Coldplay world tour powers to ticket sales record

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour is set to become the most well-attended concert tour of all time.

The band have now sold more than nine million tickets for the ongoing run, which began in Costa Rica in March 2022, according to Live Nation.

The current verified attendance record-holder is Ed Sheeran, whose 2017-19 ÷ (Divide) Tour attracted 8,908,150 fans. Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which pulled in 6.1m attendees, surpassed ÷ as the highest-grossing tour earlier this year.

Coldplay’s latest milestone coincides with them confirming an additional run of Australia and New Zealand dates for October-November 2024, which will see the quartet perform in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland for the first time since 2016. Stopping at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium (30-31 October 2024), Sydney’s Accor Stadium (6-7 November) and Eden Park in Auckland (13 November), support will come from PinkPantheress and Emmanuel Kelly.

“This is a huge coup for Auckland and New Zealand,” says Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner. “Coldplay’s global status, the band’s commitment to sustainability, and their ability to deliver unforgettable performances make them the perfect fit to perform at New Zealand’s national stadium.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Coldplay performing two sold-out nights at Perth Optus Stadium as part of their November 2023 Asian tour leg – their first gigs in Western Australia since 2009. A limited number of Infinity Tickets, released for every Coldplay show to make the tour accessible to fans for an affordable price, will be made available at a later date, priced A$32/NZ$32 per ticket, restricted to two tickets per purchaser.

The band’s debut concert in Jakarta, Indonesia on 15 November was reportedly rocked by a ticket scam

“Coldplay’s two shows in Perth attracted over 40,000 interstate visitors and close to 10,000 international fans,” notes Sautner. “This underpins the immense appeal of Coldplay’s live performances and demonstrates the impact major events have on our hospitality and tourism sectors, employing thousands of casual and full-time staff.”

Earlier this year, the group issued an update on the tour’s sustainability initiatives, revealing that, on a show-by-show comparison, Music of the Spheres has so far produced 47% less CO2e emissions than their previous A Head Full of Dreams stadium tour in 2016/17. More than seven million trees have already been planted around the world, with one being planted for each concert-goer.

“Coldplay’s commitment to reducing the impact global music tours have on our environment aligns with Eden Park’s focus on sustainability,” adds Sautner. “The collaboration will showcase how two globally renowned brands can come together to create an unforgettable, environmentally-conscious event.”

Meanwhile, The Jakarta Post reports Coldplay’s debut concert in the Indonesian capital on 15 November was rocked by a ticket scam.

Central Jakarta Police are investigating hundreds of reports from people who claimed they bought tickets from third parties online for last week’s performance at Bung Karno Sports Stadium, but were denied entry after the tickets either turned out to be fake, or never arrived. Police say 400 people lodged complaints, claiming a total of Rp1.3 billion (€76,373) in losses.

The concert was also reportedly hit by protests and clashes with police outside the stadium ahead of the show over the group’s support for the LGBTQ community. Several Islamic groups had called for the gig to be cancelled.

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