Coldplay has expressed its deep regret after being compelled to reschedule the final two dates of its 10-show stint at Wembley Stadium due to strikes on the London Underground. The Fix You hitmakers, led by Chris Martin, explained that the strikes, involving Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members on the Tube taking industrial action intermittently from 5 September for seven days, have made it impossible for the concerts scheduled for 7 and 8 September to proceed.
In a statement shared on social media, the band announced: “We’re sorry to announce that, due to planned industrial action on the London Underground, we’ve been forced to reschedule our final two concerts of the current Wembley Stadium run. Without a Tube service, it’s impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7th and 8th September. To avoid cancelling the shows, our only option is to reschedule.”
The band has confirmed that the shows scheduled for 30 August, 31 August, 3 September and 4 September will proceed as planned.
Coldplay is set to make history by becoming the first act to perform 10 dates at Wembley Stadium within a single year, surpassing the joint record of eight shows held by Taylor Swift and Take That.
So far, the concerts, which form part of the band’s Music of the Spheres world tour, have featured performances of hits such as Paradise, Trouble and We Pray.
A generous 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley gigs will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, in an effort to support grassroots UK venues and emerging artists.
The group confirmed that the concert on 7 September would be moved to 6 September and the concert on 8 September would be shifted to 12 September.
The band further added: “We’re very sorry for the inevitable disappointment, frustration and inconvenience that this situation causes.”
Coldplay assured fans that tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled date, but any fans who are unable to attend their rescheduled show can obtain a full refund on their ticket from their point of purchase before noon on 2 September.
Returned tickets will be available for general sale at 11am on 3 September via Ticketmaster.