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Publications have widely documented and analysed the environmental, cultural, economic, commercial and philanthropic influence achieved by British rock band Coldplay with the Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022–25). Described as a media phenomenon, the concert run marked their return to live entertainment after the COVID-19 pandemic and was said to be responsible for a shift in public attitude towards them, further illustrating the impact the group have on popular culture. The Times hailed it as "the greatest live music show that humans have yet devised" in visual, emotional and melodic terms.[1]
While announcing the first performances, Coldplay also revealed a series of sustainability efforts to reduce their CO2 emissions by 50%, in comparison to the A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17). Those included the creation of brand new LED stage products and a partnership with BMW to design the first mobile rechargeable show battery in the world. This association, along with the fact that Neste was their biofuel provider, led to greenwashing accusations. Nevertheless, the group reduced carbon footprint by 59% and planted more than 9 million trees. Pollstar wrote that they ushered into "a new era of sustainable touring",[2] while Time placed them among the most influential climate action leaders in the world.
Beyond sold-out stadiums, Coldplay drew crowds of ticketless fans in cities including Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona and Kaohsiung. Interest in the shows was considered unprecedented across Asia, Europe, Latin America and Oceania, prompting measures against ticket scalping and debates about pricing. The government of countries such as Indonesia decided to make their event documentation process more flexible after the band could not schedule enough concerts to meet demand. Moreover, places visited by the tour experienced financial boosts in hotels, restaurants, bars and many other services. A macroeconomic impact was similarly registered in Argentina and Singapore. On music charts, Coldplay's discography had a resurgence in sales and streams. They teamed up with Global Citizen and the Love Button Global Movement to endorse local non-profit institutions as well.
Following the release of Coldplay's eighth album, Everyday Life (2019), Chris Martin said the band would not be touring until they could ensure their concerts are environmentally friendly.[3] The record was promoted with small shows for charity and a performance at the Amman Citadel in Jordan, broadcast by YouTube.[4] On 14 October 2021, a day before Music of the Spheres was made available, the group posted on social media they were returning to live entertainment after the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] The announcement also included a series of environmental plans developed in two years with help from sustainability experts; they were aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by 50% in comparison to their previous tour.[6] Furthermore, the group established a partnership with BMW to create the first mobile rechargeable show battery in the world.[7]
Le Soir's Didier Zacharie affirmed that the efforts proposed by Coldplay were unprecedented for a stadium concert run and added their initiative was commendable.[8] Alex Duke from Impact said the band were "redefining the rulebook" in a world that "desperately needs radical climate action" and praised them for bringing environmental issues to the forefront of international music news through a pioneering endeavour.[9] In an article for Vogue Scandinavia, Doris Daga observed the tour set the bar for how artists could contribute to mitigate their environmental impact and complimented the band's transparency on "the reality that no [show] will be carbon negative in 2022".[10]
According to Lucy August-Perna, the sustainability director of Live Nation, Coldplay's proposal helped to "build on the framework [the company] had been developing over the past five years on their tours and venues".[11] She also described the measures created by the group as "impressive and forward-thinking", since they focused on concrete solutions.[11] Additionally, the director claimed she was working to adopt their plans, institutionalise what they learn and provide environmentally conscious options for more performers worldwide.[11]
Writing for Veja, Amanda Capuano commented that the concert residency template used by Coldplay on the tour schedule underscored a trend previously seen with Adele and Harry Styles, where musicians with sizable demand are traveling less due to an increased interest in logistics, quality of life and mental health.[12] Moreover, the group's collaboration with John Wiseman from Worldwide Sales and Frederic Opsomer from PRG Projects led to the development of completely new LED stage products.[13] Opsomer attested that the custom technology built for the concert run will become commonplace in the next years as well, thanking Coldplay for the initiative.[13] Uproxx and Billboard later noticed they had an impact on tours from Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes, respectively.[14] In 2023, the Kappa FuturFestival took measures similar to the Music of the Spheres World Tour,[15] while 2024 saw the band receiving support from Live Nation and Warner Music Group to fund a carbon footprint study that will suggest practical solutions for live music events at every level.[16]
When we announced this tour, we said that we would try our best to make it as sustainable and low carbon-impact as possible, but that it would be a work in progress. That remains true. We don't claim to have got it all right yet.
