As Singapore gears up for 6 Coldplay shows, Malaysians lament hardline opposition to UK band

Extended run is a major boost for Singapore’s 55,000-seat National Stadium, which was criticised for being a white elephant unable to attract top-tier events

Malaysia will host just one show, leading social media commentators to lament agitation by Islamic conservatives may have put off artists from staging gigs there

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Chris Martin of British band Coldplay performs at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on May 24, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:15pm, 20 Jun 2023Updated: 7:51pm, 20 Jun 2023

British rock band Coldplay will become the first-ever act to play for six nights at Singapore’s National Stadium, as overwhelming demand for tickets for next January’s shows compelled organisers to add two additional dates.

Concert promoter Live Nation said at midday on Tuesday that tickets for all six shows – including two dates added at the last moment – were sold out just 24 hours after presales opened. Some 200,000 tickets were sold for the first four concerts between January 23 and 27.

Organisers did not immediately confirm the total number of tickets sold following the decision to add two gigs on January 30 and 31, but hinted at the possibility of more ticket releases.

The Singapore Flyer observatory wheel and the National Stadium, which has a capacity of 55,000. Photo: Reuters

The extended run is a major shot in the arm for the island republic’s 55,000-seater National Stadium – which last year was taken over by the government from private ownership amid criticism of being a white elephant unable to attract top-tier events.

The stadium, part of the sprawling Singapore Sports Hub, is also slated to host five of Europe’s biggest football teams including Liverpool FC and Bayern Munich in July as part of a weeklong football festival.

In neighbouring Malaysia, where Coldplay will perform just one show – despite intense fan clamour for more dates – social media commenters lamented agitation by Islamic conservatives over the hosting of concerts that they said might have turned off the five-piece band led by Chris Martin.

The concert was the talk of social media in Singapore, with a mix of rants from fans who failed to buy tickets, memes about Coldplay’s “permanent residency” in the country and posts of elation from those who will watch the band live next January.

Singer Chris Martin and bassist Guy Berryman of British band Coldplay performing in Barcelona, Spain, on May 24, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE