'I don't even like Coldplay': Delhi woman's day-long struggle to buy Rs 12,000 tickets for family is viral

Note that I am not even attending the concert,' Delhi-based literary agent, Naomi Barton, said. She spent all of Monday trying to get tickets to Coldplay's Mumbai concert but failed. (Image credit: @therealnaomib/X)

Amid the frenzy to get tickets for Coldplay's concert at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on January 18, 19, and 21, social media was flooded with posts of fans using multiple devices to get ahead of the queue and finally get their tickets. Among them, one woman's attempt stood out not only because she spent all day glued to multiple devices forgoing meals and limiting bathroom breaks to grab tickets worth Rs 12,000, but also because she wasn't a fan of the English band and was instead looking to get the tickets for her family.

Literary agent from Delhi, Naomi Barton, took to X to share her experience of fighting 1.5 lakh people in queue for the tickets in a now-viral thread.

"I don't even like Coldplay but my entire family has harangued me into contributing my devices to The Grand Ticket Buying and now I am 22,000 in queue and they are 1,50,000 in queue so my whole day is going to be spent looking at this page and carefully not refreshing it," she wrote. "This has turned into an impromptu family gathering. We are all on Google meet watching my screen. Refreshments have been acquired. Discussions are underway as to what we will do in case of only expensive tickets being available. Credit cards are being examined."

"Note that I am not even attending the concert. This is my concert."

Barton also explained that she had family members flying from France and Spain along with their friends for the concert.

There is one cousin tuned in from France (masters degree) another from Spain (literally on holiday with 7 other friends, who are also watching this screen now).It is 20,000 people now so I am going to settle in with my new book. pic.twitter.com/fr7lkTYKn1
Naomi Barton (@therealnaomib) September 22, 2024

To while away time in between clicks to refresh the page, Barton settled in with a book. Soon, however, she realised that all the realtively affordable seats were sold. So Barton was then sent extra money to try and buy standing seats while her family members engaged in "frantically delusional conversations" to rationalise spending Rs 10,000 more than the budget. As Barton's place in the queue neared 8,000 from the original 1.5 lakh, she noted that only 16 percent of the ground-standing tickets were available.

"If they [her family] start spending more money we are essentially going to be sacrificing Christmas. Is Chris Martin worth Secret Santa?" she asked. Amid this, when her brother-in-law gently suggested that perhaps it was no longer worth the return on investment, he was being accused of not being a team player. "I suspect he is going to be on the hook for the more expensive tickets also," Barton wrote before adding: "We love him dearly."

Soon, however, ticket prices hit Rs 12,000. "Discussions are underway as to whether the 12,000 bucks tickets are actually good or a scam. This is the entire amount of money I pay for rent. I am beginning to lose respect for my cousins," the literary agent said while noting that all this time, her movements were being carefully monitored.

I am not allowed to get lunch. What if it comes back online when I go downstairs to get Zomato. Now this is lunch. pic.twitter.com/5Q0MMiOBlSNaomi Barton (@therealnaomib) September 22, 2024

After sometime, Barton's family of Coldplay fans finally decided on how much they would not spend for the tickets. "I am not paying one lakh from the scalpers I will not go only," she quoted a family member as saying.

Their efforts, however, went in vain as the tickets were sold out when Barton had 1,592 people waiting in queue ahead of her. And the only person feeling positive about it was Barton. "I now have an amazing amount of money in my bank account that I can steal if I never want to talk to them again."

But, the family was not willing to give up without another fight. They tried again on Tuesday but found out that they were behind 1.5 lakh people in the queue. Again. "My sibling cried," Barton wrote. "To make Kiki cry less we are deciding to do a Christmas weekend booking some kind of big house with a pool in the boonies, playing Fix You (apparently that's a Coldplay song!!) very loudly and screaming along and trying not to spill our cocktails."