The Surprise plan
It was a usual Wednesday evening. I was at my desk, doing my extremely boring job and just going about my day. And out of nowhere, I see my boyfriend Ramesh (@bighungrypanda) giving me a video call. I pick up the call and see him wearing this expression of utter disbelief. A little worried, I ask him, "What's up? What's going on?" And he said, "Yugadi, we are going to Coldplay." There was a 30-second pause where I processed what he had just said—because what he had just said was something impossible. We had been trying to get Coldplay tickets for months with no luck whatsoever. So, when I heard this, I was shook.
And then I asked, "What are you talking about?" He said, "We are going to Coldplay on the 25th of January in Ahmedabad. I have booked the flight tickets as well. And it’s my gift to you." And I was like, "I am extremely broke, and I cannot afford this. There is no way I can afford this." And he just goes, "This is my gift to you. I want you to come with me. And that’s that."And then we hung up. Of course, I didn’t get any real work done after that—but that didn’t matter.
To Ahemdabad
The entire Coldplay concert experience began with a cold bike ride early in the morning. I was traveling from my hostel to the airport—it was a short 20-minute ride. I was wearing my sweater, so it was fine. I reached the airport by 7:30 a.m., as ordered by Ramesh—because, God forbid, I’m even a single minute late. Our flight was at 9:30, and it made sense to be at least two hours early. I didn’t mind, since I rarely get to fly, and I like exploring airports.
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We got on our flight, and after around two hours of admiring the sky, watching a series, and sleeping, we landed in Ahmedabad. Just outside the airport, we spotted a store selling Coldplay merch. They were printing designs on plain t-shirts right there, based on customers' choices. Then, we saw a free photobooth and clicked this cool picture!
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After this, we needed to fuel up. We went to Tim Hortons for breakfast and had a few things - Double Double latte, chicken kheema sandwich and a Maple caramel doughnut. The sandwich was pretty good, not a fan of the latte but the doughnut! It was so freaking good! I’m usually not a donut person, but that was a piece of heaven.
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Off to the largest stadium in the world
By the time we were done eating, it was around 11:30 a.m. We had a lot of time to kill since the concert gates only opened at 2 p.m. So, we thought of taking public transport instead of an Uber to the venue. We were already close to bankruptcy—so why not?
There were buses running just outside the airport, so we went there and got our tickets. We asked which bus stop was closest to the stadium, but the guide told us that we would need to take both a bus and a metro to get there. The stadium was technically 6–7 km away.We could have just taken an Uber and reached there, but we had a lot of time to kill. And we thought, "This will be fun!" because I really like using metros in different cities. So, I was like, "Okay, we’ll take the bus and the metro—get the full public transport experience."
We got on the bus and headed to the metro stop. Well, we forgot to get off at the correct stop—so we got down one stop later. But anyway, we took the metro from there and made our way to the stadium. Our entire metro compartment was filled with people going to the concert—Coldplay merch, signboards, tickets, and all kinds of paraphernalia. As we got closer, we could see the stadium from the metro. It was massive, and I was a bit dazzled.
No matter which concert you go to, the food and beverages inside will always be terribly expensive—and most of the time, terribly bad as well. So, the plan was always to not eat or drink anything inside the concert—apart from water, of course, because that’s free. And well, that’s necessary when you’re going to be screaming your heart out for six hours straight. We found this small shop selling a few rolls and samosas just outside the stadium. So, we went there, had a quick lunch, and then headed back to the stadium. By then, we could see the crowd standing outside the gates— and it was huge.
Into the Narendra Modi stadium
These were obviously the people with standing tickets, since they needed to get inside as fast as possible to secure a spot right near the stage. But we had seating tickets, so we weren’t worried about rushing in—our seats were already designated and booked. So, we just stood in the shade, watching the chaos unfold in front of us—the pushing, the running, and all that madness.
Then, once the gates opened, we got in. We got our glow bands, moon goggles, and then found our seats and sat down. This was my first time being in a stadium, and we were quite high up from the stadium pitch—or ground, or whatever you call it. And I felt kind of dizzy. I don’t have a fear of heights as such, but sitting so high up in an empty stadium—it was kind of dizzying. So, I tried not looking directly down too much. It was a strangely different kind of experience, sitting there in that empty-ass stadium.
Anyway, I think we got to our seats and settled in by around 3 p.m., and the opening acts were supposed to start at 5 p.m. So, we had two hours to kill. We just clicked a few pictures and did the usual stuff.One thing about concerts is that you never have network inside. For some reason, at every concert I’ve been to, the network has always been crap. But I was still getting a little bit of signal here and there, so I was using my phone when I could.