—Coldplay, 2022[17]
Carlos Calvo Ambel from Transport & Environment declared that Coldplay were "no doubt well-intentioned" but reprimanded their cooperation with Neste.[18] He accused the company of "cynically using [the band] to greenwash its reputation", since biofuels were supplied to the tour while they had links to deforestation; therefore, the partnership should be discontinued to give priority to better solutions.[18] SumOfUs' Eoin Dubsky criticised the ties with BMW and concluded the group needed to take greater care while doing their diligences, as the multinational was lobbying to prevent the European Union from establishing a deadline for vehicles to be carbon neutral.[18]
On the same day, Coldplay published a statement reiterating that their plan was a work in progress and they "genuinely welcome suggestions as to how to do it better".[17] The band also emphasised having no connection to BMW's corporate policies, adding that various car manufacturers were approached in order to provide the required expertise and the company was the one that helped.[19] Neste separately mentioned that investigations regarding their palm oil vendors were launched, but no evidence of violations or links to deforestation was found.[20] Their response crew revealed that only fuels with frying and animal fat waste were sent to the concert run as well.[20] In January 2023, the coalition was extinguished.[21]
After a team led by professor John Fernandez at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) collected data from the concerts and compared it to the A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17), publications reported that Coldplay have managed to reduce their CO2 emissions by 59% so far.[22] Research attested 72% of all waste was diverted from landfills, while LED wristbands had a production decrease of 80% and a return rate average of 86% per date.[23] Furthermore, 9,625 meals and 90 kg of toiletries from the catering were given out to unhoused and unsheltered people.[24] The solar installations, kinetic floors and stationary bicycles generated around 15 kWh every night, being enough to fuel tool-charging stations for the crew.[25] It was also informed that performances were operating entirely from renewable energy.[26]
Coldplay consequently became "pioneers for the future of sustainability" in live entertainment,[27] with Fernandez deeming their plans "critically important, scientifically rigorous and of the highest quality".[26] In June 2023, BBC News interviewed senior cleansing officer Samantha Thomas about waste from concerts and she noticed that after the band performed at Principality Stadium, streets were significantly cleaner than other events.[28] As per GAFFA's Jim Knutsson, the concert run established itself as a platform for green technologies and environmental commitment.[29] Live Nation later commented that over 9 million trees have been planted by the group in forest reserves.[30] In November 2023, they were featured on the inaugural Time 100 Climate editorial,[31] which ranked the most influential climate action leaders based on their recent and measurable achievements.[32]
Discussing the impact of the tour on La Gaceta, Pablo Hamada considered it a media phenomenon which brought a wave of positivity beyond the shows, as Coldplay became a prominent topic of news coverage and online engagement in the places they visited.[33] He associated the fanaticism over the band with their generational importance,[33] while Sofía Campos from La Razón mentioned that their performances appeal to multiple age demographics.[34] Writing for The Times, Mark Beaumont noted that the group's dedication to live spectacles allowed them to convert even "the most cynical hacks" into admirers, regaining respect and credibility in all quarters.[1] Julio Maria opined that they are the last rock exponent capable of filling stadiums worldwide in his column at Estadão.[35]
Brazilian outlets coined the term "Coldplaymania" to address their media dominance, given how the tour was subject of intense scrutiny in the country.[36] The band also received an invitation from President Lula da Silva to attend the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, scheduled for 2025.[37] Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said it was "Coldplay week" in Singapore while they visited the region.[38] According to Ta Nea's Giorgos Skintsas, the concerts in Greece overshadowed the 2024 European Parliament election.[39] Publications have additionally reported that many ticketless fans gathered outside their respective venues to hear the group playing, including 34,000 in Munich.[lower-alpha 1]
