5 of the most epic Coldplay shows ever performed

From the Glastonbury stage to Los Angeles' KROQ, Coldplay spreads musical magic everywhere
Coldplay
Photo credit Getty Images
By and , Audacy

It’s a special day as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is celebrating his 45th birthday!

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With millions of fans around the world, dozens and dozens of accolades and awards, Chris Martin certainly has a lot to celebrate from his time with Coldplay.

Perhaps there’s no greater celebration of Martin and his contributions than when we get the chance to see him perform music live on stage. With over 25 years as a band, Coldplay have cemented themselves as one of the finest live acts in music.

Sure, you can spend all day arguing about the best Coldplay songs, best Coldplay albums, or the best Coldplay music videos, but that's no fun.

They’ve performed on all types of stages throughout their storied career, but several shows stand out above the rest. As we celebrate Chris Martin’s birthday, take a look at 5 of the most epic Coldplay shows ever performed.

5 Coldplay headlines Glastonbury, 2002

This set marks the first time the band played the famed UK festival. Initially, The Strokes were supposed to play this headlining spot, but Coldplay stepped in at the last minute. It's one of the biggest music festivals in the world and Coldplay proved they were big enough to rise to the occasion.

4 Live 8 at London's Hyde Park, 2005

Organized by Sir Bon Geldof and The Band Aid Trust, Live 8 aimed to fight global poverty. During this benefit show, Richard Ashcroft performed “Bitter Sweet Symphony” with Coldplay. Their set came just a month after they released their third studio album X&Y as Coldplay was riding a tidal wave of momentum into the show.

Coldplay
Photo credit (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

3 The Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show, 2016

It’s hard to top a performance that boasts mind-blowing technical production, as well as appearances from Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, but somehow Coldplay has managed to continue to top their Super Bowl 50 set. Their Halftime Show was watched by a remarkable 115.5 million viewers. Watch the performance here.

2 Coldplay plays Glastonbury for a final Pyramid set, 2016

In 2016, the band closed out the beloved UK festival and delivered what is considered one of their best performances ever. Their performance came months after they released their hit album A Head Full of Dreams, which was a commercial success in the UK having gone number one. After this set, Coldplay was deemed “too big” for Glasto by NME.

1 KROQ’s HD Radio Sound Space, 2020

In January of 2020, Coldplay opened KROQ’s new performance space in Los Angeles, providing a glowing and intimate show for the band’s most dedicated fans. The show harkened back to simpler times when both Coldplay and KROQ were just starting out. Magic was captured that evening as Coldplay proved their ability to capture the musical imaginations of any room, whether there's 50 or 50,000 people in attendance.

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