Coldplay, Wembley Stadium

After selling out shows on June 16.18, and 19, Coldplay add another show to their Wembley residency. Tickets for their June 15 show go on sale at 10 a.m. on December 11.

Coldplay are a musical phenomenon, and one of our age’s most strangely divisive bands. For every scathing journalist pillorying them as naval-gazers, there’s a host of loyal fans willing to testify to Chris Martin and co.’s sublime power. Their music has struck a chord with millions, and when tickets go on sale for their 2016 world tour, they’re sure to fly off the shelves.

Now six albums into their career, the London four-piece are most assuredly an institution, titans of soft rock. On their earlier recordings, the group could sound hesitant, their Radiohead-inspired shuffle lacking a little in vigour. Since then, though, the band have grown into their sound, mastering the anthemic sweep. The writing was on the wall with 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head, with songs like ‘The Scientist’ and ‘Clocks’ revealing an early song-writing knack.

On later albums, they made good this promise. With the likes of ‘Viva La Vida’ and ‘Fix You’, Coldplay revealed their true colours: these are unashamedly grand and emotive compositions, songs designed to pull on their heart strings and to send whole stadiums into states of rapture.

Their most recent album, 2014’s Ghost Stories, followed singer Chris Martin’s separation from his wife Gwyneth Paltrow, and saw the band turn away from their more rousing endeavours in favour of muted, bass-heavy balladry. But with their new album A Head Full of Dreams, the group return to the upbeat stylings of 2011’s Mylo Xyloto. Perhaps most remarkable though is that it features a recording of Barack Obama singing 'Amazing Grace.' Yes, you read that correctly.