Impact of the Music of the Spheres World Tour

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 (2022–24). 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.

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 47% and planted more than 9 million trees. Pollstar wrote that they ushered into "a new era of sustainable touring", 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 Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro 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.

Sustainable touring

Industry response

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. The record was promoted with small shows for charity and a performance at the Amman Citadel in Jordan, broadcast by YouTube. 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. 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. Furthermore, the group established a partnership with BMW to create the first mobile rechargeable show battery in the world.

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. 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. 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".

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". She also described the measures created by the group as "impressive and forward-thinking", since they focused on concrete solutions. Additionally, the director claimed she was working to adopt their plans, institutionalise what they learn and provide environmentally conscious options for more performers worldwide.

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. 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. 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. Uproxx and Billboard later noticed they had an impact on tours from Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes, respectively. In 2023, the Kappa FuturFestival took measures similar to the Music of the Spheres World Tour, 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.

Controversy

Carlos Calvo Ambel from Transport & Environment declared that Coldplay were "no doubt well-intentioned" but condemned their collaboration with Neste. 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. 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.

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". The band also emphasised having no connection to BMW's corporate policies, adding that various car manufacturers were approached to provide the expertise needed and the company were the ones that provided help. Neste separately mentioned that investigations regarding their palm oil vendors were launched, but no evidence of violations or links to deforestation was found. Their response team affirmed that only renewable aviation fuel produced with used frying fat and animal fat waste was delivered to the concert run as well.

Reduced emissions

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 47% so far. Research attested 66% 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. Furthermore, 3,770 meals and 73 kg of toiletries from the catering were given out to unhoused and unsheltered people. The solar installations, kinetic floors and stationary bicycles generated around 15 kWh every night, being enough to fuel tool-charging stations for the crew. It was also informed that performances were operating entirely from renewable energy.

Coldplay consequently became "pioneers for the future of sustainability" in live entertainment, with Fernandez deeming their plans "critically important, scientifically rigorous and of the highest quality". 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. As per GAFFA's Jim Knutsson, the concert run established itself as a platform for green technologies and environmental commitment. Live Nation later commented that over 9 million trees have been planted by the group in forest reserves. In November 2023, they were featured on the inaugural Time 100 Climate editorial, which ranked the most influential climate action leaders based on their recent and measurable achievements.

Popular culture

Media coverage

Discussing the cultural impact of the shows for The Times, Mark Beaumont opined that they "marked a significant shift in attitude towards this once widely maligned band", since even "the most cynical hacks have been converted" after going to a Coldplay live performance. He also asserted that their "dedication to the stadium spectacle is regaining them respect and credibility in all quarters". La Gaceta's Pablo Hamada hailed the tour as a media phenomenon which brought a wave of positivity beyond the concerts, as the band became a leading topic of news coverage and social media engagement in the countries they visited.

Furthermore, Sofía Campos from La Razón stated that the frenzy evoked by Coldplay reflected their cross-generational appeal, while Julio Maria claimed that they are the last rock band capable of filling stadiums worldwide in his piece for Estadão. Brazilian publications coined the term "Coldplaymania" to portray the group's stay in the country, since the concert run was subject of intense media scrutiny. Martin was also criticised by Jair Bolsonaro defenders for meeting with President Lula da Silva, who invited Coldplay to the 30th United Nations Climate Change conference. Additionally, multiple outlets noted that ticketless fans gathered outside the venues to hear them perform.

Tributes and nods

Rolling Stone released exclusive issues of their magazines in Argentina, France, and Brazil to celebrate the tour. A number of councillors from the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro proposed honouring the band with the Pedro Ernesto Medal, but their submission is yet to be voted. Blitz held a photography exhibit in Coimbra to mark their return to Portugal. Italian illustrator Lorenzo Ruggiero, who has worked for Marvel and DC Comics, paid tribute to their shows in Naples with a drawing. After the announcement of Asian dates for the tour, numerous brands and companies from the continent launched campaigns referencing Coldplay's discography. In July 2023, Dutch magazine Soundz published a feature dedicated to them. Influenced by the group's Rock in Rio set, spinoff festival The Town and the Sapucaí Carnival Parade began to use LED wristbands. Warner Music Brazil revealed that Coldplay inspired Bruno Mars for his visit to the country as well. Rockin'On Japan reviewed the history and music of the band to celebrate the two concerts at Tokyo Dome. Eden Park paid homage to their record-breaking three nights at the venue with a special mural.

