In a dramatic turn of events surrounding the ticketing industry, Zomato Live and BookMyShow have taken decisive legal steps against unauthorized platforms, sparking a major debate on concert ticket reselling. Both companies are on the front lines after concert tickets for Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh’s shows were found being sold at exorbitant prices on resale platforms like Viagogo. This comes amid increasing frustration from fans, who were already grappling with sold-out events.
The uproar started when over 1.3 crore fans swarmed BookMyShow on a Sunday, hoping to secure one of the 1.5 lakh tickets available for Coldplay’s January 2025 concert. Within an hour, all tickets were gone. What followed was chaos: social media exploded with complaints about technical glitches, website crashes, and long queues. Fans were outraged to see that tickets initially priced at ₹12,500 were being resold for up to ₹3.36 lakh on secondary platforms like Viagogo. Similar stories surfaced about Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts, where ticket prices on these unofficial platforms reached as high as ₹50,000 for standing tickets.
Zomato Live, which is the official partner for selling Diljit Dosanjh concert tickets, took immediate action. They sent a legal notice to Viagogo and several other resale platforms, accusing them of unauthorized sales. In addition, Zomato filed cybercrime complaints to combat these illegal resales. The company emphasized that any tickets purchased from unofficial sources would be considered invalid, and buyers might be denied entry to the event.
BookMyShow also followed suit, filing a police complaint against secondary ticketing sites like Viagogo and Gigsberg. The ticketing giant clarified through an Instagram post that they have no affiliation with any resellers. The company also urged fans not to engage with these third-party sellers, warning that tickets bought from such platforms could be fraudulent or overpriced.
While legal experts debate the legitimacy of reselling concert tickets, one major concern has been ticket scalping. Technically, reselling concert tickets is not illegal in India. However, reselling without proper documentation and taxation can amount to tax evasion. Platforms like Viagogo need to prove they are selling tickets obtained through authorized sources to avoid legal repercussions.
Concert ticket reselling is not a new issue, but the surge of digital platforms has brought it to the forefront once again. Some experts argue that cracking down on scalping might not be in the best interest of state governments, as the resales generate additional tax revenue. Others believe that unless there’s better legislation or tracking, such fraudulent practices will continue.
In the meantime, fans are left in a state of confusion, unsure whether the tickets they’ve bought are legitimate. Zomato Live and BookMyShow’s moves mark a significant step in curbing fraudulent practices, but the outcome of their legal actions remains to be seen.
While the battle over concert tickets rages on, fans are advised to only purchase tickets through official channels like Zomato Live and BookMyShow to ensure they are not left out in the cold on concert day.
Credit: This article is based on information from Business Standard and Zomato Blog.
Summary
- Zomato Live issued a legal notice to Viagogo for reselling Diljit Dosanjh concert tickets at inflated prices.
- BookMyShow filed a police complaint against unauthorized resale of Coldplay concert tickets.
- Fans are advised to purchase tickets only through official platforms to avoid fraud.
- The legality of ticket reselling remains a grey area in India, complicating enforcement efforts.
