22-5-2023 (Jakarta) The highly anticipated opportunity to witness Coldplay’s first-ever performances in Indonesia and Malaysia this November has sparked a ticket frenzy, leading to resales at exorbitant prices. News outlets and netizens have reported on the intense competition for tickets to the British band’s concerts, with prices reaching up to six times the original value.
Coldplay, known for their rock music, announced in May that they would be embarking on their Music Of The Spheres World Tour and including Indonesia in their Asia leg. The concert in Indonesia is scheduled for November 15 at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, with PK Entertainment and TEM Presents as the local concert promoters.
Pre-sale tickets, exclusively available to Bank Central Asia cardholders, were released on Wednesday and reportedly sold out within just 30 minutes, despite the opening lasting for two days, according to local news outlets. Ticket sales for the general public commenced on Friday, with a reported total of 70,000 tickets available for purchase.
However, eager fans are still struggling to secure tickets, expressing their frustrations on social media. Many complained about having to queue in an online waiting room with over 500,000 people ahead of them. The soaring demand has led to some individuals in Indonesia attempting to profit from the situation by reselling tickets at significantly inflated prices. For example, on the e-commerce website Kick Avenue, Coldplay tickets in the highest-priced venue zone are being sold for 60 million rupiah (RM18,239), more than five times the original price of 11 million rupiah.
The outcry against the ticket war stems from existing dissatisfaction with the initial ticket prices, which range from 800,000 rupiah to 11 million rupiah, considered by some to be excessively high. Local musician Fiersa Besari took to Twitter on May 11 to express his dismay, stating, “Eleven million. That’s 22 million for a pair. I can buy bakso (meatballs) to treat an entire district with that kind of money. But bakso sellers are around every day. Coldplay may never come back.”
Aware of the situation, Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin addressed the ticket frenzy in a video interview with Indonesian YouTuber Najwa Shihab, assuring fans that this would not be their only visit to Indonesia and that they plan to return. The video received over 1.4 million views within a day of being uploaded.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno also acknowledged the issue, stating on Instagram that efforts were underway to add more shows. He urged Coldplay lovers to remain patient and hinted at the possibility of extending the concert beyond a single day.
A similar scenario unfolded in Malaysia, where frustrated fans faced difficulties obtaining tickets for Coldplay’s November 22 concert, which sold out within three hours on Wednesday. Pre-sale tickets exclusively available to CIMB bank cardholders were also quickly snapped up. The concert is scheduled to take place at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, with ticket prices ranging from RM228 to RM3,088.
Demand for tickets skyrocketed, with one prospective buyer on the e-commerce platform Carousell offering RM111,111 for the opportunity to see Coldplay live. The buyer specifically sought Category 1 and Category 2 tickets, originally priced at RM1,288 and RM758, respectively. The exact number of tickets requested was not mentioned.
As a result of the overwhelming demand, scalpers are taking advantage, with one individual listing tickets for as much as RM43,000 each on Carousell. The Star, an English-language daily, reported that the cheapest available ticket on online was being sold for RM1,749.
According to a recent report, Category 4 and 5 tickets, originally priced at RM598 and RM498 respectively, are now being sold on Carousell for an astonishing RM2,499 and RM3,000.
The demand for Coldplay tickets extends beyond the borders of Malaysia, with listings for the Kuala Lumpur concert also appearing on Carousell in Singapore. Prices for these tickets range from S$350 to S$8,000 (approximately RM1,180 to RM27,000). It is evident that fans from neighboring countries are eager to seize the opportunity to attend the concert.
Interestingly, Coldplay, who previously held two concerts in Singapore back in April 2017, did not include the Republic as one of their tour stops this time around.
