‘I was at the Coldplay concert in Ahmedabad, and I cried’

Coldplay concert in Ahmedabad: Under a sky full of stars, thousands of strangers came together in a magical way

“You will cry,” my friend said, when I excitedly told her that I had managed to get tickets for the Coldplay concert in Ahmedabad.

After waiting in seemingly endless digital queues with six-digit numbers every time BookMyShow announced tickets, I had given up on my long-time dream of seeing the British rock band Coldplay perform in India. But then, just a few weeks before their show in Ahmedabad, the site made more tickets available. This time I was around 15 thousand in queue. As my position started to show promise, my anxiety began to surface. By the time I hit the 5000th position, I started pacing. Then the screen announced ‘it’s your turn’. The standing area, my favourite spot for concerts, which had filled up by then, magically opened a few slots. 

It was meant to be, I thought. 

“So who are you going with?” my friends asked. 

“Alone.”

Cut to January 26, and I stood amongst a crowd of more than 1 lakh people singing ‘lights will guide you home’ at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. It was almost surreal. We felt that we were all part of something bigger. Because Coldplay’s concerts are about more than just music. Because, let me tell you this, Chris, Jonny, Guy and Will Champion will together ‘Fix you’. 

When I flew into Ahmedabad from Chennai catching a red eye flight, tired and excited, I joined fans under the blazing sun. We were packed like sardines several hours before the show was slated to start. We stood there for hours, waiting impatiently, through the opening acts, waiting for Chris to waltz in with his ‘Higher Power’. He did just that, sending the crowd into tizzy.