Coldplay deliver the spectacle of a lifetime at Glastonbury 2024 - review
Get The Inside Scoop On Music With Roisin O’Connor's Newsletter
Subscribe To Our Free Now Hear This Newsletter
If scientists dig up the leyline rumored to be under the Pyramid Stage field, it might appear as a vast sea of 200,000 bright neon lights moving to the music of twinkling synth rock.
The exciting sneak peek tonight is thanks to the many LED wristbands given out and waved in the air by the record-breaking performers in 2024. Chris Martin expresses his gratitude to the amazing city where he is performing, but Glastonbury is just as grateful to have him there.
Coldplay is currently on their Music of the Spheres tour and recently performed at Glastonbury for the fifth time. The band had already toured the UK twice before this show. Despite some hesitation, the crowd at Glastonbury was eager to see Coldplay headline for the fifth time. The audience enthusiastically sang along to hits like "Viva La Vida," creating a unifying and celebratory atmosphere at the festival.
The concert had its own unique vibe - one hour filled with their old hits, followed by an hour of their newer, more lively pop songs. Glastonbury experienced a fantastic blend of both. A vintage BBC clock from the 1970s signaled the start of the show with a bold rendition of "Yellow", then the band switched between their albums, with Martin energetically bouncing around the stage as if he had been magically summoned by a druid to embody pure musical happiness.
A lively performance of the song "Paradise" transitions into an early rendition of "The Scientist," performed by Martin on a worn-out piano decorated with stars and doodles, captivating the audience of over 250,000 people. The energetic "Clocks," illuminated in green lights, leads into the electro-pop sensation "Hymn For The Weekend" and the cheerful folk-rock tune "Charlie Brown." An hour passes quickly, as legendary Glastonbury headline performances typically do.
Coldplay almost reach their reputation for being average when they give up their ability to create huge, anthem-like songs and instead make EDM pop music. There is a lot of talk this year about Glastonbury's connection to popular music. Our writer Adam White makes a strong case that genres like pop, which have a lot of fans (as shown by events like Sugababageddon and the XCXocalypse), should be given more attention and not pushed to the sidelines where it can be dangerously crowded.
However, we must remember that in addition to major countercultural events like Glastonbury, pop music has always been extremely popular and will continue to be so – as the name suggests. It has been noted that Coldplay's rise to success parallels that of the festival. Both started off as unique and unconventional, but eventually had to adapt to the mainstream in order to stay successful in the age of streaming, where rock music is no longer as dominant.
Coldplay has made it clear that they will not be making music after 2025. This could be bad news for the future of Glastonbury. It seems that once a band goes full pop, they may have reached the limits of their creativity. It is possible they will start playing smaller venues again.
No matter what type of music you like, you can trust that both artists will put on a show to remember. Whether they are playing Pharrell-inspired songs like "Adventures of a Lifetime" or teaming up with K-pop group BTS on "My Universe", they spare no expense when it comes to balloons, confetti, and fireworks. Their stage presence is bigger than the amount of money currently being spent on promoting Reform UK in Moscow.
Experience unrestricted listening to over 70 million songs and podcasts without any interruptions on Amazon Music.
Register today to try our services for free for a whole month.
Get ready to enjoy a wide range of 70 million songs and podcasts without any interruptions on Amazon Music.
Join today to experience a 30-day trial at no cost.
In the blog post about their collaboration with The Chainsmokers called "Something Just Like This", the band wore silly alien masks. During their performance of "A Sky Full of Stars", Martin paused before the big musical moment for a band meeting. He asked the audience to put away their phones and become part of the performance for that one song. Then, they filled the stage with beautiful lights resembling the aurora borealis.
They show the way forward with some signs. Little Simz joins in during the middle of the set to rap on a new song called "We Pray," which will likely be on their 10th album Moon Music. This track takes on a darker tone, moving away from the smoother sounds they have been producing. The video for "Arabesque" features Femi Kuti and a haunting horn section, while Laura Mvula leads a gospel choir in white robes for a soulful performance of "Violet Hill." Could this be signaling a new direction for Coldplay? We are definitely interested.
Both the band and the festival understand the importance of creating memorable “event” moments. After performing a simple version of the jazzy ballad "Sparks" from their first album, Martin switches to an acoustic guitar and starts improvising songs on the spot. He sings about the different people in the audience that appear on the screen, like a man wearing a model Pyramid Stage on his head, Michael Eavis, known as "the world's greatest farmer", and surprise guest guitarist Michael J Fox.
Next, the performers take the stage for a lively performance of "Humankind", followed by a very dramatic rendition of "Fix You" and a new song to end the night, "FeelslikeImfallinginlove". Each song vies for the title of best performance at the festival.
"You bring light to my world," Martin sang earlier; a powerful reminder to himself.
