Coldplay announced their 2023 Music of the Spheres World Tour last month, and fans have been eagerly anticipating when tickets would go on sale. Given Coldplay’s massive popularity and devoted fanbase, it was expected that tickets would sell out extremely quickly once they were available. So exactly how fast did Coldplay tickets sell out once they went on sale?
When Did Coldplay Tickets Go On Sale?
Coldplay tickets for their 2023 tour went on sale on Friday, August 26, 2022 at 10am local time. The band is touring North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom in support of their 2021 album Music of the Spheres. The tour announcement sparked huge excitement among fans who have been waiting for Coldplay’s return to the road.
Presale tickets for the North American leg of the tour went on sale earlier in the week on August 23 for members of Coldplay’s fan club. This gave their biggest supporters the first chance to secure tickets. But the main onsale was highly anticipated as it opened tickets up to the wider general public.
How Quickly Did Tickets Sell Out?
In short, Coldplay tickets sold out incredibly fast. The overwhelming demand from fans to see the acclaimed British rock band live led to sell outs within minutes for most dates.
Here is a breakdown of how quickly tickets sold out in major markets across North America:
City | Venue | Sell Out Time |
---|---|---|
Chicago | Soldier Field | 5 minutes |
Washington DC | FedEx Field | 30 minutes |
Boston | Gillette Stadium | 15 minutes |
Los Angeles | Rose Bowl | 90 minutes |
Houston | NRG Stadium | 1 hour |
Dallas | Cotton Bowl | 40 minutes |
Atlanta | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 15 minutes |
Philadelphia | Lincoln Financial Field | 30 minutes |
As you can see from the table, Coldplay was so in-demand that tickets for most shows were gone within an hour or less. Certain major cities with huge sports/concert stadiums like Los Angeles took a little bit longer to fully sell out but still went incredibly quickly.
Chicago appears to have sold out the fastest with tickets evaporating in just 5 minutes at Soldier Field. Boston and Atlanta were also among the fastest selling dates. Most shows sold at least 75-80% of tickets within the first hour according to ticket sales trackers.
Why Did Tickets Sell So Fast?
There are a few key reasons why these Coldplay tour tickets were in such sky-high demand and sold out so blazingly fast:
Limited Tour Dates
Coldplay is only scheduled to play 18 North American dates on this tour leg. For an artist of their size and popularity, this is a very limited run. There are millions of fans across the continent eager to see Coldplay live, so the restricted tour dates increased demand.
Hugely Popular Band
Coldplay has consistently been one of the world’s biggest bands for over two decades now. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have a massive global fanbase. Their distinctive anthemic brand of pop/rock has connected with millions.
First Tour in Years
Coldplay hasn’t toured North America since 2016-2017 on their A Head Full of Dreams Tour. It’s been over 5 years since they have played major markets. Fans have been highly anticipating their live return.
Positive Reviews for New Album
Coldplay’s most recent album Music of the Spheres was a major success, earning positive reviews from critics and debuting at #1 in multiple countries. Fans are eager to hear new hits live in concert.
FOMO From Fans
There is huge “fear of missing out” among Coldplay fans about potentially not being able to get tickets. This FOMO fuels an urgency to buy tickets as quickly as possible before they sell out.
Other Factors in Fast Sell Outs
In addition to Coldplay’s own popularity, a few other factors contributed to the lightning-fast sell outs for their 2023 tour dates:
Limited Tour Capacity
Many venues on the tour are large stadiums, but seating is still limited to 50,000-80,000 people in most cases. With millions of fans trying to secure tickets, supply was always going to be dwarfed by demand.
Bots and Scalpers
Unfortunately, many tickets are immediately snapped up and resold by scalpers and bots within seconds. This greatly limits regular fans’ access to tickets and contributes to instant sell outs.
Pre-Sales Reducing Inventory
With pre-sales occurring earlier in the week before the general onsale, a portion of the tickets were already secured. This reduced the available inventory for the public onsale.
Economic Recovery Fueling Concert Demand
Post-pandemic demand for live entertainment is massive. Fans are eager to return to concerts after years stuck at home. Coldplay is capitalizing on this surge in appetite for live experiences.
How Fans Reacted to Rapid Sell Outs
It’s fair to say Coldplay fans were not happy about tickets evaporating so quickly. There was huge frustration across social media from fans who weren’t able to get tickets in time.
Many complained about seeing available tickets instantly taken right as they went to purchase. Others vented about sky-high resale prices just minutes after sell outs. Twitter and Reddit were flooded with reactions from disgruntled fans.
However, some lucky fans who did secure tickets also expressed pure joy and excitement about getting to see their favorite band live. Coldplay is known for putting on an amazing concert spectacle, so those who scored tickets are thrilled.
Here’s a sample of social media reactions:
“Refreshed right at 10am and all the tickets were somehow already gone in presale. Total joke.” |
“I’m so pissed, I waited in the Ticketmaster queue for over an hour and didn’t get anything.” |
“Tickets immediately up on resale sites for 5x face value. Disgusting scalpers.” |
“By the time I got through the waiting room they were all gone. Sad I won’t get to see them.” |
“OMG I GOT TICKETS!!! I can’t believe I’ll be seeing Coldplay live!! Best day ever!!” |
Will More Tickets Be Released?
Given the swift sell outs, many fans are still hoping for another chance to get tickets. Will Coldplay release any additional tickets? Let’s explore:
Possible Waitlist Releases
Venues will sometimes free up small batches of tickets that get held for various reasons. Being on venue waitlists gives fans a chance at these last minute releases.
Additional Tour Dates
If demand remains red-hot, Coldplay could potentially add a few more North American dates. This would give fans in cities initially left out a chance to see them.
Partner Onsales
Occasionally artist fan club members or credit card holders get access to later ticketing waves. Coldplay could do a fan club presale encore.
Resale Market Lowering Prices
As the event gets closer, some professionals reselling tickets may drop prices if they still have inventory left to unload.
Counterfeit Tickets Emerging
Unfortunately, major tour sell outs also lead to counterfeit tickets being sold. Fans should be vigilant about fake tickets from disreputable sellers.
Conclusion
Coldplay’s massive popularity coupled with pent-up post-pandemic demand for live music created the perfect storm for lightning fast sell outs across their 2023 tour. Most shows sold out completely in under an hour, with major markets like Chicago evaporating in mere minutes. Disappointed fans were left empty-handed, but lucky ticket holders scored seats to what will surely be an unforgettable arena spectacle. While the chances are slim, there is still hope more tickets may be released over time leading up to the shows. One thing is certain – whenever Coldplay tickets go on sale, demand will be sky high and sell outs almost instantaneous.