Opening acts
Around 5 p.m., the opening acts began. There were going to be three opening acts, and the first one was Shone. I didn’t know him, had never heard of him, but I was still looking forward to seeing a new singer. I assumed he would be really good since he was getting to open for Coldplay—but sadly, that wasn’t the case. He was good—maybe fine at best—but nothing amazing. So, Ramesh and I figured we could use this time to go to the washroom and get back. Because once Coldplay is on stage, you do NOT want to leave your seat. Like, you cannot be wasting 15 minutes of your Coldplay concert by going to the washroom.
Also, the water situation was kind of bad. Clear bottles were supposed to be allowed inside, but ours were confiscated and thrown away. So, we had no water bottle with us. There were three hydration stations where you could fill up your water bottles, but well… we didn’t have a bottle. So, we just took a reusable glass, filled it up, and took it back to our seats—thinking we’d just sip in between and survive the next few hours or so.
We got back just as Shone was finishing up his set, and then he left the stage. Then came the next opening act—a Palestinian singer, Elyanna. And oh. My. God. Was she the best opening act me—or this world—has ever seen. She was beyond amazing.Her voice, her stage presence, her swagger, her attitude, her expressions while singing—oh my God.
And her dancing skills? She was an all-in-one superstar.And she had these four or five backup dancers—and they were so damn good that they could’ve had their own main show. Even their facial expressions and dancing were on another level. Elyanna, with her crew, completely set the stage on fire. They hyped up the crowd like crazy.There was not a single person in that stadium—I can bet my life on it—who didn’t fall in love with Elyanna that day.
But unfortunately, she wasn’t the last opening act before Coldplay.After her came Jasleen Royal, an Indian singer.And let’s just say—the hype that Elyanna created? Jasleen pretty much poured water all over it. I mean, I’ve heard her songs before. She’s quite popular in today’s music scene, and I really like most of her songs. But I think she just couldn’t deliver the performance the way it was supposed to be on stage.The only saving grace of her entire set was this supporting artist she had with her.This man—his voice was so strong, yet soothing at the same time.And honestly? He pretty much saved the entire act. He was that amazing.But anyways—finally—all the opening acts were over.And we were dying in anticipation for Coldplay to finally make their entry.
AND YES COLDPLAY!!
They entered with a bang, playing their song 'Higher Power', and the light bands in everyone's wrists. It was all glowing, and it was so pretty, the entire stadium was filled with lights, and it looked absolutely mesmerizing. I was starstruck, looking at all of this prettiness around me.The show continued, and with every song, there were different colored lights. Lights of various colors emanated from the glow bands, all perfectly coordinated with the music. Sometimes, the lights soared high, sometimes they dipped low. At times, they formed shapes—hearts, flowers—while in some moments, only a section of the stadium would light up, creating a mesmerizing wave effect that moved across the crowd. And then, during the song 'Yellow', everyone’s bands went dark. The entire stadium was pitch black. Then, right at the main chorus, every single band burst into yellow light, creating a truly breathtaking scene.
And yes, of course—the moon goggles! There were two kinds—one that made all the lights look like hearts and the other that turned them into stars.Unfortunately, I got the stars, while Ramesh got the hearts. But naturally, I snatched his pair and put them on. And oh my God—every single light turned into tiny glowing hearts.It was so incredibly beautiful.
It was two hours of pure magic.Two hours of amazing music, with all of us in the stadium screaming our hearts out, singing along to every lyric, dancing like there was no tomorrow. Two hours of mesmerizing lights, breathtaking fireworks, and everything coming together to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
....and it's over
And then, all too soon, it was over. It’s so funny how you go through so much—Struggling to get tickets at the last moment,spending a a fortune on flights, rushing through last-minute travel plans, waiting in the scorching sun and heavy crowd. All of it—all the struggle, just for those two hours. And yet, not a single one of the 132,000 people in that stadium regretted a thing.We would all do it again, over and over and over again, just to feel this once more.
Struggle of a lifetime
The journey back to the airport was another battle altogether. As we left the stadium, 1 lakh people spilled onto the streets all at once. You can imagine the chaos.We found a spot outside the stadium for a quick dinner and then started walking toward the metro. But apparently, 80% of the stadium had the same plan. The scene near the metro gate was unbelievable. A sea of people, packed onto one another trying to get inside the station
I looked at Ramesh, half panicked, "How are we ever going to make it through this? This is not something I’m equipped to handle."