Rolling Stone released exclusive issues of the magazine in Argentina,[47] France,[48] and Brazil to celebrate the tour.[36] Councillors at the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro tried to honour the band with the Pedro Ernesto Medal, but the submission has not been voted so far.[49] Taking inspiration from their Rock in Rio performance, spinoff festival The Town began to distribute LED wristbands.[50] A number of samba schools at the Sapucaí Carnival Parade have adopted the practice as well.[51] Marcela Moreira from Warner Music Brazil revealed that Coldplay influenced Bruno Mars in the marketing strategies for his concerts in the country.[52] Blitz marked the group's return to Portugal with a photography exhibit in Coimbra.[53] Italian illustrator Lorenzo Ruggiero, who has worked for Marvel and DC Comics, paid tribute to their shows in Naples with a drawing.[54] Following the announcement of Asian dates for the tour, numerous brands and companies in the continent launched advertisements that made references to it.[55] Soundz and Rockin'On Japan distributed limited volumes of their magazines for the concerts in Amsterdam and Tokyo, respectively.[56] Eden Park honoured Coldplay with a mural after they became the first act to play at the venue three times.[57] Helsinki was temporarily renamed Coldsinki to salute the band's first time visiting Finland.[58]
On 10 July 2022, seismic stations in Germany detected a 1.28-magnitude earthquake in Berlin.[59] Its main frequency corresponded exactly to the beat of "A Sky Full of Stars", which made analysts associate the episode with Coldplay's performance at Olympiastadion.[59] Upon learning what happened, the group motivated fans to exceed the number in following days, causing a 1.5-magnitude earthquake on 12 July.[60] Kurier's Peter Temel affirmed the new register managed to surpass Florence and the Machine playing "Dog Days Are Over" at Tempelhof Sounds.[60] He also stated that fast songs and crowd coordination can explain the phenomena.[60] Attendees set off another 1.5-magnitude earthquake during the third night.[61] In the following year, tremors were felt in the Kaohsiung National Stadium district.[62] Coldplay then triggered a different occurrence at the 2024 Glastonbury Festival: mobile virtual network operator Vodafone registered 258 gigabytes of data uploaded throughout their set, which is equivalent to 74,000 high-resolution pictures.[63]
Coldplay were criticised by several groups of conservative muslims for performing in Indonesia and Malaysia.[64] Novel Bamukmin, the Deputy Secretary-General of PA 212, declared the tour should be cancelled in Jakarta because the band endorse the LGBT community,[64] while Nasrudin Hassan from the Malaysian Islamic Party condemned them for promoting a culture of "hedonism" and "deviance".[64] Conversely, Minister for Tourism Sandiaga Uno argued that the event would improve Indonesia's notoriety as a destination for international artists.[65] Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman likewise regarded it as a chance to generate economic surplus for Kuala Lumpur.[66] On 10 November 2023, dozens of people marched outside Jakarta's British Embassy calling for the cancellation of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium show.[67] They defended that Indonesian muslims should be mourning the war crimes Israel committed against Palestine instead of watching Coldplay live.[67] Extremist groups threatened to burn down their stage set-up,[67] while others only asked the police to ensure the venue had no LGBT propaganda in place.[68] In Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that boycott requests were unnecessary because the band support Palestine,[69] but authorities would remain alert.[69] Martin used the Love Button Global Movement flag and both concerts went out as usual.[70]
During their first performance in Bucharest, Coldplay welcomed Romanian singer Babasha to the stage for "Păi Naa", a song from the manele genre.[71] Members of the audience at the Arena Națională booed him and the occurrence became subject of public debate.[72] Aleksandar Brezar told Euronews that, despite its long history, the style is derided by critics for using "crude language and banal lyrics", being comparable to rap and reggaeton because all three emerged from marginalised groups and became mainstream.[73] Several cities in the country have banned manele from common areas,[73] but it remained popular nevertheless.[72] Addressing the situation on social media, Babasha pointed out that he already expected polarising reactions, citing the racism against his Romani origins among the incentives behind them.[74] Republica's Gabriel Balmus likened the backlash to when the 2008 Glastonbury Festival announced that Jay-Z would be a headliner.[75] On the second day, before presenting the singer again, Martin requested people who hated manele to keep an atmosphere of peace and do something else while they were playing together.[71] The collaboration was received with applause instead and Babasha thanked the crowd for showing support to his work.[76] Another repercussion of the incident was evidenced on his Instagram account, which earned more than 20,000 new followers in a single morning.[77]
Our expectations were high and we were aggressive in terms of the routing, but it has surpassed any expectations. It's truly remarkable. The band [are] a juggernaut, a true powerhouse and we're really excited to be involved.
