Coldplay end 10-show Wembley run with record crowds, dazzling chaos, and emotional fan tributes

Coldplay closed their record-breaking run of 10 Wembley Stadium shows on Friday night with a kaleidoscopic celebration of music, light and sheer spectacle. The finale of the London stretch of their Music of the Spheres tour marked a milestone not just for the band, but for live music itself. With more than 12 million tickets sold worldwide, the four-year tour is now officially the highest-attended in history.

More than 800,000 fans passed through Wembley’s gates during the London residency. Friday’s final show had been postponed by almost a week after a strike by London transport workers, a disruption that Chris Martin addressed with typical humour. “I know it caused a lot of inconvenience for a lot of you,” he told the crowd, before promising: “In return, we’re going to play a show fifteen times better than any show we’ve ever played before.”

The night was a feast for the senses. Confetti rained, lasers cut across the sky, inflatables spun overhead, and LED wristbands transformed the audience into a living canvas of shifting colour. At one point, Martin even led a jubilant cover of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, joking that it was his car-park warm-up track.

Coldplay have become the first band to power a Wembley concert entirely with renewable energy, eliminating the need for generators. Yet the green credentials were only one part of the story. The shows are built on their trademark blend of intimacy and scale. Martin repeatedly called out individuals in the crowd, declaring “I see you” to fans clutching flags or lit-up costumes in the highest seats.

Special guests added more texture to the spectacle. Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Orchestra brought youthful exuberance to Viva La Vida and Feels Like I’m Falling in Love, while Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna stole the spotlight on We Pray. In between, Martin injected the set with playful spontaneity, randomly breaking into Oasis lyrics, celebrating guitarist Jonny Buckland’s 48th birthday with a Lego Batmobile, and promising a million pounds if it was built before the band played Fix You.

The setlist stretched across the group’s 25-year career, weaving in classics like Yellow, Paradise and The Scientist with fresh material. Something Just Like This, often maligned on record, turned into a euphoric mini-rave, while Fix You swelled into a majestic finale. Fans also witnessed the live debut of Jupiter, a deep cut from the Music of the Spheres album.

Humour, too, played its part. At one point, Martin recalled the viral incident in which a US concertgoer was caught in an embrace with a colleague on the jumbotron, an improvised serenade that reportedly led to a divorce. “Whatever happens here, stays here,” he quipped, warning Friday’s crowd.

The emotional climax came in the encore, when thousands of fans raised paper red hearts above their heads during All My Love. The gesture, organised secretly online by a German fan, reduced many in the stadium to tears.

Coldplay now step away for a long-planned break. Martin has already confirmed the band will release one final album before retiring from recording, though touring will continue. “The Coldplay catalogue finishes then,” he said in a past interview, hinting that the road will remain their true home.

Judging by the energy at Wembley, the appetite for Coldplay shows is far from waning. Their mix of meticulous planning, spontaneous humour and a genuine bond with their fans has turned them into the world’s biggest live act. After 10 unforgettable nights in London, the record books have been rewritten — and Coldplay’s legacy as stadium kings is firmly sealed.