Seismic activity

On 10 July 2022, seismic stations in Germany detected a 1.28-magnitude earthquake in Berlin. Its main frequency corresponded exactly to the beat of "A Sky Full of Stars", which led analysts to attribute the triggering to Coldplay's performance at Olympiastadion. The group acknowledged the occurrence and encouraged their fans to surpass the number in subsequent nights, resulting in a 1.5-magnitude earthquake on 12 July. According to Kurier's Peter Temel, the new register outperformed the day Florence and the Machine played "Dog Days Are Over" at Tempelhof Sounds. He also commented that fast songs and crowd coordination can explain the phenomena. Concert goers provoked a 1.5-magnitude earthquake once again during the third and final show. In the following year, the band caused tremors at the Kaohsiung National Stadium neighborhood.

Asian protests

Coldplay were criticised by several groups of conservative muslims for performing in Indonesia and Malaysia. Novel Bamukmin, the Deputy Secretary-General of PA 212, declared the tour should be cancelled in Jakarta because the band endorse the LGBT community, while Nasrudin Hassan from the Malaysian Islamic Party condemned them for promoting a culture of "hedonism" and "deviance". Conversely, Minister for Tourism Sandiaga Uno argued that the event would improve Indonesia's notoriety as a destination for international artists. Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman likewise regarded it as a chance to generate economic surplus for Kuala Lumpur. On 10 November 2023, dozens of people marched outside Jakarta's British Embassy calling for the cancellation of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium show. They defended that Indonesian muslims should be mourning the war crimes Israel committed against Palestine instead of watching Coldplay live. Extremist groups threatened to burn down their stage set-up, while others only asked the police to ensure the venue had no LGBT propaganda in place. In Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that boycott requests were unnecessary because the band support Palestine, but authorities still had a "kill switch" available for use in case of misbehavior. The device was created after two members of the 1975 kissed each other at Good Vibes Festival earlier that year. Although Martin replaced the rainbow flag with one from the Love Button Global Movement, both concerts went out as usual.

Economy

Demand and politics

Sales for the tour led to public and political debate due to unprecedented interest in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. 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. 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. 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.

Demand for the concerts also caused ticket speculation to rise in Portugal, with 32 arrests being carried out. 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. 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. In Italy, the Authority for Communications Guarantees (AGCOM) conducted an operation against scalpers focused on the shows scheduled by Coldplay and arrested 26 lawbreakers.

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. Investigation of these cases helped to write the initial drafts. 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. The tour has promoted discussions regarding admission prices as well, since Coldplay kept them affordable despite the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Acts like Yungblud and Olivia Rodrigo later reproduced the practice.

Local business

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. El Espectador noticed that accommodation occupancy rates reached 85% when the band visited Bogotá. Similarly, Buenos Aires registered their highest percentages in 10 years during the band's residency at Estadio River Plate. Clarín noted that revenue from bars and restaurants in the city triplicated with the tour. Business owners in Curitiba said its impact surpassed the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

During their stay in Rio de Janeiro, the group moved profits superior to R$86 million. Furthermore, the President of the Municipal Chamber of Coimbra observed that they generated more than €36 million in direct economic returns to the town. Hotel prices rose by 1,000% when they announced concerts there. Equivalent boosts were also seen in places such as Dublin, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Munich, and Singapore (where Agoda reported a 556% increase in searches). Marketing agency Hello Monday launched a contest giving away tickets for the Barcelona nights and received one million comments on social media, along with 80,000 new users on their own platform. Diario de Sevilla considered it one of the most viral advertising campaigns of the year in Spain.

In November 2023, the Kaohsiung City Government donated discount coupons to fans who attended the shows in the region to boost revenue at night markets. United Daily News estimated that around 30,000 citizens were attracted to those businesses. Their earnings grew by 30%, while accommodations in the city had a 90% occupancy rate. Coldplay generated a record income of NT$550 million as a result. CNBC Indonesia stated that the concert at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium brought Rp1.4 trillion in revenue for the city. It also helped to improve the proceeds of the venue by 50% in comparison to 2019. Expedia Group later informed that flight searches to Perth grew by almost 135% when the band performed at Optus Stadium. As per Minister for Tourism Rita Saffioti, about 3,500 locals were expected to take new jobs in town with the impact of the tour.

Civil transport

As part of their sustainability efforts, Coldplay teamed up with SAP to design a mobile application for the tour. It calculated the CO₂ emissions from the attendees and encouraged them to take eco-friendly travel options by offering merchandise store discounts. In the United States, the group collaborated with the public transportation providers of four cities to grant cheaper rides, which improved passenger turnout by an average of 59% on performance days. Organisations from Brussels, Cardiff, Glasgow, Milan, and Santiago set up exclusive services to support demand as well. 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. 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. In Gothenburg, outsiders earned free public transport to Ullevi after being surveyed by the Green City Zone project, which outlined travel behaviour to reduce carbon footprint in major events. Moreover, the Kaohsiung Metro attributed their biggest days of activity in 2023 to Coldplay (565,000 passengers). Kompas revealed that Jakarta MRT had their largest user rate since 2019 with the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium concert. In 2024, Singapore MRT offered free buses to four train stations.