Being the incredibly caring man that he is he goes "Stand in front of me. I’ll hold you, and I’ll bodyguard you. You’ll have space to breathe, and nothing will happen don't worry"And then we somehow get into the crowd. It was a lot of pushing, pulling, screaming, fighting. And after about half an hour of this, we reach inside the metro station. And of course, it was crowded in the metro station as well.
When we went to get the tickets, they told us they didn’t accept online payments or cards—only cash. Neither of us had a single rupee on us, and panic mode instantly kicked in. We asked a few people around and fortunately one blessed stranger gave us the cash to cover our tickets. After buying the tickets, we looked around for me to transfer him the money online. But he was gone. We just accepted that he was a godsend and moved on.
We got off the metro and started wondering how we were going to make it to the airport, which was about 5 kilometers away. We tried booking an Uber, but no one was accepting our ride. And the ones who did were overcharging us by a lot. The local auto drivers were asking for ridiculously high prices—like 800 rupees for a 5-kilometer ride. We were not about to pay that.
It was around 12 in the morning, and our flight was at 9:30 AM, so we figured we had plenty of time to find a reasonably priced ride. But that didn’t really happen. Eventually, we found an auto willing to take us for 500 rupees. At that point, we were so exhausted that we just accepted it.
A long night
We reached the airport, and as expected, it was filled with Coldplay fans. We had to spend the entire night there. We initially sat outside, scrolling through all the videos we had recorded during the concert, looking at the pictures, and just talking. Then we spotted a café, so we bought some coffee and cakes. We had them and ended up falling asleep on the couch. Many others had the same idea, and the entire café was filled with people either asleep or half-asleep, with half-drunk coffees on their tables.
At around 5:30 a.m., we were finally allowed to enter the airport, as they don’t let you in more than four hours before your flight. The airport lounge was completely full, and most of the terminal was packed. There was no place to sit, but we managed to find two seats. I slept for a while, but unfortunately, Ramesh couldn’t catch any sleep. Eventually, we boarded our plane and made our way back to Chennai. Finally, we were home.
Overall, this entire trip was complete chaos but I wouldn't have it any other way. I wasn't a die-hard Coldplay fan when I walked into the stadium. I just knew about 3-4 songs and just wanted to know what the hype was all about. Now I finally understand why the call Coldplay concerts a once in a lifetime experience. I was there to soak in the magic and that I did.
I'm glad me and Ramesh could share this amazing memory with each other that we will cherish for a lifetime to come.
Disclaimer: As me and Ramesh were together for this trip, and he has a much better phone than I do, we pretty much used his phone to click the pictures and decided to share them.
You really have mentioned everything haan 😂 OMG when did you take that picture of me! You sneaky little bum 😂❤️ Throughly enjoyed the concert with you!
Well you know my memory is crap. I need documented proofs 😂
It's a cute picture ❤️
Haha IK and yes it’s a really cute picture ❤️
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that’s quite an adventure 🤣. I’ve been to a lot of concerts but I’ve never take. An airplane just to fly back after an all nighter 🤣
I did drive 3 hours to Woodstock New York to see a band called 3 right after I got my drivers license though and the singer was so moved he took me for coffee.
I mostly go to small shows with 30-200 people in the crowd. I missed a chance to see Coldplay like that, right when their first album came out and they were still pretty unknown in the US… 😭
I haven’t listened to them in years but since you are a fan now, I have to recommend “Shiver” cause that was my favorite song back in the day!
Glad you had fun, I can’t imagine a stadium show now, they’ve changed so much! The light up wrist bands, I heard some of my students talk about things like those.
Omg thank you so much for reading this entire longggg post and reblogging it! I went a little overboard with the word count on this one.
This was by far the craziest and most spontaneous (not to mention expensive) thing I've done. But still completely worth it.
It would have been so incredibly cool if you had gotten to see Coldplay back in the day! Imagine talking to the band personally! I would freak.
It's so amazing that you got to go on a coffee with the singer you went to watch! And yes, there's something really special about these intimate shows with a small crowd.
Thank you for the song recommendation! I'll be listening to it right now❤️
that’s the cool part about listening to independent music, it’s a lot easier to meet your favorites!
I went to see my favorite bands guitarist do a DJ set and we were able to talk to him for 15 minutes
Some of my favorite musicians are friends, that’s when it gets really weird cause they are normal people to you but their music makes you feel like an ultra fan, but you don’t wanna be annoying so you keep your obsession to yourself and just tell them you love it 🙃
I don’t know much Indian music but I should look for some small amazing artists you can go meet 🤣
I love to dig!
Ah that's amazing and smart! I'm jealous that you're FRIENDS with your favourite musicians 🥹