Coldplay frontman Chris Martin kicked off the band’s final performance in India at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Republic Day with a heartfelt greeting to the crowd. “Happy Republic Day, India!” he exclaimed before singing the patriotic anthem “Vande Mataram,” which resonated with fans as they lit up the stadium with their phone flashlights.
The concert, which was streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar, saw an electric atmosphere inside the stadium, which can hold over 1.25 lakh people. The show started promptly at 8 pm, with Martin, dressed in a sea-blue T-shirt and jeans, opening with “High Power.” The crowd joined in as they sang along to the band’s hits, including “Adventure of a Lifetime” and “Paradise.”
Taking a brief break from the music, Martin addressed the audience in Hindi, thanking them for attending from various parts of the country. “Dhanyawaad pyaare dosto. Aap sab ka bohat swagat hai hamare show me,” he said, which was met with loud cheers.
Martin also greeted Indian fans on the occasion of the nation’s 76th Republic Day. “We are so happy to be here, so grateful to be here. Happy Republic Day to everybody in India,” he said. “We know how lucky we are to play in your beautiful country, especially on a day when all the planets are aligned, and we have the best audience in the best stadium in the whole wide world.”
The singer delighted fans with a surprise performance of A.R. Rahman’s 1997 track “Maa Tujhe Salaam,” maintaining the high energy throughout the show. He interacted with the crowd, acknowledging signs and song requests. Hits like “Yellow,” “Charlie Brown,” “Clocks,” “People of the Pride,” “Hymn for the Weekend,” and “Viva La Vida” kept the audience engaged.
During “Everglow,” Martin invited a young couple onto the stage to sing the song with him, representing every concertgoer in the crowd. In another playful moment, Martin customized the lyrics of “Yellow” to include personalised lines for fans shown on the screen.
A highlight of the evening came when Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah was spotted in the crowd. Martin changed the lyrics of “Yellow” to honour Bumrah’s cricketing accomplishments, singing, “Well Jasprit, my beautiful brother. The best bowler in the whole of cricket. We do not enjoy watching you destroy England with wicket after wicket.”
The crowd cheered as clips of Bumrah’s wickets played on the big screen. The band had hinted at Bumrah’s presence earlier when his jersey, number 93, was draped over the piano.
As the concert neared its end, Martin performed the band’s iconic hits, including “My Universe,” “A Sky Full of Stars,” “Fix You,” “Good Feelings,” and “Feelslikeimfallinginlove.” He thanked the fans for their warmth, saying, “Thank you for letting us feel what it’s like to be an Indian. We had the best time and we are going to miss you.”
The concert ended with a spectacular fireworks display, leaving the audience in awe as the screen behind Martin displayed the message: “Believe in Love.”
This performance marked Coldplay’s final show in India as part of their ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour.’ The band had earlier performed in Mumbai at three sold-out concerts. Coldplay last visited India in 2016 for the Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai.
With the Ahmedabad show, the British rock band, consisting of guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey, wrapped up their India leg of the tour.