Coldplay’s much anticipated concert that broke the internet over the weekend is happening tonight–and even if you didn’t manage to get tickets, you can watch it for free from home.
The beloved band is playing a show with very limited spaces (too limited, some might say!) at Al Wasl Plaza on February 15th at 9pm—and it was free free for Expo 2020 Dubai ticket holders, with tickets going on sale on Saturday.
Want to watch it from home? Here’s how.
Stream it above, or head to the Coldplay Infinity Nights site on Expo 2020’s virtual site, Expo 2020’s Facebook page and Oculus VR.
Be careful about second-hand tickets online, as each ticket is equipped with a QR code, and if someone else scans it, your ticket is worthless. At this point, it’s best to stay home and, get together with some friends watch it on the biggest screen possible.
Coldplay at Expo 2020
The Chris Martin-fronted group is that latest to be showcased in the monthly Infinite Nights concert series, which previously featured Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Nancy Ajram, Ragheb Alama, and Kadim Al Sahir.
If you can’t make it to Expo, don’t worry—the show will be streamed to a global audience through Expo 2020 Dubai’s social and video channels.
“Join Coldplay as they bring the world together with their never-before-seen show regionally premiering their new album and highlighting the importance of protecting the planet in line with Expo’s sub-theme of Sustainability. Booking will be available for free as of 21:00 GST on 12 February, for those wanting to attend in person at Al Wasl Dome on 15 February. Tickets are required for entry to the show,” says the official announcement from Expo 2020 Dubai.
Coldplay has a long history in the UAE
Coldplay, while globally popular, enjoys a particularly close relationship to the UAE, having played New Year’s Eve concerts in 2011 and 2016, which many people in the UAE count amongst their favourite concerts ever held in the country.
If it feels like you heard some Coldplay songs in the UAE recently, no your memory isn’t deceiving you—Chris Martin performed a solo show in October 2021 for Armani’s One Night Only in Dubai event.
Expo 2020 Dubai and Coldplay are a natural fit—Expo 2020’s main theme is sustainability, and Coldplay has made it the mission of their current tour to be eco-friendly, with principles that centre around ‘reduce, reinvent, and restore’, according to their website, with a pledge to cut their direct CO2 emissions by 50 per cent compared to their previous tour, with a focus on sustainable biofuels, solar, barriers, kinetic energy and grid renewables. They’re also avoiding flying as much as possible, paying a surcharge to use or supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel when they do have to fly.
Coldplay has long been a fan of the region, playing Jordan for the first time in 2019 with an album that was heavily inspired by Arab culture.
The video for Arabesque for example has “salam wa habb” (peace in love) written in the top corner. Another song on the album is set to be Bandi Adam, which means Child of Adam in English.