Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin is clarifying comments he made during last Monday night’s concert at Toronto’s Rogers Stadium, after calling it a “weird stadium in the middle of nowhere.”
Martin thanked fans for enduring “the traffic and the travel and the trains and the waiting” to reach the venue, before joking about the stadium’s location. In a follow-up comment shared by the venue’s official account, Martin said he never meant to criticize.
“I have never criticized this stadium that was beautifully, kindly built for us to play in. I don’t think to say anything mean at all. I’m so grateful to have somewhere where we can hang out with all of you,” he said.
The remark sparked debate among concertgoers online. Some agreed with Martin’s original take, pointing to long walks from public transit and traffic gridlock. “No reason to backtrack,” wrote Greg Turcotte on X. “You can’t build a 50,000-person stadium and only have one main entrance.”
Another user, Maria, said the location was “horrible” and not accessible, noting it took over 15 minutes to walk from the subway after dropping her child off due to traffic. But others said the experience was smooth. “It was perfect,” wrote Sylvie. “I love the stadium and I love Coldplay… I’ll never forget this night.”
Still, some complained about long waits and poor logistics. “Took me 3 hours to get out of the parking lot,” said @comncnx96382. “Worst venue ever.”
Here’s Martin backtracking on this comments below, after news outlets ran headlines with his comments:
Prior to the Coldplay concerts, fans were feeling nervous, after experiencing and hearing about major issues at Rogers Stadium, such as lack of water refill stations during summer heat, delays in getting in and out, and rocky bleachers set up at the venue created at the former Downsview Airport site, located 15km north of downtown Toronto.
Rogers Stadium was developed by Live Nation Canada in partnership with Rogers and Northcrest Developments, with Live Nation leading the construction and operation of the 50,000-capacity temporary outdoor concert venue. Martin said it was built in mind for Coldplay, allowing extra capacity compared to other venues in Toronto.
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I didn't hear an apology. I did see a clickbait title.