Coldplay announces one-off, government-supported gig in Perth
For Coldplay fans, Perth will be paradise in November: it’s the only chance Aussie audiences will have to see them on their 2023 world tour.
British rock band Coldplay has taken a leaf out of the Piano Man’s book, by announcing its return to Australia will be a one-night only affair in a single capital city.
For the first time in six years, the band will play in Australia – yet fans will be forced to weigh up whether they’re willing to travel to Perth for the one-off gig, which will be held Saturday, November 18 at Optus Stadium.
The surprise decision mirrors Billy Joel’s one-off concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last year – and like the Piano Man’s gig, the Coldplay exclusivity deal was done in partnership with the state government.
Presented by Frontier Touring and the Victorian government, Joel’s MCG concert on December 11 last year was attended by about 76,000 people.
Similarly, the Western Australian government and Tourism WA have partnered with a major promoter to bring out the British quartet – known for hits including Paradise, Clocks, Speed of Sound and Yellow – as a blatant tourist drawcard to lure its many fans west.
Announced on Tuesday by promoter Live Nation, the publicity materials note that the exclusive show is “expected to drive thousands of visitors to Western Australia to experience an incredible performance, injecting millions into the local economy.”
In a statement, Coldplay said, “We’re so happy to be returning to Perth for an extra special one-off show at Optus Stadium on November 18th this year. It’s a huge deal for us and we’re massively looking forward to coming back to Western Australia. It’s been way too long.”
When the band last visited for six stadium concerts in December 2016, Perth was left off the itinerary; it has not played in the WA capital since 2009, when it played two nights at Burswood Dome.
Live Nation’s vice president of touring, Luke Hede, said in a statement: “This partnership with the Western Australian Government is set to make history, by bringing one of the world’s most iconic and successful bands, exclusively to Perth in 2023. It’s hard to think of a better city for Australians to see Coldplay’s spectacular Music of the Spheres show, while making a weekend of it in our country’s sunniest capital city.”
Since it began in March 2022, the band’s Music of the Spheres world tour has sold more than six million tickets across Europe, North America and Latin America.
A capacity crowd at Optus Stadium on November 18 will add about 60,000 tickets to that tally, when the headline act will be supported by pop artists Amy Shark and Thelma Plum.
General public tickets are on sale from Tuesday, May 16, with presale commencing a day earlier.
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