What a sellout!

Justin Bieber fans or Beliebers as they’re called, are an enthusiastic bunch. Now that the international pop sensation is about to perform in India for the first time at Mumbai’s MMRDA stadium on May 10, we get to see just how much money Beliebers are ready to shell out to watch a live show by their pop idol.

While Mumbai has played host to many international acts in the past, few have been able to command the kind of ticket pricing or crowd pulling that the pop sensation has — not even Beyonce, who came to Mumbai in 2007, or Slash, who was here in 2015. While last year’s Coldplay concert set a precedent for the Justin craze, the passes could also be earned by good Samaritans through acts of social relevance.

This time round, the prices of general tickets are selling at a reasonable if slightly steep Rs 5,040. The upper limit, on the other hand, is a whopping Rs 76,790. And while general passes are still available, most of the tickets in the upper brackets, including the Rs 58,030 (VVIP 2 passes), the Rs 25,000 (diamond passes) and the Rs 15,400 (platinum passes) have sold out with 68 days still remaining for the show.

Indeed, according to the website Bookmyshow.com, which is the official ticketing partner of the Justin Bieber — The Purpose World Tour in India, the VVIP1 passes sold out within just a few hours of their opening the portal. On the day the tickets were up, within four hours the VVIP1 passes (costing Rs 76,790) and VVIP2 passes (costing Rs 58,030) and the diamond passes (costing Rs 25,200) were sold out, claimed the website.

Twenty-six-year-old Sara Awwad was one of the lucky few who was able to buy a diamond pass while it was still up for grabs. “I was online right from midnight. The VVIP1 pass sold out before I could decide whether to get it or not. So, I decided on the diamond pass, since it’s the closest to the stage and I’ll be able to see him up close,” she explains. Though she sheepishly admits that she is probably one of the older Beliebers, she adds that she has been a fan right since the beginning. “I have loved his music right since his song Baby became popular around 2010. He is my favourite musician of all time, and to be actually be able to watch him perform live is incredible. I am super-excited for the concert and I think that it is well worth the money spent,” she gushes.

A younger fan of Justin’s, 13-year-old Rishabh Bhatta, managed not only to convince his parents to get him a Platinum ticket worth Rs 15,800, but also coaxed them into getting passes themselves. Now the whole family will be going for to watch the pop star perform. “My friend told me about the singer a couple of years ago and I have been a fan since then. I can’t think of anyone’s concert I would rather watch live. When I asked my parents to let me go, they got me a ticket and they also decided to come along. So we’re all going together,” says the young fan.

Mitwa Sharma, who has also been a fan of the young pop star since Baby hit the charts, has managed to buy gold tickets for both herself and her sister Piya, but thinks nothing about the strain that the passes which are Rs 10,000 each may put on her budget. “It’s like brand investment. Just as you are ready to splurge on a Vero Moda dress because it has that reliability, you are ready to spend for something like this, because you know it will be worth it,” she states, firmly.

Indie artistes speak

Mihir Joshi: While Beliebers must be praised for their belief in their pop icon, the local music scene is definitely lacking in similar support.  While an international artiste can demand over Rs 75,000 for a ticket, a local band has to struggle to collect Rs 500 as cover charge, points out Mumbai-based rock and blues artiste Mihir Joshi. “I am not asking to compete with Justin Bieber, but I wish that Indian audiences would be more open to paying for a gig by a local musician. I hardly get to perform my original music, because all audiences are ready to hear are international covers,” he says indignantly.

Raman Iyer: The musician from Neeraj Arya’s Kabir Café has a more positive outlook. “It’s a good sign that people are at least willing to spend money and watch a music concert at all. This may be a trend that gets them to come for more concerts in general, which is good for the overall music scene. Also, you have to take into account that the rarity and popularity of any commodity determines its pricing and a concert by Bieber, consequently, will have that kind of money poured into it,” he explains.