A ticket refund dispute has intensified at an Ahmedabad garba event after an air-conditioned dome at Gopal Farm on the S.P. Ring Road collapsed shortly before Navratri, forcing organisers to shift the programme outdoors and reduce ticket prices. Attendees who had paid up to ₹2,000 in advance for the AC venue demanded refunds, but organisers initially refused to return the difference.
The event was organised under the name of singer Kirtidan Gadhvi’s Parampara Garba. According to the report, the AC dome collapsed two days before Navratri, making it impossible to hold the programme on the first night. Organisers subsequently announced that garba would begin from the second night, a Monday, in an open-air setting.
They also announced that ticket prices would be reduced by half because the event would no longer be held inside the air-conditioned dome. Several attendees who had purchased tickets in advance said they had paid substantially more for the AC venue and sought refunds for the difference. The report said that organisers initially declined refund requests from people who had paid online, leading to protests at the venue.
Tickets had reportedly been listed on online platforms at prices of ₹999, ₹1,399 and ₹2,499. The report said that ticket prices on the platforms had not been reduced even after the organisers announced the shift to an open venue. Attendees alleged that they were being charged the original rates despite the change in the event’s facilities and demanded that the revised pricing be applied to earlier bookings.
Organisers later attempted to calm the situation by assuring some attendees that refunds would be provided, according to the report. The supplied report does not establish whether a uniform refund policy was subsequently issued, how many ticket-holders were affected or whether the online ticketing platforms changed their prices.
The dispute has also brought attention to the safety and administrative responsibilities surrounding large festive gatherings in Ahmedabad. The report said organisers are required not to sell more tickets than the capacity of the event ground. If attendance exceeds the permitted limit, participants may be unable to move freely, while overcrowding can increase the risk of a stampede or other injuries.
The report further said that overcrowding and disturbances were reported at around seven to eight garba grounds, where some attendees were unable to participate after capacity limits were allegedly exceeded. It did not provide the names of those venues, the permitted capacities, the number of tickets sold or details of any municipal or police action.
The immediate issue at Gopal Farm remains the handling of refunds after the venue changed from an AC dome to an open ground. Further clarity is expected from the organisers and ticketing platforms on refund eligibility, revised ticket rates and arrangements for managing attendance at the rescheduled event.
