It was supposed to be “A Sky Full of Stars,” but for many Coldplay fans, the band’s latest announcement felt a lot more like being “Swallowed in the Sea.”
The globally adored group, currently on their record-breaking Music of the Spheres World Tour, took to Instagram on Saturday with a message that sent a shockwave through their dedicated fanbase and has left thousands of ticket-holders scrambling.
In an official statement posted to their Instagram, Coldplay made an announcement about final two shows of their massive 10-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium.
“We’re sorry to announce that, due to planned industrial action on the London Underground, we’ve been forced to reschedule our final two concerts of the current Wembley Stadium run,” the band shared in their post. They explained that without the city’s Tube service, “it’s impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7th and 8th September.”
The RMT union announced a seven-day rolling strike set to begin on Friday, Sept. 5, over ongoing disputes regarding managing fatigue, fair pay, and “extreme” shift patterns, according to The BBC.
The band emphasized their desire to avoid canceling the shows entirely, stating that rescheduling was their “only option.”
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The news was met with a wave of emotion from fans, many of whom had been planning their trips for months.
“Gutted!!!! Can’t go to the rescheduled date & been wanting to see them for years!!!!” one fan wrote.
Another shared their international travel woes, commenting, “heartbroken Pakistani here,” adding, “both [new] dates don’t suit my travel itinerary now.”
“Big sympathy to those who were travelling large distances to make it as this is heartbreaking,” one user commented. “But also please don’t blame the band! Industrial action is always scheduled to make the most impact this definitely will do that.”
Despite the disappointment, the fan community is already rallying together. Many have started using the comments to organize ticket swaps, trying to ensure that as few fans as possible miss out.
One fan posted, “Flew from Australia to London for the show and will be back in Aus before the rescheduled concert 🥲” and was immediately met with a stranger’s kindness.
“I live in ldn and have tickets to the Sunday show which is now on Saturday. If it helps I don’t mind swapping mine to the Friday show so you can still go on Saturday?” a fellow fan wrote in a comment that garnered over 700 likes in 3 hours.
The Music of the Spheres tour is more than just a concert—it is a global phenomenon. It has officially become the most-attended concert tour of all time, according to Guinness World Records. The tour is setting a second record, as well, for the most performances at the iconic Wembley Stadium in a year, as BBC reports their 10 nights (including the two rescheduled dates) replace the joint record of eight previously shared by Take That and Taylor Swift.
The Sunday, Sept. 7 Wembley show will now take place on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Monday, Sept. 8 performance has been moved to Friday, Sept. 12. All original tickets will remain valid for the new dates. For those who cannot make the rescheduled dates, a full refund is available, though the band requested that ticket holders contact their point of purchase before noon on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Any returned tickets will then go on sale at 11am BST on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The band’s other scheduled Wembley shows on Aug. 30, Aug. 31, Sept. 3, and Sept. 4 are still set to go ahead as planned.