Coldplay is one of the most popular and successful bands of the 21st century. With over 100 million album sales worldwide and numerous awards and accolades, Coldplay has developed a massive global fanbase. Their concerts are grand spectacles filled with confetti, lights, pyrotechnics and catchy pop rock anthems. But are their live shows worth the often hefty ticket price? Here is an in-depth look at the pros and cons of attending a Coldplay concert.
The Setlist
One of the biggest factors in determining if a concert is worth attending is the setlist. Coldplay has released 9 studio albums so far, giving them an extensive back catalog to choose hit songs from. In recent tours, they have played a wide selection of their most popular tracks like “Viva La Vida”, “Paradise”, “Yellow”, “Fix You” and “Clocks”. They also throw in newer songs from their last few albums like “Hymn for the Weekend” and “Adventure of a Lifetime”.
Coldplay is known for putting on an elaborate stage production, so attending one of their concerts gives you the chance to see these sweeping anthems performed with the full live band along with impressive special effects. The band is also prone to changing up their setlists from night to night, rewarding fans who attend multiple shows on a tour.
The Production
Coldplay concerts are full of over-the-top visual spectacles using lights, lasers, fireworks, confetti and video screens. No expense is spared to make their live show a massive stadium-sized event, even when they play smaller arenas. Recent tours have featured kinetic light-up wristbands given to every audience member which flash in sync with the music. Their stages are equipped with runways, rising platforms and elaborate lighting rigs.
During the Mylo Xyloto tour, Coldplay entered the stadium on motorbikes and flew around the venue on wire rigs. For the Ghost Stories tour, their light show creator Paul Normandale devised unique custom-built LED wristbands for the entire audience linked wirelessly to the lighting rig. The A Head Full of Dreams tour featured a giant pyramid-shaped video screen and rainbow-colored laser show.
The Sound Quality
Coldplay has the reputation of being one of the best live-sounding rock bands today. Their vocals and instruments come through clearly in large venues, an important accomplishment for a rock band. Lead singer Chris Martin’s soaring vocals are often pitch-perfect. And the band is excellent at recreating the lush sonic textures of their studio recordings in a live setting. The acoustic numbers also have an intimacy about them despite the stadium-size crowds.
That said, certain songs can sound bombastic because of how much they rely on layers of overdubs and studio tricks during recording. The heavier numbers off albums like Viva La Vida and Mylo Xyloto can lose some of their artsy intricacy in translation to the stage. But overall, Coldplay’s live sound mixing ensures their concerts sound crisp and balanced in even the largest venues.
Chris Martin’s Stage Presence
The charm and charisma of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin goes a long way towards making their concerts entertaining. Martin has boundless energy on stage, dashing across runways and catwalks to get closer to the crowd. He frequently hops up on platforms around the stage and sings directly to fans in the front rows. His friendly persona immediately endears him to audiences.
Martin also isn’t afraid to get a little goofy up on stage, breaking into silly dances moves, cracking jokes with the crowd and even smashing his guitar Pete Townsend-style at the end of some shows. He provides plenty of banter between songs, keeping the mood feel light even in a huge arena.
The Surprise Guests
Coldplay has a knack for bringing out surprise musical guests during their shows. On recent tours they’ve welcomed famous musicians like Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Barry Gibb and Michael J Fox. It’s always exciting seeing who might turn up next at a Coldplay concert. This gives fans an extra incentive to catch multiple dates on a tour.
Some of their most memorable on-stage collaborations include performing “Lost!” with Jay-Z in 2009, “991” with Kylie Minogue in 2005 and “Up&Up” with Beyoncé in 2016. These special moments get audiences buzzing and add an unpredictability factor to each night on a Coldplay tour.
The Audience Energy
You can always count on Coldplay fans to bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm to their shows. Their crowd is full of loyal diehards who know every word to their many hit songs and deep album cuts. Coldplay concerts are packed with people who are simply overjoyed to be seeing the band in person.
