As Coldplay fans in India deal with disappointment and aggravation over sold-out gigs for the band’s impending tour, some tech experts say they were able to get tickets before the general public by utilizing a browser tool called “Inspect Element” on the BookMyShow website.
Coldplay will return to India after a nine-year absence, performing at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on January 18th, 19th, and 21st, 2025, as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour. Tickets to the highly anticipated shows went on sale exclusively through BookMyShow on September 25th.
Fan Outrage and Accusation
Fans who excitedly awaited the ticket release were faced with enormous virtual lines and disappointment when tickets swiftly sold out. Many people rushed to social media to vent their dissatisfaction, accusing BookMyShow of reserving tickets for workers, friends, influencers, and high-profile visitors while leaving the general public with restricted access.
The ‘Inspect Element’ Trick
During the issue, numerous tech experts claimed to have successfully avoided the lines and purchased tickets using their web browser’s “Inspect Element” feature. This tool lets people see the underlying code of a webpage.
Archit Chauhan, co-founder and CTO of Crib and a former Microsoft software engineer, detailed his strategy on X (previously Twitter), writing, “We managed to get Coldplay tickets by using some inspect element tricks to find the ‘buy’ ticket URL before it was available to the general public.”
The method most likely took advantage of a possible weakness in which the “Buy Ticket” URL was loaded into the website’s code before becoming visible or clickable on the page. Users who utilize Inspect Element may be able to discover and access the concealed URL.
Several additional tech experts made similar claims, citing screenshots as proof of their achievement. However, it is unclear whether they were able to finalize the transaction using this manner.