Thousands of Coldplay fans have been left scrambling to cancel non-refundable flights and hotels after the band announced last-minute changes to their final two Wembley Stadium concerts, citing upcoming London Underground strikes that would make it “impossible” to transport 82,000 concert-goers safely.
The British rock band revealed on Friday that shows scheduled for 7 and 8 September would be moved to 6 September and 12 September respectively, leaving ticket holders with less than a week’s notice and sparking widespread outrage on social media.
Furious fans branded the announcement “not really good enough” as they faced losing hundreds of pounds on pre-booked travel arrangements, with many international visitors forced to abandon their concert plans entirely due to the new dates.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) announced rolling strike action across the network beginning on Friday 5 September for seven days, with different grades taking industrial action at differing times, the band said in a statement posted to social media.
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, Coldplay explained, adding that rescheduling was their only option to avoid outright cancellation.
The strikes come after management refused to engage seriously with union demands on pay, fatigue management, extreme shift patterns and a reduction in the working week, according to RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey. Transport for London maintains it has offered a 3.4 per cent pay increase and made progress on previous commitments.
One devastated fan travelling from Ireland wrote on social media: “We were coming from Ireland and had flights etc booked for concert. Have had to cancel now and lose the cost of the flights. Not really good enough and very disappointed with the lateness of this announcement.”
Another furious ticket holder revealed the financial impact: “Train tickets to go on the Monday £300, new tickets to go on the Friday £610 what a nightmare.” A third complained: “What about my non refundable very expensive train and hotels that have been booked?
The backlash intensified as fans from across the UK and Europe shared their frustration. So gutted, we were travelling from the Isle of Man for the weekend & new date just doesn’t work anymore for us,” wrote one disappointed concert-goer who was attending their first ever concert.
Absolute deception. You can’t give such short notice, and that’s your responsibility, another fan fumed, whilst others questioned why concerts could proceed on 6 September if strikes were beginning on 5 September.
The Chris Martin-fronted band attempted to soften the blow by confirming all tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled dates, with full refunds available for those unable to attend. However, this did little to placate fans who had already invested in travel and accommodation.
A lot of people will lose out on flights/accommodation as they will be non-refundable. A real shame, one supporter noted, highlighting the knock-on effects of the late announcement.
The rescheduling affects what would have been historic performances, as Coldplay’s 10-show run at Wembley Stadium marks the most dates any act has played at the national football stadium in a single year, breaking the joint record of eight shows held by Taylor Swift and Take That.
Eddie Dempsey defended the strike action, stating: “Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock. They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members’ health and wellbeing.
The industrial action will see different Underground staff groups walking out on different days, with Track Access Controllers, London Underground Control Centre workers, fleet staff, engineers, station staff and train drivers all participating at various times throughout the week.
Transport for London responded to the crisis, with a spokesperson saying: “We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.
In a separate dispute, workers on the Docklands Light Railway will also strike during the same period, compounding transport chaos across the capital and affecting millions of commuters beyond just concert-goers.
Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour has already achieved recognition as the most-attended concert tour in history according to Guinness World Records, with the Wembley shows featuring hits including Paradise, Trouble and We Pray.
The band emphasised their commitment to sustainability, noting that 10 per cent of proceeds from the Wembley shows would be donated to the Music Venue Trust to support grassroots UK venues and upcoming artists. The concerts are powered entirely by renewable energy through their Higher Power Farm project in western England.
For those unable to attend the rescheduled dates, Coldplay confirmed that returned tickets would go on general sale at 11am on 3 September via Ticketmaster, though fans must request refunds from their point of purchase before noon on 2 September.
The controversy highlights the vulnerability of major events to industrial action, with some supporters defending the band’s difficult position whilst others questioned why contingency plans hadn’t been made earlier given the strike announcement came from the RMT on 21 August.
Shows scheduled for 30 August, 31 August, 3 September and 4 September will proceed as planned, the band confirmed, though anxiety remains high among ticket holders given the disruption to the final performances.
As frustrated fans continue to voice their disappointment online, the incident serves as a stark reminder of how transport infrastructure can impact cultural events, leaving thousands out of pocket through no fault of their own.
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Image Credit:
Coldplay – The Rose Bowl – Friday 6th October 2017 — photo by Raph_PH, originally posted to Flickr; licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
