Though the band can often prove to be quite divisive, I’ve always been pretty Coldplay neutral. I’ve rarely found reasons to get excited about them, but nor have I ever quite understood the hate they garner from some corners. Yet even their most steadfast detractors will concede the point that they put on a great live show. Vibrant, colourful, collaborative, life-affirming. One of the grandest spectacles in live music, though not without the occasional quiet, personal moments to boot. With that in mind, I felt the most excited I’ve ever been about Coldplay, when I did a double take at the news that the band would be playing in Hull. It’s always a thrill when one of the biggest live acts in the world practically plays on your doorstep, in what is likely one of the more intimate settings they’ve played in recent years. What sealed the deal for me though was the announcement that a sizeable chunk of tickets would be reserved for local fans, and that a share of proceeds from the shows would go to support Music Venue Trust. Seeing a high profile band championing forgotten communities and grassroots music like that was something I felt the need to celebrate, and so I was one of the lucky few locals gathered for this special occasion.

Local news had been hyping up the event for months, and half the city’s buses had been commandeered on the day to help ferry fans to and from Craven Park. Even then it felt like I was watching a near constant line of people from the bus window, all adorned in glitter and bright colours, walking in the direction of the stadium. Streets flooded with foot traffic, admirably organised by a small army of staff and volunteers. Once finally making it inside we were all given our light-up wristbands and a pair of 3D glasses to suit up for the show, and were left to wander a small village worth of food stalls, bars and merch stands, before heading into the stadium proper. 

Getting there early to secure a good spot meant a lot of waiting and anticipation for the main event, but thankfully some entertainment had been provided. Playing on a loop on the main screens were a series of mini documentaries about all the charitable causes that ticket fees go to support, including reforestation, conservation, ocean clean-up and the aforementioned MVT. These were occasionally interrupted with live footage of fans jumping on the clean energy stations at the back of the stadium. Cycling on exercise bikes and dancing around on kinetic floors to provide renewable energy to help power the show. Truth be told, I found these dance parties more entertaining than the opening acts. Rapper Chiedu Oraka and R&B artist Ayra Starr both felt like the wrong vibe for the evening and garnered a bit of a lukewarm reaction. The former was at least a local lad, and was clearly energized by playing his biggest ever hometown show. Lukewarm was a distant dream however when it came to the weather, with some lovely Yorkshire drizzle setting in for the night just before the main event kicked off. 

Odd as it sounds, in all my years of gigs, I’ve never been to a show with fireworks. My one wish for the evening was to tick that off my bucket list – if anyone was gonna end their show with a bang, it would be Coldplay. Lo and behold, as the band greeted the crowd and took their positions, the opening bars of ‘Higher Power’ were met with a burst of fireworks above the stage. Not only was my wish granted, but it set the tone for the evening to follow. As the beginning of the set shifted through ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ into ‘Paradise’ and beyond, fireworks sparked overhead, plumes of confetti drifted in the breeze, giant inflatable balls bounced around the stadium, extra hidden screens and mirrorballs rose into view above the stage, and the wristbands illuminated the crowd like some kaleidoscopic galaxy. There was no saving it all for the big finale, the show pulled out all the stops at every opportunity. 

The first half of the show rattled through a number of fan favourites, including ‘The Scientist’, ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Yellow’. ‘Viva La Vida’ saw the band clustered on the B stage, performing in the round at the end of the catwalk, earning the biggest sing-along moment of the night, all as the rain falling through the path of the spotlights added to the drama. Shortly thereafter came the most spellbinding moment of the night, as a superfan who had flown solo all the way from China was invited up on stage. He joined frontman Chris Martin at the piano, and the pair sang the fan’s favourite song ‘True Love’, which the band had not performed in over a decade.

Though the latter half of the set largely consisted of newer, less familiar material, it still had its fair share of crowd pleasing moments. It had the band out on the catwalk with futuristic alien masks and glowing cyberpunk instruments, as well as the crowd finally donning our 3D glasses, which made all the lights and fireworks shine in dazzling star shaped patterns. It also saw Chris lampshading the recent viral “kiss cam” video. As the band’s jumbotron camera fired up, he warned anyone there with someone they shouldn’t be to pre-emptively duck, before highlighting a handful of fans in the crowd one by one and playfully singing impromptu songs about them. 

After being all go for a good couple of hours, the set ended on a tender note, with the sweet piano balladry of ‘All My Love’. The final fireworks saved as a parting gift, as the big screens rolled a long list of credits, listing every last crew member that made the show possible. Little moments like that – appreciation for their team, for their fans, and using their position to support worthy causes – instilled in me a lot of good will for the band. That said, the night would not have felt as special as it did were it just another show in London or Manchester. I’ve always been a proponent of the notion “why be just another show in the same major city as everyone else, when you can visit a forgotten corner and put on the biggest show around”. Seeing how this show brought Hull and the surrounding area together, and lifted them up, was in many ways the best part of the whole experience. It felt like a transformative couple of nights for the area; a real show to remember. Hopefully Coldplay have broken the seal, and in the near future we have more world class gigs in Hull, and more cities and towns like it off the beaten track are given their moment to shine.