—Bruce Moran, 2022[78]
Sales for the tour led to public and political debate due to unprecedented interest in Asia,[79] Europe,[80] Latin America,[78] and Oceania.[81] Coldplay announced only two dates in Perth for latter continent through a partnership with the government of West Australia, which resulted in wide criticism from fans who lived in other regions.[82] Conversely, Live Nation's Bruce Moran lauded the band for "the most spectacular run through Latin America ever", as their numerous performances broke records in nearly all countries visited.[78] Interviewed by Billboard, Bruno Del Granado from CAA said that Coldplay's success and the founding of new arenas proved there was no longer an excuse for artists to avoid the territory.[83]
Demand for the concerts also caused ticket speculation to rise in Portugal, with 32 arrests being carried out.[84] Álvaro Covões, the director of events promoter Everything Is New, mentioned that they are "a global phenomenon which only happens once every 30 years", adding he only experienced such fan frenzy when the Beatles were active.[85] Similarly, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) submitted an appeal to Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs to reduce resales with abusive prices and poor insurances.[86] In Italy, the Authority for Communications Guarantees (AGCOM) conducted an operation against scalpers focused on the shows scheduled by Coldplay and arrested 26 lawbreakers.[87]
Moreover, Fahmi Fadzil revealed that the government of Malaysia will enact new legislation to monitor and control transactions in the secondary market after tickets for Kuala Lumpur were traded at considerably high prices.[88] Investigation of these cases helped to write the initial drafts.[88] Bloomberg News then affirmed that the government of Indonesia decided to simplify and digitalise their permits process because the band had multiple extra dates in neighbouring capitals, but not in Jakarta.[89] The tour has promoted discussions regarding admission prices as well, since Coldplay kept them affordable despite the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[90] They additionally established a program known as Infinity Tickets, where limited sets of $20 entries were released for fans who could not pay regular costs.[lower-alpha 2] Singers like Olivia Rodrigo and Adele later reproduced the practice.[92]
Coldplay were credited with fueling the commerce of regions where they performed. Hotels with a view for Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José became fully booked after their concerts were sold out, since people began to search for other ways to see them.[93] El Espectador noticed that accommodation occupancy rates reached 85% when the band visited Bogotá.[94] Similarly, Buenos Aires registered their highest percentages in 10 years during the band's residency at Estadio River Plate.[95] Clarín noted that revenue from bars and restaurants in the city triplicated with the tour.[96] Business owners in Curitiba said its impact surpassed the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[97]
During their stay in Rio de Janeiro, the group moved profits superior to R$86 million.[98] Furthermore, the President of the Municipal Chamber of Coimbra informed that they generated more than €36 million in direct financial returns for the town.[99] Hotel prices rose by 1,000% when they announced shows there.[100] Equivalent uplifts were also seen in locations like Dublin,[101] Düsseldorf,[102] Helsinki,[103] Munich,[102] and Singapore (where Agoda reported a 556% boost in searches).[104] Marketing agency Hello Monday held a contest giving away tickets for the nights in Barcelona and received a million comments on social media, along with 80,000 new clients on their exclusive platform.[105] Diario de Sevilla considered it one of the most viral advertising campaigns of the year in Spain.[105]
In November 2023, the Kaohsiung City Government offered discount coupons to fans who attended the shows in the region to boost revenue at night markets.[106] United Daily News estimated that around 30,000 citizens were drawn to those businesses.[107] Their earnings grew by 30%, while accommodations in the city had a 90% occupancy level.[108] Coldplay generated a record income of NT$550 million as a result.[108] CNBC Indonesia stated that the concert at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium gained Rp1.4 trillion in revenue for the city.[109] It also helped to improve the proceeds of the venue by 50% in comparison to 2019.[110] Hotel and flight searches to Perth increased by almost 135% when the group played at Optus Stadium.[111] As per Minister for Tourism Rita Saffioti, about 3,500 locals were expected to take new jobs in the service industry with the impact of the tour.[112]
