Coldplay fans in the UAE rejoiced when they heard the British band would be performing at Expo 2020 Dubai on February 15, but it soon became a battle for the tickets, as limited capacity regulations are in place.
While entry to Al Wasl Plaza, where the Higher Power stars will take the stage, is free with an Expo pass — the same rule for all past concerts — the event booked up fast, and it didn't take long before touts started posting adverts on Dubizzle, the online classifieds platform, to sell them for Dh400 to Dh600 ($108 to $163).
Expo 2020 Dubai quickly warned visitors against buying tickets from fraudsters who are taking advantage of the free event.
Each ticket has a unique QR code that can be used only once. Organisers said anyone who tried to enter the venue with a code that had already been used would be turned away.
While those in the country may be disappointed by not being able to attend in person, there are other ways to catch the on-stage action live.
Expo ticket holders, for example, can watch the show on the giant screens on-site. These are located at Jubilee Park, Festival Garden and Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, where access is granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Whenever we put it on [virtually] and on Expo TV, we augment it slightly, so you get a few hidden extras. So don't feel that you're missing out; it's actually a very nice way to watch the performance
Sconaid McGeachin,
senior vice president of communications
Screens have also been placed close to Al Wasl Plaza — which will be sealed off during the show — so fans can hear the action while watching it on screen.
"We're also putting up relay screens on the avenues leading into Al Wasl, so you'll be able to look towards Al Wasl, see all the light show and be able to hear it from there and watch it on a screen as well as be able to see up close what's going on on the stage," said Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications.
She advises those who don't have passes for the concert, which starts at 9pm, to come early.
Those at home can also watch a live stream on VirtualExpoDubai.com, Expo TV on YouTube, Expo 2020’s Facebook page and Oculus VR.
"Whenever we put it on [virtually] and on Expo TV, we augment it slightly, so you get a few hidden extras. So don't feel that you're missing out; it's actually a very nice way to watch the performance and enjoy and be part of it there," said McGeachin.
Most major events and performances at Expo are being broadcast to the world via livestream.
Expo's dazzling opening ceremony raked in the highest views at six million.
See photos of Expo 2020 Dubai's opening ceremony here:
More than three million viewed Alicia Keys' concert in December as she debuted her new double album, Keys, as part of the monthly Infinite Nights series, which the Coldplay gig is also a part of.
These performances focus on themes tied to the world’s fair, with other past acts including Kadim Al Sahir, Nancy Ajram and Ragheb Alama and Black Eyed Peas.
This is not the first time Coldplay have performed in the UAE. They played New Year's Eve concerts in Abu Dhabi in 2011 and 2016, and frontman Chris Martin returned to Dubai in October 2021 to perform at Armani's One Night Only in Dubai event.
At Expo, the band will showcase songs from their new album Music of the Spheres in a never-before-seen show ahead of the start of their world tour in March.
The concert also promises "special guests".
See photos of Alicia Keys' Expo Dubai 2020 concert here:
Coldplay is aligned with Expo's sub-theme of sustainability, after they pledged to make the Music of the Spheres Tour as eco-friendly and low carbon as possible.
The band's sustainability tour plan examines everything from power usage and materials sourced to build the stage, to the kind of food and beverages served.
In December, consultant Paul Schurink, the founder of Zap Concepts, who has co-designed the band's world tour in 2022, told The National they intend to cut their direct emissions by 50 per cent, compared to their previous 2016-2017 tour.
These measures are broadly outlined on Coldplay’s website.
Recently, Martin also told BBC Radio 2 that Coldplay will not record any more music as a band after 2025. The group's lead singer said they would release their last record that year and plan to "only tour" after that.
See photos of Black Eyed Peas's Expo 2020 Dubai concert here:
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AT%20A%20GLANCE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWindfall%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAn%20%E2%80%9Cenergy%20profits%20levy%E2%80%9D%20to%20raise%20about%20%C2%A35%20billion%20in%20a%20year.%20The%20temporary%20one-off%20tax%20will%20hit%20oil%20and%20gas%20firms%20by%2025%20per%20cent%20on%20extraordinary%20profits.%20An%2080%20per%20cent%20investment%20allowance%20should%20calm%20Conservative%20nerves%20that%20the%20move%20will%20dent%20North%20Sea%20firms%E2%80%99%20investment%20to%20save%20them%2091p%20for%20every%20%C2%A31%20they%20spend.%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EA%20universal%20grant%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEnergy%20bills%20discount%2C%20which%20was%20effectively%20a%20%C2%A3200%20loan%2C%20has%20doubled%20to%20a%20%C2%A3400%20discount%20on%20bills%20for%20all%20households%20from%20October%20that%20will%20not%20need%20to%20be%20paid%20back.%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETargeted%20measures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMore%20than%20eight%20million%20of%20the%20lowest%20income%20households%20will%20receive%20a%20%C2%A3650%20one-off%20payment.%20It%20will%20apply%20to%20households%20on%20Universal%20Credit%2C%20Tax%20Credits%2C%20Pension%20Credit%20and%20legacy%20benefits.%3Cbr%3ESeparate%20one-off%20payments%20of%20%C2%A3300%20will%20go%20to%20pensioners%20and%20%C2%A3150%20for%20those%20receiving%20disability%20benefits.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Sweet%20Tooth
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
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Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