Wider influence

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. Bank Central Asia's stock exchange value enjoyed a boost after it was announced their card holders got exclusive access to the Jakarta presales. According to El Mundo, the band contributed to Spain's concert industry more than any foreign act in 2023. Meanwhile, the shows in Naples and Milan had an impact of €532.6 million in Italy.

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. 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. 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. Marketing professor Seshan Ramaswami declared that their residency expanded the region's demographic reach to fans in Asia and the Middle East. As a result, the band took Asia–Pacific's travel sectors closer to pre-pandemic levels.

In August 2023, the Irish Examiner informed that concert spending in Ireland rose by 88% because of the four nights at Croke Park. RTÉ likewise claimed that they registered the biggest ticket sales day of the year in the country. Based on annual comparisons, CTS Eventim (36%) and Live Nation (32%) mentioned Coldplay's success among the reasons for their increase in profit. Writing for El Cronista, José Vales credited the group with the growth in music tourism, as they are able to instigate travel-related searches globally.

Other areas

Music charts

Coldplay's discography experienced considerable sales and streaming gains throughout the tour, leading songs to debut and reach new peaks on Billboard Global 200. Following their shows at Estadio Akron, in Zapopan, they rose to number two on Spotify Mexico's Daily Top Artists chart. Warner Music Group also certified "My Universe" and Music of the Spheres (2021) as 3× Platinum and Gold in the country, respectively. The album returned to Germany's Offizielle Top 100 at number 19 with the Frankfurt and Berlin dates. In Belgium, the group's entire studio album catalogue – plus Live in Buenos Aires (2018) – appeared in both the Flanders and Wallonia rankings. Live 2012 entered the latter list as well. After the residency at Wembley Stadium, "Yellow", "Viva la Vida", and "A Sky Full of Stars" were featured in the UK Singles Charts for the first time since 2014, 2017 and 2016, respectively. "Viva la Vida" has remained on the list for more than 30 non-consecutive weeks ever since.

Following their set at Rock in Rio, Coldplay became the first international group to top Spotify Brazil's Daily Top Artists chart. In Argentina, Parachutes (2000) achieved a new peak on the albums chart at number six. The feat was repeated in Portugal, where it rose to number three and was accompanied by eight other projects from the band. Out of the 13 songs they had placed on the Portuguese Singles Chart, eight saw their biggest weekly performance, including "Fix You", "Paradise", "Clocks", "Higher Power" and "Sparks".

More countries where sales charts were flooded include Italy (7 albums and 4 songs), Switzerland (6 albums and 4 songs), Sweden (8 albums and 12 songs), and the Netherlands (7 albums and 10 songs). Despite not holding shows in Norway, Coldplay had six album and song placements on VG-Lista. With the concerts that were carried out in Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia, "Yellow", "Viva la Vida" and "A Sky Full of Stars" remained their best-performing tracks. After the third European leg was scheduled, the group scored chart entries in Greece (2 albums and 8 songs), Finland (8 albums and 5 songs), and Ireland (5 albums and 4 songs). As per David Pardillos from Infobae, they were the band with the most searched lyrics of 2023 on Google because of the tour.

In January 2024, Coldplay earned their first Top 10 hit on the Philippines Songs ranking with "Yellow". Lola Amour were invited to perform "Raining in Manila" at the first Philippine Arena show as well, leading the track to appear at number 24 on the same week. Out of the 30 slots available on Singapore's Top Streaming Chart, the band occupied 17 of them, including the first nine. "Viva la Vida" and "Yellow" became their second and third chart-topping singles in the region, joining "My Universe".

Philanthropy

In addition to donating 10% from all of their profits to charity, 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. 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. They later helped to organise a warehouse used by Team Ukraine Love in Warsaw. The foundation is focused on providing aid to those who were displaced from their homes by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Bogotá, the group donated gifts to the children and health personnel of Hospital Simón Bolívar. During their stay in Buenos Aires, volunteers established a partnership with TECHO, an institution focused on improving local infrastructure. They also helped SP Invisível in São Paulo for the humanisation of views on homeless people and the promotion of individualised care experiences. In Coimbra, various initiatives were launched in collaboration with Serve the City Portugal, while Copenhagen saw a free clinic being set up. Love Button then made a joint effort with Folkets Hus and Bostadsbolaget to plant trees in Gothenburg. 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. During the Kaohsiung dates, volunteers granted assistance to the Love & Hope Children's Home. The band additionally gave presents to workers and patients at the Mother and Child Hospital of Jakarta.

See also

• Cultural impact of Coldplay
• List of Coldplay live performances
• List of highest-grossing live music artists
• List of highest-grossing concert tours
• List of most-attended concert tours

Notes

References

External links

• Coldplay Official Website
• Coldplay Sustainability Website