Coldplay fans in the UAE are grappling with scalpers reselling tickets at exorbitant prices after all four of the band’s Abu Dhabi shows for January 2025 sold out within hours of their release. Gen Ad tickets, originally priced at AED 435, are now being resold for as much as AED 3,000, a 590% increase, leaving many fans frustrated and outraged.
When Live Nation Middle East announced the first presale event for the January 11, 2025, concert, over 200,000 fans joined the online queue on Ticketmaster, many of whom were unable to purchase on the platform. In response to this overwhelming demand, a second show for January 12 was announced, followed by a third date on January 14. Despite these additions, tickets were snapped up just as quickly.
By September 27, the day of the general sale, a fourth show—set for January 9, 2025—was added, but the demand still far outpaced availability. With the Zayed Sports City Stadium accommodating only 45,000 seats per show, many fans found themselves empty-handed.
The scarcity of tickets has fueled a surge in resale activity, with scalpers taking advantage of the situation by listing tickets at highly inflated prices. In online groups such as “Abu Dhabi Events,” which has nearly 50,000 members, multiple users have begun selling tickets at excessive prices.
“2 Coldplay tickets available Abu Dhabi, 11th Jan Saturday, GA standing, High demand DM asap!!” read one post, followed by over 40 comments from eager buyers. Another post falsely claimed, “Selling two Coldplay Tickets – GA Standing. Will be able to transfer the tickets to your email via Ticketmaster. DM if interested.”
Some buyers were quick to warn others about potential scams, as Ticketmaster has not yet enabled the option to transfer tickets between accounts. “It’s non-transferable,” one commenter replied, pointing out that transfers will only become available closer to the event, likely a month or three weeks prior to the concert.
Frustrated fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment. “This was one of the most disappointing experiences… people who don’t even have the intention to attend this got tickets because they want to make some bucks, and for us, who lived our lives waiting for this moment, could not get any… thank you for spoiling our teen memories,” one user lamented.
Another enraged user wrote, “TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO TRY TO RESELL THEIR COLDPLAY TICKETS: You realize you can do it ONLY via Ticketmaster? Which DOES NOT allow the mark-up. TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO TRY TO BUY COLDPLAY TICKETS FROM RESELLERS: you realize your reseller needs to transfer you the ticket via Ticketmaster once it is sold? The transfer will ONLY be available closer to the date. So think twice what the hell are you buying. Disgraceful.”
When The Global Filipino Magazine (TGFM) contacted some of the sellers, it was confirmed that General Admission tickets, originally AED 435, were being sold for as much as AED 3,000. Meanwhile, scammers were listing tickets for as low as AED 100, demanding payment upfront and disappearing afterward.
Live Nation Middle East has issued repeated warnings about scalping and secondary market sales. “Scalping is illegal and will result in your ticket being void, resulting in no entry to the show. To avoid disappointment, please purchase only at ticketmaster.ae or on the Ticketmaster app,” the company advised.
