Coldplay vs. Cigarettes After Sex: Which Concert Will Truly Give Fans Their Money’s Worth This Weekend?

One day. Two concerts. Two wildly different vibes.

On January 25, Coldplay will take over Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium for what promises to be one of the largest concerts India has ever seen. The same night, Cigarettes After Sex will weave their dreamy, melancholic magic in Mumbai. While fans of both bands are gearing up for the big day, social media chatter suggests that the experiences might be just as divisive as their musical styles.

For Coldplay, this isn’t their first time on Indian soil—they last performed here in 2016 at the Global Citizen Festival. But in the wake of their Mumbai show last weekend, fans are left with mixed emotions.

Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” World Tour has been an undeniable spectacle, but the buzz from their Mumbai show last weekend isn’t all glowing. Sure, there was Chris Martin belting out “Fix You” under a sky full of fireworks, and the LED wristbands lighting up the crowd, but some fans left the concert feeling like the energy was… off.

Social media is flooded with comments about a "dead" crowd that seemed more interested in filming the experience than living it. “It felt like people were there to post an Instagram story, not to sing along,” one fan tweeted.

Another sore point? Ticket scalping. The moment Coldplay announced their India tour, scalpers swooped in, reselling tickets for outrageous prices. Many die-hard fans missed out because they couldn’t afford to pay double or triple the original price.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: Coldplay concerts, once seen as musical nirvana, are increasingly becoming social status symbols. Attending has become more about being seen than being moved by the music. For some, this spectacle is worth every rupee; for others, it’s just a hollow flex.

Meanwhile, Cigarettes After Sex has built a loyal following in India, thanks to their ethereal sound and emotionally charged lyrics. Their performance at Lollapalooza India in 2023 was met with rave reviews. Fans still gush about how the band turned an outdoor festival into an almost meditative experience with their haunting tracks like “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” and “Heavenly.”

This weekend, their Mumbai show offers something radically different from Coldplay’s stadium spectacle: intimacy. With no fireworks or LED theatrics, the focus will be entirely on the music and the emotions it evokes.

For fans of ambient, dreamy tunes, Cigarettes After Sex represents a chance to disconnect from the chaos and lose themselves in a serene, almost otherworldly atmosphere. But there’s a risk: can the band’s minimalist approach deliver the same emotional punch in a standalone concert that it did at a multi-act festival like Lollapalooza?

Coldplay delivers a high-octane, larger-than-life production, but at a steep cost—financially and emotionally. For some, the Mumbai show’s lack of crowd engagement and sky-high ticket resales left a sour aftertaste. Yet, their fanbase remains fervent, and Ahmedabad is expected to witness another sold-out spectacle.

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Cigarettes After Sex, on the other hand, promises a quieter, more introspective experience. For those who find Coldplay’s mega-production overwhelming, this could be the perfect escape.

So, the question remains: what matters more to Indian concertgoers—being part of the hype or feeling truly connected to the music?

Let’s be real—Coldplay is going to win the numbers game. Their Ahmedabad show will draw over 100,000 people. But is bigger always better?

So, which experience is truly worth your money this weekend? The fireworks-fueled chaos or the stripped-down serenity? We’ll let you decide—but be prepared to defend your choice. After all, the real show is happening online, where fans are already taking sides.

Now tell us: Are you team Coldplay or Cigarettes After Sex?