Coldplay's Ahmedabad concerts to be a spectacle to behold
New Delhi (PTI): With an estimated audience turn out of 100,000, popular British band Coldplay is set for its biggest and snazziest gig ever in India at the grand Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in January.
The organisers of the show, which was added on the band's India leg of "Music Of The Spheres World Tour" due to massive fan demand, believe that it could possibly be the spectacle of the decade and should not only reaffirm Coldplay’s global appeal but also mark a moment of pride for Ahmedabad and India.
According to insiders, a lot of planning has already “been invested” into the concerts, set to be held on January 25, 2025.
Coldplay, led by Chris Martin and popular for songs such as "A Sky Full of Stars", "Viva la Vida", "Yellow" and "Paradise" world over, will perform its second concert in Ahmedabad at the same venue on January 26.
The band, which also consists of guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey, has always been known for its immersive live shows where they blend visual artistry with iconic music.
And it is expected to bring the sizzle quotient several notches up for its date with the concertgoers at the Ahmedabad shows as the band’s global and Indian production partners are pulling out all stops to create a dazzling spectacle.
They have planned mesmerising light displays, immersive projections and stage effects that should help convert the usually energetic Narendra Modi stadium into an otherworldly experience.
BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential arm of ticketing platform BookMyShow, has undertaken the complex logistics of organising this enormous event end-to-end, ensuring a seamless experience, from coordinating essential regulatory approvals to orchestrating a world-class production set-up.
Giant LED screens, synchronised lighting and high-quality sound systems will ensure that fans, no matter where their seat is, have an intimate and powerful connection to the music.
The atmosphere is expected to get electric as Coldplay performs its classic hits alongside new tracks, enveloping the audience in a symphony of sound and light.
The organisers are expecting a huge rush from locals as well as loyal fans from across the country to attend the mega event in Ahmedabad.
Organising a concert of this magnitude from the ground up involves a complex, multi-layered process: from identifying and securing a world-class venue to managing essential regulatory approvals, aligning with the artists’ global schedules and assembling a top-tier production setup, meticulously coordinating logistics to deliver an event of this scale and ensuring a strong focus on safety and security.
BookMyShow Live, insiders said, has been leading the way having thoughtfully considered every single element to ensure Coldplay’s historic moment in India is as exceptional for fans as it is for the band itself.
The concerts are going to be a celebration of Gujarat’s cultural openness, modern infrastructure, its ability to make the impossible possible and its welcoming spirit.
The city has long been celebrated for its impressive landmarks, record-breaking feats and Coldplay’s concerts will only add to this list of achievements.
For locals, welcoming one of the biggest bands in the world is a testament to Ahmedabad’s growth as a cultural and entertainment hub. It’s a chance for Ahmedabad to showcase its world-class venue and its ability to accommodate a massive, diverse crowd with seamless hospitality and efficient event management.
Ahmedabad’s hospitality sector is also gearing up for the influx of concert-goers.
There are reports that hotels around the venue have either been sold out or rates are sky-rocketing around the concert dates.
But as seen during the ICC Cricket World Cup, this has barely deterred fans who opt to stay in nearby towns like Vadodara or travel the same day.
The Ahmedabad concerts not only symbolise Coldplay’s enduring popularity but also its adaptability and vision for creating immersive experiences that resonate with audiences across cultures and generations. Fresh from the band's Australia and Abu Dhabi tour and its three concerts in Mumbai, the Grammy-nominated group would be rearing to deck up an unforgettable experience under the Sky Full Of Stars in Ahmedabad.
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B'luru techies trick Apple's OS, use airpods hack to create hearing aids for grandmothers
Bengaluru: Three young tech enthusiasts from Bengaluru have devised an innovative method to bypass geographical restrictions on Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, enabling a hearing aid feature unavailable in India.
The feature, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September and available in over 100 countries, remains blocked in India. When 24-year-old Rithwik Jayasimha purchased AirPods Pro 2 for his grandmother, he discovered the restriction. Determined to find a workaround, he joined forces with his school friends, Arnav Bansal and Rithwik Ribhu, both of whom also had grandmothers dependent on hearing aids.
At a lab in Koramangala, the trio developed a solution using a Faraday Cage made of aluminium foil, copper mesh, a microwave, and an ESP32 chip. The cage blocked Wi-Fi signals, while the chip allowed them to spoof the AirPods' location to San Francisco using an open-source Wi-Fi location database. This geo-spoofing tricked Apple’s operating system into activating the hearing aid feature.
According to Jayasimha, the feature is significantly more user-friendly and advanced compared to traditional hearing aids. "With these AirPods, I could adjust settings like sound loudness and brightness easily, eliminating the need for audiologist visits," he said.
The self-taught innovators have already helped over 30 people enable the feature, sharing their methods online and assisting others at their home-based lab, 'Lagrange Point.'
The trio has previously worked on solutions like water-cooled suits for delivery personnel during heatwaves and adaptive clothing for Parkinson’s patients. Their next project involves developing devices to detect microplastics in food and water.
While Apple has not commented on their initiative, the tech enthusiasts hope the hearing aid feature will soon receive regulatory approval in India.
