Music of the Spheres World Tour

Lore & Background

Coldplay announced the first shows on 14 October 2021, a day before Music of the Spheres was released. Similar to the Mylo Xyloto Tour (2011–2012), production elements involved pyrotechnics, confetti and lasers. However, adaptations were done to cut their carbon footprint. Other ideas included crafting the first rechargeable mobile show battery in the world with BMW and planting a tree for every ticket sold. Emissions fell by 59% in comparison to the group's previous tour, leading Time to rank Coldplay among the most influential climate action leaders. Pollstar stated that they have ushered in 'a new era of sustainable touring'.

In Their Own Story

The air hums with a low frequency as the giant sphere above the stage begins to rotate, casting shifting shadows across the sea of waving glowsticks. A hush falls over the stadium, not out of silence, but in shared anticipation of the first note. As the opening chords strike, the kinetic floor beneath the crowd's feet lights up, a ripple of blue energy spreading outward with every step and jump. The band members appear on floating platforms that seem to drift like asteroids against the backdrop of a digital galaxy. In this moment, the boundary between earth and sky dissolves; there is only the music, the light, and the collective heartbeat of thousands moving as one.

Reader's Guide

The stage was developed in a collaboration between production designer Misty Buckley and lighting designer Sooner Routhier, with Coldplay giving their own input in every aspect of the project. They were inspired by the musica universalis philosophy of ancient Greece, unfolding spherical patterns out from the stage in numerous directions. The final design showed two 14-metre circular screens, four inflatable LED spheres and the Moonrise, an arched video wall spanning 44 metres wide and 6 metres high. For the ground structure, TAIT Towers built three round stages linked by runways. Along with BMW, the band set up the first rechargeable mobile show battery in the world. It was powered by wind turbines installed on delay towers, solar blankets laid on empty seats and hydrotreated vegetable oil. Two kinetic floors and at least 15 stationary bicycles were arranged to interact with the public. The band moved from Xylobands to PixMob wristbands made of sugarcane, minimising production by collecting, sterilising and refurbishing them.

Did You Know?

• The tour grossed $1.52 billion from 13.1 million tickets, becoming the most-attended tour of all time and the first by a band to collect $1 billion.
• A concert film, Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate, was released in cinemas in 2023, featuring performances in Buenos Aires.
• Coldplay used around 30 trucks and 10 buses for stage and equipment, with the fleet consisting of electric vehicles or fueled with biofuel whenever possible.
• The tour spanned 225 dates in 80 cities across 43 countries, but no shows in Africa are mentioned in the source.