Coldplay Wants Fans to Power Their Concerts by Pedaling Bikes
For their “Music of the Spheres” tour, Coldplay hopes fans will help them power the show by pedaling on a bike or dancing on the kinetic floor.
Bicycling says the idea is to have around 15 Linus stationary bikes and a kinetic floor to help power the show. Coldplay hopes this will cut their CO2 emissions by 50%. Each bike produces 200 watts of electricity, which gets stored in used electric car batteries. The band says the use of bikes is less about the watts produced and more about the awareness of sustainability.
Coldplay uses biodegradable confetti, compostable wristbands, sustainably-sourced goods, solar panels, and a vegetable oil generator, according to AP News. The band is being accused of “greenwashing,” claiming that their efforts are more environmentally beneficial than they really are.
Lead singer Chris Martin said, “Being green is not a charitable sort of self-flagellating, holier-than-thou exercise. It’s a good business model. That’s what we’d like to show.”
Bassist Guy Berryman said, “We’ve looked at every aspect of the show because there isn’t one thing that you can do which makes an overall significant difference. It’s just basically all of these changes that you make add up to something overall more impressive. Hopefully it will have this ripple effect throughout our industry.”
They’ve also provided more plant-based food options in concession stands and eliminated single-use plastic.
Many other artists have the same goal of lessening their carbon footprint. This includes Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, The Lumineers, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Lorde, The Chicks, and The 1975.
Would you pedal a bicycle while watching a live concert?
READ NEXT: “Teen Wolf: The Movie” Premiering Later This Year On Paramount+
