Why is Coldplay not touring in Canada?

Coldplay is one of the most popular and successful rock bands in the world, known for hit songs like “Yellow”, “The Scientist”, and “Viva La Vida”. However, to the disappointment of many Canadian fans, Coldplay does not have any Canadian tour dates scheduled for their upcoming Music of the Spheres world tour in 2023.

Coldplay’s Touring History in Canada

While Coldplay has toured in Canada several times in the past, it has been a number of years since they have performed any concerts north of the border. Their last full Canadian tour was back in 2016 for their A Head Full of Dreams Tour. On that tour, Coldplay played shows in Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Prior to that, Coldplay toured Canada in 2012-2013 on their Mylo Xyloto Tour, playing many of the same cities. They also played a few Canadian dates as part of their Viva La Vida Tour in 2008-2009.

So while Canadian fans have had opportunities to see Coldplay live in the past, it has been nearly 7 years since the band has embarked on a proper coast-to-coast Canadian tour.

Coldplay’s 2023 Tour Dates

Coldplay announced their Music of the Spheres World Tour in October 2021. The tour is scheduled to kick off in March 2023 and continue through July 2023, spanning cities in Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Latin America.

As of now, no Canadian cities are included on the tour itinerary. The closest shows for Canadian fans to attend would be US dates in Seattle, Chicago, or Boston.

Here are Coldplay’s currently announced tour dates for 2023:

Reasons Why Coldplay May be Skipping Canada in 2023

There are a few possible reasons why Coldplay appears to be skipping over Canada for their 2023 tour plans:

Prioritizing Other Markets

Coldplay is an enormously popular band with fan bases spanning the globe. For their 2023 tour, it seems they are choosing to focus on markets in South America, continental Europe, the UK, and the US.

With limited time and logistical challenges, they may have simply decided to prioritize other parts of the world for this particular tour. Canada may have fallen lower down on their list of markets to target this time around.

Easier US Stadium Access

When Mapping out a tour, accessibility and availability of large stadium venues is always a consideration for massive acts like Coldplay.

The band seems to be targeting huge stadiums for their 2023 tour, primarily in the 70,000+ capacity range. There are simply more NFL and big college football stadiums in the US that can accommodate Coldplay’s massive production needs, compared to what’s available in Canada. Exceptions would be venues like BC Place in Vancouver and Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

Shorter North American Run

Another clue is that Coldplay seems to be limiting their 2023 North American tour dates to just 12 shows in the western US. On their 2016 tour, they played nearly 40 shows across the US and Canada.

Keeping the North American leg shorter limits costs and production challenges. With fewer shows, they may have prioritized those dates for the major US cities only.

Saving Canada for a Future Tour

Rather than overload their 2023 tour calendar, it’s possible Coldplay is intentionally holding off on Canada for now in order to properly plan a more extensive tour of the country in the future.

Coldplay remains hugely popular in Canada and a future nationwide stadium tour would surely be well-received. So the band may be waiting for the right time to return and give their Canadian fans the tour they deserve.

Disappointment Among Canadian Fans

Needless to say, the lack of Canadian dates on Coldplay’s 2023 tour has left many of the band’s Canadian fans disappointed. Here are some of the sentiments being shared across social media:

• Canadian fans feeling “snubbed” that once again a major tour is skipping over Canada entirely.
• Wishful hoping by some fans that more second shows in the US along the border could be added, like Detroit or Seattle.
• Debates over whether Coldplay is simply too lazy to deal with the logistics of the Canadian market right now.
• Canadian fans resigned to missing out this time but optimistic for a future tour.
• Some fans speculative that Coldplay is intentionally holding off on Canada in order to build more anticipation for a bigger tour later on.

There is definitely a sense of disappointment among Coldplay fans north of the border. However, Coldplay’s popularity in Canada remains extremely high, and there is little doubt Canadian fans would come out in droves whenever the band does finally announce their next tour dates in the country.

PETITION TO GET COLDPLAY TO ADD CANADA DATES

Some extremely keen Canadian fans have even gone so far as to start an online petition begging Coldplay to add some Canadian shows to their 2023 tour. The Change.org petition has collected over 5,000 signatures so far from fans asking for concerts in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa.

