Ahmedabad/Vadodara: Vadodara, situated 110km from Ahmedabad, is witnessing a steep rise in airfares and hotel tariffs as the much-anticipated Coldplay concert approaches. The British rock band is set to perform two shows at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the Motera area of Ahmedabad on Jan 25 and 26. Fans from across India are facing challenges in attending the event due to skyrocketing travel and accommodation costs in Ahmedabad. However, even those eyeing to fly to Vadodara are facing ample challenges as both flights and hotel tariffs have soared.
Flights to Vadodara, particularly on these dates, have become prohibitively expensive. For instance, a round-trip ticket from New Delhi to Vadodara costs approximately Rs 18,000. Meanwhile, flights from Mumbai to Vadodara have reached Rs 28,680, and those from Bengaluru are priced at Rs 34,000.
Hotels in Vadodara are capitalising on the demand, with room tariffs soaring far beyond usual rates. Inquiries have already started coming in for hotel room bookings in Vadodara ahead of the Coldplay concert. “We are getting inquiries from many customers who want to book rooms around the dates when the concert will be organised,” said Binafar Gai, director (operations), Kabir Hotel and Spa, Vadodara. She added that their hotel rooms are fully sold out around those dates.
Many fans are planning to stay in Vadodara as a cost-effective alternative to Ahmedabad. Another hotelier said, “People are inquiring if rooms are available in our hotel as they want to attend the Coldplay concert. It would be cheaper for them to stay in Vadodara and drive to Ahmedabad for the concert. As of now, we have rooms, but the rates may increase in the third week of Jan.”
Adding to the woes, trains to Ahmedabad and nearby cities are fully booked, further limiting affordable travel options for concertgoers. The situation is similar for people travelling by train from Mumbai or New Delhi. “Special trains such as Vande Bharat, Duronto, and Shatabdi from Mumbai have a waiting list as high as 180 for Jan 25-26 travel to Ahmedabad. For those coming from Delhi, bookings are no longer available for either 3AC, 2AC, or 1AC,” said a senior railway official.
Fans who planned to travel and attend the concert on a budget are expressing frustration over the prohibitive costs, which have made the event inaccessible for many. Some are driving down or even boarding buses to cut costs.
While the Coldplay concert promises to be an unforgettable experience, the logistics of attending it have left fans struggling to make arrangements. The sharp increase in prices highlights the strain on infrastructure during major events and underscores the need for better planning to accommodate such high demand.
(With inputs from Himanshu Kaushik)