Music of the Spheres World Tour
The Music of the Spheres World Tour is the ongoing eighth concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. Announced on 14 October 2021, it is being staged in support of their ninth studio album, Music of the Spheres, marking their return to live performances after the COVID-19 pandemic. The band had not toured for their previous record, Everyday Life (2019), because they wanted to launch an environmentally friendly strategy to travel. According to the plans they developed over the previous two years with specialists, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 50% in comparison to the Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17).
Similar to the Mylo Xyloto Tour (2011–12), the concerts make extensive use of pyrotechnics and confetti. However, they were adapted to minimise the group's carbon footprint. Other ideas involved creating the first mobile rechargeable show battery in the world with BMW and planting a tree for every ticket sold. The tour began at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica on 18 March 2022 and is scheduled to end at New Zealand's Eden Park on 16 November 2024. Coldplay received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised the band for their musicianship, stage presence, joyfulness, and production value.
With a global cultural impact, the Music of the Spheres World Tour surpassed $810.9 million in revenue from 7.66 million tickets across 132 dates, making it the third-highest-grossing and second-most attended tour of all time. The band also broke several records at the venues they visited. To celebrate the performances, Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate (2023) was broadcast in cinemas around the world. Emissions were cut by 47% in the concert run's first year, leading Time to rank Coldplay among the most influential climate action leaders on the planet. Similarly, Pollstar declared that they ushered into "a new era of sustainable touring".
Development[edit]
Background[edit]
After the release of Coldplay's eighth album, Everyday Life (2019), Chris Martin said the band would not tour until they could ensure their shows are environmentally friendly,[2] which led the record to be promoted with small charity concerts and a performance at the Amman Citadel in Jordan, broadcast by YouTube.[3] On 14 October 2021, a day before Music of the Spheres was made available, the group posted on social media they would be returning to live shows following the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The announcement was accompanied by a detailed 12 steps plan, which was developed in two years with environmental experts and set out how Coldplay would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared to A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17).[5] To celebrate the album's release, they inaugurated Climate Pledge Arena on 22 October 2021.[6] The event was broadcast by Amazon Prime Video and later followed by a performance at Expo 2020,[7] while the concert run began in Costa Rica due to the country's renewable-energy-sourced power grid.[8]
Commercial performance[edit]
Ticket sales[edit]
Coldplay broke numerous attendance, gross and demand records around the world. Sales for the first European leg were opened on 22 October 2021 and the band sold more than a million tickets in 24 hours according to Billboard.[77] Additional dates were announced in all cities.[78] Over 200,000 admissions were bought for the four shows at Estadio River Plate in less than a day.[79] Months later, the group scheduled another six performances at the venue, becoming the first act to hold 10 concerts during a single tour.[80] On 25 August 2022, the second European run saw 1.4 million entries being purchased in 24 hours,[81] marking the fastest sales in history by a band and the biggest overall since Robbie Williams' Close Encounters Tour in 2005.[82] More than 712,000 customers tried to buy tickets in the United Kingdom, with the extremely high demand at Etihad and Principality stadiums causing the British Ticketmaster website to crash.[83] The same happened in Spain, where they achieved the fastest sales of all time.[84]
Critical reception[edit]
North America[edit]
The tour received widespread acclaim from music critics worldwide.[i] Andrew Chamings from San Francisco Chronicle said that despite his "cynicism, Coldplay's show was a joyous, bright, cathartic post-pandemic triumph".[164] Writing for Houston Press, Marco Torres called it "a beautiful dream, with balloons flying around, confetti bursting from air cannons and lasers shooting from the stage through the smoke" as the group performed.[165] Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel claimed that Martin showed all of the skills that make him one of the top performers of his generation and made Cotton Bowl feel intimate with a powerful set.[166] In her review for Chicago Sun-Times, Selena Fragassi credited the concerts with setting the bar for what tours could be like in the future.[167] Similarly, Christopher A. Daniel from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the production values as "reminiscent of the art rock foundation paved by bands like Genesis, Kraftwerk and Pink Floyd", adding that Coldplay are set to become a "must-see legendary act".[168] Furthermore, Philip Cosores of Uproxx mentioned "there is no wasted energy, with every bit of the set time used to create memories and impact the audience".[169] He then concluded that if environmental concerns are further adopted for touring, the status of the band "as one of the essential artists of our time will take on greater meaning than just the legacy of their music".[169]
Europe[edit]
Regioactive's Torsten Reitz declared that they were "full of energy and much more powerful than on record", mastering both upbeat and quiet moments.[170] Marine Pineau wrote that Coldplay lived up to their reputation as a live act and lauded the band for their showmanship in her review for Virgin Radio.[171] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian praised the tour for being a "genuinely immersive" experience which gave depth to its namesake album through an inventive approach, rating the residency at Wembley Stadium with five stars.[172] Kate Solomon of The Times considered it a "triumphant homecoming", awarded Coldplay four stars and commended their musicianship.[173] The Telegraph's Neil McCormick hailed them as "modern masters" of stadium entertainment and granted the same score.[174] Writing a five-star piece for NME, Hannah Mylrea stated that the band offered a masterclass in how a massive pop show can be done.[175] Moreover, Wilson Ledo from CNN Portugal mentioned the concerts had a permanent euphoria and praised how Martin interacted with the public constantly.[176] In his Muzikalia article, Pau Clot informed that Coldplay offered a spectacle which "cannot be matched by anyone on this planet today".[177] Göteborgs-Posten's Johan Lindqvista highlighted the stage presence of the group and said Martin had enough "love and showman charisma that he shines brighter than all the lights and lasers".[178]