The petition organizer argues that “a Coldplay concert in Canada is long overdue” and that the band should amend their tour routing to make a whole leg across Canada happen, even if that means postponing some US or European dates.

While the petition is unlikely to have any direct impact on Coldplay’s tour plans, it does demonstrate the passion and eagerness of Canadian fans hoping the band finds a way to make it up north very soon.

Will Coldplay Ever Tour Canada Again?

Looking ahead, while disappointed Canadian fans will need to wait a while longer, there is a strong chance Coldplay will return to tour the country again soon. Here are a few reasons why:

• Coldplay has a long history of touring in Canada and clearly has an established Canadian fanbase.
• Their 2023 tour announcement specifically stated “first legs announced”, indicating more are likely still to come.
• Lead singer Chris Martin has said the band aims to visit places they’ve never played before on this tour, which could include some Canadian cities.
• The band is releasing a new album which they will surely plan to further promote with more touring.
• They are skipping over Canada in 2023 but know the demand is there for a future tour.

So while Canadians will miss out for now, all signs point to Coldplay coming back for a major cross-Canada stadium tour most likely within the next 3-5 years.

What Canadian Cities are Most Likely to Get a Coldplay Tour?

Whenever Coldplay does eventually come back to Canada, what cities seem most likely to host their concerts? Based on past tours and venue availability, these ones have the best chance:

• Toronto – Home of the Rogers Centre and a massive population that would sell out multiple dates.
• Montreal – Olympic Stadium is a suitable large venue and phenomenal Coldplay crowds.
• Vancouver – BC Place is ideal for Coldplay’s production and they’ve played there before.
• Calgary – Would likely play McMahon Stadium rather than arena venue.
• Edmonton – Previous Coldplay shows at Commonwealth Stadium were huge successes.
• Ottawa – TD Place could work, but may opt for outdoor venue Landsdowne.

Winnipeg often gets skipped but could potentially host a show depending on routing. Quebec City’s Videotron Centre lacks capacity for a band as big as Coldplay. Unlikely they’d play cities like Saskatoon or Halifax unless it was a small-venue promo tour.

How Soon Could a Canadian Tour Happen?

Coldplay just announced their initial dates for the Music of the Spheres World Tour, but when might Canadian fans reasonably expect to see the band schedule concerts up north? Here are some predictions:

2024

Highly unlikely. Coldplay already has a full calendar for 2023 and seems to be foregoing Canada for now. 2024 would probably be too soon logistically to plan a full separate Canadian tour.

2025

Possible but not highly probable. Depends on their 2023 tour successes and if they opt to take 2024 off. They could potentially add Canada to a 2025 second leg but may still be too soon.

2026

Much more conceivable if Coldplay gives the US market a bit of a break after their 2023 tour. Three years seems a reasonable timeframe to properly organize and promote a substantial Canadian tour. Especially if ties in with a new album release.

2027

Seems like the most likely target year for Coldplay to launch their next major tour of Canada. Allows plenty of lead time for planning while also building anticipation among Canadian fans after a long absence.

The band should have a new studio album out by then as well. So 2027 lines up nicely for Coldplay to make their long-awaited return to Canadian venues for a massive cross-country stadium tour.

Conclusion

In summary, while Canadian fans are undoubtedly disappointed by Coldplay opting to leave Canada off their 2023 Music of the Spheres tour, history suggests the band will be back sooner rather than later.

Coldplay has too big a fanbase in Canada to ignore this market for long. They are clearly choosing to focus elsewhere first for their immediate 2023 plans. But it’s reasonable to expect they will launch a major Canadian stadium tour within the next 3-5 years.

The most likely scenario seems Coldplay targeting 2027 for their next go-around in Canada. This allows them adequate time to plan while building excitement and demand among Canadian fans who will be eager to sing along with all the band’s hits after such a long absence.

So patience and optimism are warranted – Canada’s inevitable Coldplay reunion tour is coming!