The band feeds off this adulation and praise from the audience. Martin in particular seems to strive to ramp up the crowd even more. This reciprocal loop of the band’s high-spirited performance feeding into the audience’s frenzied reaction helps create truly electric concert experiences.
The Intimate Rarities
While they mostly stick to their surefire hits, Coldplay also tries to reward hardcore fans at their shows by sprinkling in rare songs and deeper cuts from their catalog. On recent tours, they’ve played special treats like “Everything’s Not Lost”, “A Rush of Blood to the Head”, “Low”, “Til Kingdom Come” and “Glass of Water.” Long-time fans get a special thrill hearing these seldom-aired songs performed live.
Coldplay also features stripped-down acoustic segments during their concerts. This intimate setting allows them to do fan favorites like “Green Eyes,” “Trouble” and “Don’t Panic” in a quieter format. These special moments add great variety to their show.
The Cost
| Tour | Average Ticket Price |
|---|---|
| A Head Full of Dreams Tour | $120 |
| Ghost Stories Tour | $100 |
| Mylo Xyloto Tour | $90 |
| Viva la Vida Tour | $85 |
Coldplay tickets do not come cheap. Their last major tour in 2016 and 2017 saw average ticket prices around $120. For the best seats, you’ll easily spend over $200 and up to $600. Even the worst seats often run $60+. Add in fees, parking, transportation, merch and refreshments – it all adds up quickly.
Their ticket prices have also steadily risen over the past decade. Back in 2008 during the Viva La Vida tour, average ticket cost was $85. So like many huge touring acts nowadays, seeing Coldplay live comes with a hefty price tag.
The Length
Coldplay makes sure fans get plenty of music for their money. Their shows typically run 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours on recent major tours. That’s comparable to legacy rock acts like U2 and The Rolling Stones. The band crams in as many hits and fan favorites as they can fit into their lengthy sets.
Some reviews criticized them for overstuffing their 2016 tour with too many songs resulting in abrupt transitions between tunes. But most fans appreciate being able to hear so many of their classics performed live in one sitting. The marathon sets may leave you exhausted, but also extremely satisfied.
Their Future
There remains uncertainty around how much longer Coldplay will continue as a touring act. The band has discussed possibly not doing typical album cycles and tours going forward. In an interview last year, Chris Martin said “Our last big tour was the best we’ve ever done and it was also the hardest we’ve ever done.”
So their days of consistent major worldwide treks might be numbered. Catching them live now could be one of your last chances to do so. Their more limited schedule means increased demand for Coldplay tickets when they do hit the road again.
The Bottom Line
Despite the high ticket cost, attending a Coldplay concert is an investment most fans will never regret. Their live shows are a bucket list item for good reason – they simply know how to throw an epic stadium-sized party. From the brilliant light spectacle to Chris Martin’s boundless energy, Coldplay’s concerts are as close to guaranteed magic as you can find in music today.
The chance to sing along and bask in grand anthems like “Fix You”, “Viva la Vida” and “Paradise” with 60,000 other fans is worth the price alone for many. And when the band does finally move away from major touring in the future, those who caught one of their last big tours will cherish the memories forever.
Conclusion
In summary, while expensive, Coldplay concerts deliver an incredible experience that most find worth the money and hassle. Their trademark combination of spectacular production, catchy hit songs, charismatic performances and surprise cameos results in thrilling live shows. Having the opportunity to see one of the most iconic rock bands of the 21st century in their touring prime is extremely special.
Coldplay remains at the peak of its live powers for now, with Chris Martin still holding the crowd in his hand. But the clock is likely ticking down on their stadium touring days as the band discusses scaling back. Don’t let this chance slip away to catch them live and sing along to classics like “Fix You” and “Yellow” with tens of thousands of euphoric fans. Despite the costs, most Coldplay fans with tickets leave their shows saying the same thing: it was worth every penny.
