Coldplay pause touring until they can offer 'environmentally beneficial' concerts

British group delay tour to support new album Everyday Life as they work towards developing carbon-neutral concerts

Coldplay have pledged to make any tour in support of their new album “actively beneficial” to the environment.

Frontman Chris Martin told BBC News that the British group was waiting to tour their new album, Everyday Life, so they can ensure such a tour is carbon neutral. “Our next tour will be the best possible version of a tour like that environmentally,” said Martin. “We would be disappointed if it’s not carbon neutral. We’ve done a lot of big tours at this point. How do we turn it around so it’s not so much taking as giving?”

Coldplay are the latest musical act to address the impact of touring on the environment. Billie Eilish has announced plans to make her world tour “as green as possible” by banning plastic straws, encouraging fans to bring refillable water bottles and providing comprehensive recycling facilities.

Every venue on the tour, commencing next March, will feature the “Billie Eilish Eco-Village”, where fans can learn about their role in the climate crisis. Those who pledge to fight the climate emergency with the organisation Global Citizen can earn free tickets to the sold-out shows.

The 1975 are working towards making their tours carbon-efficient and have pledged to plant a tree for every ticket sold to their UK arena tour in February. The British band have also stopped producing new T-shirts, instead screen-printing a new design over old merchandise stock.

Emma Banks, co-founder of leading tour agents Creative Artists Agency, questioned the need for musicians to tour at a scale that might require dozens of trucks to transport equipment. “While I certainly don’t want to be putting anybody out of business, I think we have to start being realistic and going, ‘OK, let’s just dial it down a bit,’” she told the BBC.

Music festivals are also facing pressure to go green. This year, Glastonbury banned the sale of single-use plastic bottles across its site, offering 850 water taps and dozens of water kiosks. More than 60 major festivals, including Reading, Leeds and Download, have pledged to go plastic-free by 2021.

Coldplay will play two shows in Jordan on 22 November, on the day their album is released, which will be streamed live. On 25 November, they play a one-off concert at the Natural History Museum in London, with all proceeds going to environmental law charity ClientEarth.

Contributor

Laura Snapes

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
'I made excuses': music industry frets over becoming carbon neutral
Coldplay and Massive Attack have pledged more environmentally sound tours this week – but given the financial and artistic importance of touring, the industry faces tough challenges

Lowri Ellcock

29, Nov, 2019 @12:41 PM

Article image
‘Working class people are getting priced out’: cost-of-living crisis spreads to live music
Prices for big gigs such as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles are sky high – and a combination of Brexit, Covid and ticket touts means they aren’t likely to fall

Rhian Jones

07, Feb, 2022 @7:00 AM

Article image
'It's really irresponsible': pop stars criticise fans over coronavirus inaction
Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello have all appealed to their millions of followers to take coronavirus more seriously, as other artists are criticised for continuing tours

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

17, Mar, 2020 @10:20 AM

Article image
'Time to rebel': Greta Thunberg adds voice to new song by the 1975
On band’s latest single, 16-year-old activist urges young people to act on climate emergency

Laura Snapes

24, Jul, 2019 @11:00 PM

Article image
Coldplay pledge 50% lower CO2 emissions on 2022 world tour
Band announce a range of initiatives to reduce energy consumption, including stadium floors that harness fans’ kinetic energy

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

14, Oct, 2021 @1:31 PM

Coldplay cheers EMI

The biggest selling album of 2005 from Coldplay and a surge in download revenues have spurred EMI to its first sales increase in five years.

21, Apr, 2006 @12:44 AM

Article image
Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline 2024 Glastonbury festival
Coldplay become act to headline most times with their fifth top slot, while Shania Twain is booked for the Sunday teatime ‘legend’ set as the lineup is announced

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

14, Mar, 2024 @8:00 AM

Article image
Glastonbury live-stream festival: Coldplay, Michael Kiwanuka and Haim to perform
Damon Albarn, Idles, Jorja Smith, Kano, Wolf Alice and Honey Dijon will also appear at Live at Worthy Farm, a ticketed virtual event on 22 May

Laura Snapes

31, Mar, 2021 @6:50 AM

Article image
Coldplay review – still the masters of the sweeping statement
Flanked by Femi Kuti, Arabic singers and a whale skeleton, Coldplay are successfully reinventing themselves but their politics remain too vague

Elle Hunt

26, Nov, 2019 @10:47 AM

Article image
Coldplay review – a barrage of hits and eye-popping spectacle
Music of the Spheres may have confused many fans, but the album gains depth with this inventive show

Alexis Petridis

13, Aug, 2022 @10:59 AM