Coldplay made history on Saturday night when they took to the iconic Glastonbury stage.
The band became the first band to headline Glastonbury five times. It was the first time a British band had played the Pyramid Stage since 2016, overtaking The Cure, who had previously headlined four times. They were due to take the stage at 9.45pm but arrived late.
Coldplay was definitely worth the wait. The band whisked Little Simz and Burna Boy off the stage to sing a duet with Palestinian singer Elianna. Not only that, towards the end of the set, Coldplay brought Back to the Future legend Michael J. Fox onto the stage.
The actor came onto the stage in a wheelchair in front of the enthusiastic audience and played guitar while Coldplay performed the final few songs of the night. Chris even gave a speech thanking Michael at one point, telling the audience: ‘Thank you to our eternal hero, Michael J. Fox.’
The Millers team at Worthy Farm discovered staff huddled on the stage whilst fans waited for the band to play – during this time the audience suddenly began singing along, belting out a version of Hey Jude. Finally the technicians left the stage and a four-minute countdown was displayed on the screens. Coldplay began their performance at 10pm, 15 minutes late.
But celebrities in the audience remained elated, and Tom Cruise was photographed singing along with the crowd before Coldplay took to the stage. Just before Coldplay appeared, Simon Pegg and Gillian Anderson belted out Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Fans saw her take to the podium and teased the crowd by singing along.
The huge crowd didn’t mind Coldplay’s wait at all, as they immediately began playing one of their biggest hits, Yellow. Many in the audience wore wristbands that lit up in time with the stage lights. Fireworks and confetti cannons were also fired into the crowd during the Electric performance.
Frontman Chris Martin spoke in front of thousands of fans for the first time, saying, “Thank you for coming.” Singer-songwriter Victoria Canal sang and played piano with the band during the smash hit “Paradise.”
After the song, Chris showered the audience with praise, asking, “Can you see everyone in the lights?” You’re so beautiful,” he said, singing the chorus of the hit song with the audience. Chris then picked up the piano for the first time and began a performance of “The Scientist” by Coldplay.
However, some viewers were distracted by Chris’ accent. One person told X: “What’s up with Chris Martin’s accent?”, while another added: “Is it me or is Chris Martin’s accent very American?” One person commented: “Why does Chris Martin speak with an American accent?”, while a fourth wrote: “When Chris Martin speaks his accent is weird now. But he lives in Malibu, California so maybe that’s why. #Glastonbury” The first guest to appear during the set was Little Simz.
As the set began, fans at home couldn’t help but share their thoughts on social media. One wrote: “I love Coldplay but don’t get me wrong but headlining #Glastonbury 5 times is ridiculous. No band or artist should headline this often.
#Coldplay #ColdplayGlastonbury #Glastonbury24,” while another added: “If #Coldplay were playing in my garden I’d draw the curtains. How can #Glastonbury headline 5 times?!” and a third wrote: “So sad for the hundreds of thousands of people who paid good money for a boring headliner. #Glastonbury #Boring #SnoozeFest.”
But some fans were excited to see her return to the Farm. One wrote: “#Coldplay are and always will be absolutely incredible. “#Glastonbury,” one wrote, while another wrote, “Coldplay – 5 time headliners at #Glastonbury.” A third wrote, “Coldplay #Glastonbury #howgreatwillGlastonburywithColdplaylightupwristbands,” while a fourth wrote, “Coldplay maybe not.” It’s anyone’s guess who headlines Glastonbury but there’s no denying they are one of the greatest live acts in the world #Glastonbury.”