On Tuesday, Coldplay wrapped up their record-breaking four-night run at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, marking the biggest and longest-running show series by a major international artist in the UAE. 200,000 fans attended the sold-out shows, surpassing the nearly 69,000 people who attended Ed Sheeran’s two sold-out concerts at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium last year, reported by The National.
The achievement solidifies Coldplay’s status as one of the UAE’s favorite live music acts. The band has a history of playing big shows in the region, including their 2016 New Year’s Eve concert at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi, which drew 40,000 fans. Their UAE debut in 2009 was equally memorable, featuring a soaking wet stage in front of an estimated 20,000 fans at the Emirates Palace.
Music of the Spheres
The British band’s recent visit to the capital was part of their Music of the Spheres world tour. One of the biggest rock tours of all time, it has already raised over US$1 billion since it kicked off in Costa Rica in 2022. Its arrival in the UAE required a huge logistical operation, including parking buses from various locations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In addition, fan zones and sensory rooms were set up for people with sensory needs, including autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In an effort to make the tour “as environmentally friendly as possible,” Coldplay introduced several innovative initiatives at all of its shows. These included the use of solar power stations, a kinetic floor that generates energy from the crowd’s movements, and free water to discourage the use of single-use plastic bottles. All of these carefully crafted plans would have been meaningless without the stunning stage and brilliant performances from the band, who combined their latest tracks with beloved classics.
Coldplay’s song selection
The opening night highlighted the show’s values, including the use of light-up bracelets that “create cascading waves of purple and blue in time with the music.” The song selection was carefully chosen to create a series of emotional crescendos, from the gentle combination of Yellow and My Love to euphoric hits such as Something Just Like This, My Universe and A Sky Full of Stars to close out the set. With every one of the 178 shows on the tour sold out, tickets for the Abu Dhabi shows were a challenge.
When tickets officially went on sale in September, long online queues of over 1,000 fans were seen waiting at any one time. A select number of Infinity tickets, available at all stops on the Music of the Spheres tour, priced at just AED 74 and distributed randomly, sold out quickly in November. The final tranche of tickets was also released a week before the concerts, adding to the anticipation.