9, 2016
The speculation over Coldplay’s gig had started last year, when Martin played an impromptu set in Delhi on a visit to the country, along with actor Frieda Pinto, as part of a Global Poverty Project delegation. In September 2015, when his band shot the video for their track Hymn for the Weekend with actor Sonam Kapoor, the chatter only got louder.
Incidentally, Google India had tweeted about the Coldplay concert in August, but that tweet was deleted minutes later.
On Friday, once the news was confirmed, Twitter roped in comedian Kapil Sharma for its repertoire of jokes. Sharma has alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation asked him to cough up a bribe of Rs 5 lakh for the construction of his office.
The ticket price of Coldplay 's concert in Mumbai may go upto 5lakh.That's the reason BMC official asked for bribe from Kapil Sharma~Sources
— ओमर अब्दुल्लाह (@abdullah_0mar) September 9, 2016
I think the only people who can afford tickets to Coldplay India are Kapil Sharma and the BMC.
— Daniel Fernandes (@absolutelydanny) September 9, 2016
The November event will reportedly feature the likes of hip-hop artist Jay-Z, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, and singer-composer AR Rahman. For Twitter, of course, it was a great opportunity to put its humour on display, even though all the facts are not known.
When you hear Coldplay ticket prices are 25k, you look at your bank balance and sing para-para-paradesi.
— SMV (@poisonaavi) September 9, 2016
Nobody said it was easy,
— HÖwYÖuDÖin (@Youteecrush) September 9, 2016
Noone ever said it would be this hard
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Trying to buy tickets for Coldplay.
Coldplay tickets at 25k? Now we will all understand the true meaning of 'Every Teardrop is a Waterfall'. 😂😭😂😭😂😭😂😭😂😭
— Accidenteshwari (@accidenteshwari) September 9, 2016
You need to submit Salary Slip, Bank Statements and IT Returns to apply for Coldplay concert.
— चार लोग (@WoCharLog) September 9, 2016
"YESS COLDPLAY IS COMING TO INDIA OMGG MY FAVES"
— Azeem Banatwalla (@TheBanat) September 9, 2016
"Tickets are for 25k"
"Nucleya is better, vaise"
Looks like Coldplay is selling tickets at South Mumbai per sq. ft rate.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) September 9, 2016
#Coldplay concert is just Euphoria concert with surge price.
— The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) September 9, 2016
Surely this Coldplay concert is being organised by Income Tax Dept. as part of black money repatriation?
— Sahodaran Mustafa (@sidin) September 9, 2016
There was also a deluge of memes.
The only person who can afford to take his entire family to the Coldplay concert in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/QCGQiv3oBS
— Atul Khatri (@one_by_two) September 9, 2016
Coldplay fans will understand dem feels :'( pic.twitter.com/XyBOREac2l
— All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) September 9, 2016
GF: Jaanu, lets go for Coldplay concert
— PhD in Bak*****☔ (@Atheist_Krishna) September 9, 2016
Pic 1: Me: Lets go baby
GF: 2 ticket ke ₹ 50,000
Pic 2: Me
. pic.twitter.com/5NCKXTligy
Coldplay ticket counter. pic.twitter.com/VdnTkwUEtX
— Nigel Britto (@NigelBritto) September 9, 2016
Scenes from Inside the Coldplay concert and Outside the Coldplay concert. pic.twitter.com/P053LcPqWR
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) September 9, 2016