Coldplay now set to play record-setting three shows in Abu Dhabi: This is how to get tickets

British band are set to play Zayed Sports Stadium on three nights in January

Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin will be perming be performing live in Abu Dhabi on three consecutive nights. AP

It is three times lucky for Coldplay fans in the UAE, with the British group now set to play three shows at Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi in January.

Promoters Live Nation Middle East have announced that the band will now be playing in the UAE capital on January 11, 12 and 14. Tickets for the first two shows are nearly sold out. Tickets for the third concert will be available through Live Nation Middle East's pre-sale at noon on September 26, with a general release at noon on September 27.

The three concerts are perhaps already one of the most anticipated and in-demand events in the country, with fans waiting hours in online ticketing queues reaching nearly 200,000 people at the peak.

With an estimated capacity of more than 40,000, Zayed Sports City Stadium will host the largest open-air concerts the UAE has seen, trumping Ed Sheeran’s two gigs at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium in January this year.

The Rolling Stones perform at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi in 2014. Lee Hoagland / The National

The Coldplay gigs will be the latest in a string of other famous live music events in the UAE, from The Rolling Stones and Rihanna at Etihad Park to Guns N’ Roses and One Direction at Dubai’s Autism Rocks Arena.

Coldplay's concerts will also continue their love affair with Abu Dhabi, having played in the UAE capital three times previously. These included two New Year's Eve gigs in 2011 and 2016, at the Abu Dhabi Corniche and Etihad Park respectively, as well as their rain-soaked debut performance at Emirates Palace in 2009. They also performed at Expo 2020 Dubai in 2022.

Their coming shows will also be the first stand-alone concerts at Zayed Sports City Stadium since George Michael and Alicia Keys's sold-out show in 2008.

Here is what else you need to know about Coldplay’s concerts.

Who is opening for Coldplay in Abu Dhabi?

Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna songs have global influences. Photo: Universal Arabic Music

Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna is set to open, continuing the blossoming relationship between the two popular acts. This year, the singer, 22, joined Chris Martin and company on stage during their headline set at Glastonbury to sing their 2019 song Arabesque.

Elyanna commented on Instagram: “Opening for Coldplay in January is a dream.”

Last week, Coldplay and Elyanna released an Arabic version of the group's song We Pray, collaborating with artists Little Simz, Burna Boy and TINI. Coldplay have a history of collaborating with Palestinian artists, releasing Everyday Life with Le Trio Joubran in 2021.

What is the seating map?

Categories are broken down in the seating map below.

Coldplay's show at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports Stadium features a large standing area near the stage. Photo: Live Nation Middle East

Are there limitations on tickets?

There is a limit of four tickets per person and per credit card, which, according to Live Nation, is to ensure a fair opportunity to “witness history in the making” for all of the band's fans. In addition, if multiple orders are made with the same name, email address, billing address or card, orders may be cancelled.

Those under the age of five will not be allowed into the show, and no one under 14 will be allowed into the standing area on the stadium's pitch. All guests under the age of 16 must attend with someone aged 21 or older.

Tickets will be mobile-only and only accessible 72 hours before the show via the Ticketmaster app. No tickets will be released via email or print, and the venue will not be accessible with printed tickets.

What is the theme of the tour?

Coldplay will return to the UAE on the back of their Music of the Spheres World Tour, named after their ninth album, which they have been playing in stadiums since 2022. It is the band's most extensive tour to date, having played in front of more than nine million people in more than 30 countries. According to trade publication Billboard, it is the biggest rock tour of all time and has already grossed more than $945 million.

The tour is also notable for its sustainability efforts, aiming to minimise the group's carbon footprint. The band have made several eco-conscious decisions, such as constructing stages from low-carbon, reusable and recycled materials; using low-energy LED lighting; minimisation of private flights; and setting up kinetic dance floors in venues where the movement of the audience will be registered and converted to energy contributing to power the show.

Coldplay have kept fans and peers aware of their progress by sharing annual reports tracking the tour's sustainability efforts. According to the most recent update, issued in June, Coldplay reported the direct CO2 emissions from the first two years of the Music of the Spheres tour are 59 per cent lower than their previous stadium tour in 2016/17 on a show-by-show comparison.