With Coldplay tickets sold out within minutes in some countries, many fans opted to fly to the UAE to see the British rock band put on a remarkable demonstration in Abu Dhabi. Those travelling from abroad revealed how much they spent on flight tickets and accommodation in comparison to a lot of enjoyment to their fill.
Two friends Amber Arora from Gurugram and Rajeev Aggarwal from Mumbai, in India, programmed instantly to travel to the UAE (Abu Dhabi) because of their much admiration for the Coldplay stars. No doubt, both of them could see them in India; however, the adventure out of emotions made them to travel so far. Both of them are ardent fans of this band. So, they were very excited when these shows were announced in India.”
This was their first time visit to the UAE, with a lot of spending. Weighing in terms of ecstasy, mirthfulness, and merriment they got, expenditure for the tour seemed immeasurable which covered flight tickets, accommodation etc. They used free shuttle bus service, as parking for vehicles at the venue was unavailable. Hotel prices were already high, coinciding with the four-night concert that started on January 9.
Both the friends saw the band live on the first night of the concert and would be heading back to their respective places soon. They had tried very hard to get tickets for the shows in India, but in vain. Both of them finally decided to travel to Abu Dhabi as per their deep-seated emotions.
‘Coldplay’ is a British rock band, formed in 1997 by University College London classmates Chris Martin (vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Buckland (guitar) and Guy Berryman (bass), along with drummer Will Champion. The band’s name comes from Tim Crompton, a student who was in the same university as the members (University College London) at the time.
They were previously known as ‘Pectoralz’, then changed their name to Starfish in 1997 before finally settling on the name Coldplay.
Once they issued their debut, Parachutes in 2000, many saw them as a Radiohead knock-off. No doubt, Coldplay’s sound —elegant, melodic, vaguely spacey and very dramatic — bore plenty of similarity to mid-1990s Radiohead. But the group’s hooks, sharpened by frontman Chris Martin’s ability to pull heartstrings, and their willingness to evolve their sound, gave Coldplay staying power.
The greatest examples are second album ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ (2002), which was generally considered to be musically and lyrically more mature and sophisticated, and less obviously the product of one particular influence, and the fourth one Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), where producer Brian Eno influenced the band to broaden their sound and led to various auditory landscapes.
Both won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and spawned successful singles such as “Clocks”, “Viva la Vida”, “In My Place”, “Violet Hill” and “The Scientist”. Coldplay also proved they can use truly rock sounds in their albums, as shown in X&Y, and juggle with more electronics albums like Mylo Xyloto, Ghost Stories or A Head Full of Dreams.
As a result, the band became one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium, with over 80 million albums sold. In spite of little vocal opposition, the band is considered to be constituted of good-mannered English boys, instead of any of the wild rockstars.
“Coldplay” are thought as either a punchline showing all that’s wrong with 21st century rock, or a really good if overplayed band with songs tailor made for stadium performances. Coldplay wowed Abu Dhabi in first sold-out show amid immense fireworks, screaming fans and more, where no selfie sticks, umbrellas etc were allowed.
The British band had kicked off their first night for their ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’ at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 9, and will also continue this weekend on January 11, 12, and 14, 2025.
As such, the first Coldplay concert of 2025 has officially kicked off in Abu Dhabi and the anticipation has been very great and real. From the moment the tickets dropped, counting down the days, shuttle buses, and finally—it happened. The energy, the crowd, the magic-Coldplay has kicked off new year 2025 in style.
The first night of the Music of the Spheres concert series in Abu Dhabi may have unfolded under a starless sky, but the true galaxy of stars lit up the stadium grounds. Near 50,000 fans in attendance, Coldplay weaved their winsome web of melodies to proving outright why ‘COLDPLAY’ is one of the greatest entertainers in the world presently.
Above all, the concert indeed propagated world peace, humanity and love among all audiences, spectators and viewers sitting very far or standing near. With a mesmerizing tone of a saintly preacher, lead vocalist Chris Martin taught all in tones for loving one another unreservedly. This and more made fans on their feet, waving their glow-up wristbands in the air to sparkle in the stadium like twinkling stars in the open sky. The band had opened the night with their iconic hit “Higher_”,_ setting the tone for an unforgettable occasion.
During his two-hour set, Chris Martin reminded fans about the harsh realities. From remembering the homes destroyed by the devastating LA fires to honoring the lives lost in global conflicts, there was compassion in each of the beats of the Coldplay.
However, Coldplay’s this tour was perfectly a joyous spectacle, a sensory feast of stunning visuals, fireworks, and music that propelled fans on their feet. The crowd, a sea of diverse faces united by the music, danced, sang, and swayed as if there are no worldly worries and miseries are there any more-amid such a heavenly bliss. World’s heavy weights got lifted like leaves and little blooms. Martin also attracted all with his attempt at speaking Arabic, incorporating popular greetings like “Shukran” and “Habibi”. He also expressed his excitement about performing in Abu Dhabi for the first time in 2025. Acknowledging the multi-cultural audience, he shared that this show is to everyone who came from Abu Dhabi, India, Dubai, Europe, Pakistan, Africa and more”.
His heartfelt interactions with the audience—a wave here, a thank-you there—created a sense of intimacy rare in mega-concerts. One particularly touching moment came when he invited an ardent fan from Pakistan on stage. She had traveled over 10,000 kilometers to watch the concert in Abu Dhabi, a fact proudly displayed on her poster. Chris not only called her up but made her feel like the most important person on the planet. He also spoke about how he had left LA when fires were engulfing the city, and hoped their song would bring peace all around the world. He turned each and every moment into a deeply personal and joyous celebration. It was indeed a reminder of Coldplay’s ability to make even the largest arenas feel intimate, proving that genuine connection can thrive in the most unexpected ways.
Educationist/Administrator/Editor/Author/Speaker
Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
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