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) later predicted the Eden Park dates to add $11 million to municipal economy.[113] In Athens, Coldplay's performances doubled the income generated by Airbnb reservations with an unprecedented 81.5% capacity.[114] 40,000 attendees were foreigners, aiding the tourism sector.[115] Local outlets shared that the Bucharest City Hall was paid €112,000 to host the tour, making it bigger than matches from the Champions League.[116] Economic projections in Helsinki ranged between €40 million and €60 million.[117]
As part of their sustainability efforts, Coldplay teamed up with SAP to design a mobile application for the tour.[118] It assessed the CO2 emissions from the attendees and encouraged them to take eco-friendly travel routes by offering merchandise store discounts.[118] In the United States, the group joined forces with the public transportation providers of four cities to grant affordable rides, enhancing the passenger turnout by an average of 59% on performance days.[16] Organisations from Brussels,[119] Cardiff,[120] Glasgow,[121] Milan,[122] and Santiago set up exclusive services to support demand as well.[123] When the band visited Brazil, Tembici and the British Embassy gave admissions to fans who managed to present completely sustainable ways to arrive at the concerts.[124] Over 36,000 people used the Rio de Janeiro Metro to watch them at Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, almost six times more than the weekdays average.[125] In Gothenburg, outsiders earned free public transport to Ullevi after being consulted by the Green City Zone project, which outlined travel behaviour to reduce carbon footprint in major events.[126] Moreover, the Kaohsiung Metro attributed their largest days of activity in 2023 to Coldplay (565,000 passengers).[62] Kompas indicated that Jakarta MRT had their largest traffic volume since 2019 with the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium show.[127] In 2024, Singapore MRT offered free bus rides to four train stations until midnight at the National Stadium.[128] The Bucharest City Hall announced that electric buses would run every 10 minutes in the neighborhood around the Arena Națională.[129]
Several countries experienced a macroeconomic impact associated with the Music of the Spheres World Tour. Referencing the performances at Estadio River Plate, the government of Argentina established the "Coldplay dollar", an exchange rate of the American currency which was used for international live events.[130] Bank Central Asia's stock exchange value enjoyed a boost after it was announced their card holders got exclusive access to the Jakarta presales.[131] According to El Mundo, the band contributed to Spain's concert industry more than any foreign act in 2023.[132] Additionally, the shows in Naples, Milan and Rome impacted Italy by €906.3 million.[133]
The Music observed that the double dates in Perth brought at least $75 million for Western Australian economy, drawing 40,000 out-of-state visitors as well.[134] Premier Roger Cook added that Coldplay have successfully established an itinerary model where the city can be included as part of the Asian tours carried out by other acts.[134] The Straits Times estimated that the group generated $422.7 million in spending and $403.2 million in tourism revenue for Singapore, uplifting quarterly GDP forecasts by 0.25 percentage points.[135] Marketing professor Seshan Ramaswami declared that their residency expanded the region's demographic reach to fans in Asia and the Middle East.[136] As a result, the band took Asia–Pacific's travel sector closer to pre-pandemic levels.[137]
In August 2023, the Irish Examiner informed that concert spending in Ireland rose by 88% because of the four nights at Croke Park.[138] RTÉ likewise claimed that they registered the biggest ticket sales day of the year in the country.[139] CTS Eventim (36%),[140] Live Nation (32%),[141] and the United Kingdom's live music industry (17%) capitalised on Coldplay's success to achieve their respective growths in annual turnover.[142] Writing for El Cronista, José Vales highlighted the group among the reasons for the increase of music tourism.[143]
