Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed a surprise gig in Dublin city centre on Wednesday evening while recording a music video for the band’s latest single.
Eager fans caught wind of a possible performance late on Wednesday afternoon, with some getting a spot at the Stephen’s Green end of the street by 6.30pm.
Various cameras and crews were put in place in advance, using offices in nearby buildings.
Martin arrived two hours later, shortly after 8.30pm, at which point a large crowd had gathered and the street was practically impassable.
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Martin was the sole Coldplay band member present on Grafton Street when he performed a new song called We Pray alongside Burna Boy, Tini, Elyanna and Little Simz, who also feature on the recording.
Several gardaí and crew members tried to move fans further down Grafton Street to create more space but to little avail.
Fans were anticipating a surprise performance in advance of the band’s upcoming concerts in Dublin, with many hoping for hits. However, the music video performance left some apparently disappointed.
Martin spoke to the crowd briefly, but sound issues meant he could not be heard properly.
The performance which lasted around 20 minutes included only the new single, which was played on repeat several times before Martin left quickly with a trail of fans swarming closely behind.
Official footage of the performance is set to be available only on the social media platform TikTok.
It came ahead of four dates at Croke Park the band will play beginning on Thursday.
Further concerts take place on Friday August 30th, Sunday September 1st and Monday September 2nd as part of the Music of the Spheres World Tour.
The last time the band – comprising Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey – played in Ireland was in 2017, as part of their A Head Full of Dreams tour.
The band formed in 1997 and have nine studio albums, the most recent being Music of the Spheres, which was released in 2021.
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