Sing along under a sky full of stars…

2024 was no slouch in terms of phenomenal musical acts wowing the UAE capital. Last month during the Formula One weekend, we had one of the best performances Abu Dhabi’s seen, with Eminem’s high-energy show at Etihad Park. In November, we had Diljit Dosanjh rack up record numbers in the capital, and the month prior, pop legends Backstreet Boys returned for an encore on their DNA World Tour. Right as we dove into the summer, The Scorpions blew the roof off the Etihad Arena in May, especially with that drum solo.

But 2025 won’t just pick up from where last year left off, it’s about to hit a whole new decibel with the Coldplay coming to town. One of the most influential music groups in history, their concerts never fail to draw an ocean of  fans, and as enjoyable as their tracks tend to be, Chris Martin and Co. have established a repertoire for putting on a peerless visual treat with arena-wide light shows and thousands upon thousands of glowing Xylobands painting a picture that must make it on your bucket list, if it hasn’t already.

We interrupt this programme…

In the third week of September, it was announced Coldplay would be bringing their record-busting Music of the Speheres tour to Abu Dhabi in January 2025, with the UAE capital added to their touring schedule for a special GCC exclusive. What records, you ask? The tour’s sold over 10 million tickets worldwide, with the band playing in Australia through Q4 after a packed European summer schedule. When they’re done setting Abu Dhabi alight with LED-laced euphoria, they’ll jet off to Mumbai, Hong Kong, Seoul and the United Kingdom.

When Coldplay announced their highly anticipated Music of the Spheres show in Abu Dhabi, the excitement was palpable and very soon, out of control. Fans across the UAE, GCC and even South Asia put their lives on hold (no exaggeration) for several hours – and days – to try and snap up tickets to the show. WhatsApp and Instagram DMs didn’t begin with “Hey”, “What’s Up?” or “Hola” anymore, everyone just did a Ctrl + V on “Did you get tickets to Coldplay?”. The excitement was real.

Fans were placed on mile-long queues, but there was no whining – just hoping. They flooded the ticketing site patiently, which as you would’ve guessed, caused the system to crash – leaving Coldplay loyalists, newbies, and FOMO-feelers with error messages and broken links instead of QR codes to one of the biggest shows to come to the UAE, ever.

Known for their electrifying, soul-stirring performances and timeless hits that invariably become household tunes, The Grammy Award-winning group were initially only scheduled to play in the capital on Saturday, January 11 at Zayed Sports City. That soon turned into a second, third and fourth show, with unprecedented demand resulting in fan frenzy that required January 9, 12 and 14 to be added to their touring schedule – bringing us a whole week of Coldplay in the capital. A special number of Infinity tickets were also released, to make the shows more accessible to fans. 

What makes Coldplay so special?

The UK band’s legacy is marked by their incredible influence on both contemporary music and pop culture, as well as their lasting impact on the live entertainment industry. Over nearly three decades, they’ve etched a place for themselves on the charts as one of the most successful and significant bands of this century (and while we’re only a silver jubilee in, we don’t see that changing anytime in the next 75 years).

If you asked someone what genre Coldplay belonged to, chances are you wouldn’t receive a point-blank response, and that’s because the supergroup have successfully transcended the limitations of their initial alternative rock style by tactfully integrating pop, electronica, orchestral and world music elements into their sounds – think Hymn for the Weekend. And let’s not even begin on their incredible music videos, that have racked up their own record numbers online and in terms of TV viewership (Speed of Sound a la summer of 2005 comes to mind, instantly).

To sum it up, they’re a little bit of everything, and a whole lot of legacy.

But we’re not just fanboying or fangirling. Coldplay is also one of the best-selling music groups in the world, with over 100 million albums sold to date. They guarantee a superhit, or five, when they put out an album as they dominate charts, radiowaves and casual conversation, and make it on everyone and their uncle’s list of things to experience before they kick the bucket. Albums such as Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Mylo Xyloto (2011), and A Head Full of Dreams (2015) have become cultural phenomena, and have been acclaimed for their insurmountable reach across generations, age groups and continents.

What can you look forward to in Abu Dhabi?

On its way is a mesmerising show, to say the least.

Like we briefly mentioned before, a Coldplay concert is as much of a visual spectacle as it is a musical treat. Their live shows are renowned for their spectacular light displays, which’ve unsurprisingly become one of the defining features of their sell-out performances. They achieve this with wearable LED bracelets that are handed out to every concert-goer, known as Xylobands – something that’s become a keepsake for people that’ve been to a Coldplay show (we’re guilty of this, ourselves). Lights flash, pulse, change colours, and even form patterns across the audience, amplifying the emotional impact of the music – now imagine that with a capacity crowd in attendance, singing along to some of the most popular tracks in music history. You can visualise it all you want, but you’ll need to be there to see it and feel it. Add in innovative lighting design, arena-style jumbotron screens, jaw-dropping visuals and supreme stage effects – yes, we weren’t kidding when we said you need to add this show to your bucket list.

If you meant the music, you can expect all of their greatest hits and more.

Head to Zayed Sports City this weekend, for a setlist that will likely include a thrilling mix of classics such as Sky Full of Stars, Hymn for the Weekend, Yellow, Clocks, Fix You, Speed of Sound, and newer tracks from Music of the Spheres, including My Universe and Higher Power. Tear-jerkers, near-depressing notes and high-energy, evergreen classics will have you feeling a rush of adrenaline, euphoria, and collective energy that, irrespective of our literary excellence, is difficult to define in print. All we can say is, you’ll need to be along for the ride as the band explores themes of love, hope, human connection and life itself, right here in the heart of Abu Dhabi.

Images: What’s On archive, supplied

The Coldplay announcement just underlines how Abu Dhabi is turning into an entertainment and cultural behemoth in the UAE, region, and globally.

Exciting times ahead for the capital city – but for now, it’s showtime, baby…

Coldplay: Music Of The Spheres World Tour, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, Jan 9, 11, 12 and 14, 2025. @coldplay