Coldplay's discography experienced considerable sales and streaming gains throughout the tour, leading songs to debut and reach new peaks on Billboard Global 200.[144] Following their shows at Estadio Akron, in Zapopan, they rose to number two on Spotify Mexico's Daily Top Artists chart.[145] Warner Music Group also certified "My Universe" and Music of the Spheres (2021) as 3× Platinum and Gold in the country, respectively.[146] The album returned to Germany's Offizielle Top 100 at number 19 with the Frankfurt and Berlin dates.[147] In Belgium, the group's entire studio album catalogue – plus Live in Buenos Aires (2018) – appeared on the Flanders and Wallonia rankings.[148] Live 2012 has entered the latter list as well.[148] After the residency at Wembley Stadium, "Yellow",[149] "Viva la Vida",[150] and "A Sky Full of Stars" were featured in the UK Singles Charts for the first time since 2014, 2017 and 2016, respectively.[151] "Viva la Vida" has since remained on the list for more than 50 non-consecutive weeks.[150]
Following their set at Rock in Rio, Coldplay became the first international group to top Spotify Brazil's Daily Top Artists chart.[152] In Argentina, Parachutes (2000) achieved a new peak on the albums chart at number six.[153] The feat was repeated in Portugal, where it rose to number three while accompanied by eight other projects.[154] Out of the 13 songs that appeared on the Portuguese Singles Chart, eight secured their biggest ever weekly performance, including "The Scientist", "Fix You", "Paradise", "Higher Power" and "Sparks".[155]
More countries where sales charts were flooded include Italy (7 albums and 4 songs),[156] Switzerland (6 albums and 4 songs),[157] Sweden (8 albums and 12 songs),[158] and the Netherlands (7 albums and 10 songs).[159] Despite not holding a show in Norway, the band had 6 albums and 6 songs featured on VG-Lista in 2023.[160] With the concerts from Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia being held, "Yellow", "Viva la Vida" and "A Sky Full of Stars" continued to enjoy the biggest revivals.[161] As per Infobae, Coldplay were the group with the most searched lyrics of the year on Google in light of the tour.[162] In 2024, "Yellow" achieved their first ever Philippines Songs Top 10.[163] Meanwhile, on Singapore's Top Streaming Chart, they occupied 17 out of the 30 slots available and dominated the initial nine.[164]
During the third European leg, the band managed to score entries on the rankings from Greece (2 albums and 13 songs),[165] Finland (8 albums and 11 songs),[166] Austria (8 albums and 13 songs),[167] and Ireland (6 albums and 4 songs).[168] Six album placements were claimed in Hungary, after the three nights at Puskás Aréna.[169]
In addition to donating 10% from all of their profits to charity,[170] Coldplay teamed up with Global Citizen and the Love Button Global Movement to gather volunteers in each tour stop and endorse local non-profit institutions on their individual missions, which included distributing food, creating gardens and providing shelter for refugees.[171] In Newark, participants helped with United Community Corporation's Sky Full of Stars Carnival and Distribution, an event where residents earned access to free groceries and services such as rental and bill assistance.[172] They later helped to organise a warehouse used by Team Ukraine Love in Warsaw.[173] The foundation is focused on providing aid to those who were displaced from their homes by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[173] In Bogotá, the group donated gifts to the children and health personnel of Hospital Simón Bolívar.[174] During their stay in Buenos Aires, volunteers established a partnership with TECHO, an institution focused on improving local infrastructure.[175] They also helped SP Invisível in São Paulo for the humanisation of views on homeless people and the promotion of individualised care experiences.[176] In Coimbra, various initiatives were launched in collaboration with Serve the City Portugal,[177] while Copenhagen saw a free clinic being set up.[178] Love Button then made a joint effort with Folkets Hus and Bostadsbolaget to plant trees in Gothenburg.[178] Moreover, Coldplay donated a ticket for auction to the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to expand access to mental health services for young people worldwide.[179] During the Kaohsiung dates, volunteers granted assistance to the Love & Hope Children's Home.[180] The band additionally gave presents to workers and patients at the Mother and Child Hospital of Jakarta.[181]
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