BMW has the power. Coldplay's new tour, powered by BMW batteries
October 18, 2021
Music fans are certainly excited to hear that Coldplay's new tour will soon premiere. The band's concerts have never lacked power, but this time there will be even more of it. All thanks to the band's collaboration with the adrenaline-pumping BMW brand.
The collaboration between BMW and Coldplay is reaching a new climax. Following the success of their hit single "Higher Power" and the British band's performance in the BMW JOYTOPIA virtual world at the IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich, BMW will now provide the world's first portable, rechargeable demonstration battery for the band's upcoming Music of the Spheres world tour. In 2022, the four musicians are scheduled to perform in Costa Rica, followed by dates in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the USA, Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, and the UK.
The electricity necessary for the concerts will be provided by a special battery, using over 40 recyclable car batteries. This will make the band's concert series more environmentally friendly and one of the most sustainable tours in music history. The BMW and Coldplay collaboration sets new standards and could become a model for the entire music industry.
Special energy storage technology, using partially recycled BMW i3 batteries, will provide the necessary, ultra-low-emission electricity, replacing conventional oil- and gasoline-powered generators. This will significantly reduce carbon emissions during all of the band's live performances.
The battery will be charged using a range of renewable energy sources, including solar panels, the stadium's kinetic floor, electric bikes, and generators powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil. The stadium's kinetic floor and electric bikes will harness the collective power provided by… the fans themselves.
These car batteries are the first in the world to be reusable. This technology is a key part of the BMW Group's vision of sustainability and a renewable economy.
“We are proud to be working with BMW to create the world’s first rechargeable show battery – which will allow us to power our concerts almost entirely from clean, renewable energy,” says Chris Martin of Coldplay
"A shared awareness of sustainability has led to an intensive creative co-creation process between BMW and Coldplay over the past few years," emphasizes Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand at BMW. "The song from the 'Higher Power' campaign, celebrating the launch of our fully electric BMW iX and BMW i4 models, as well as Coldplay's performance in the BMW JOYTOPIA virtual world at IAA Mobility, were the first highlights of our successful collaboration. By using second-hand batteries from BMW i3 vehicles, we are helping to make Coldplay's concert tour even more environmentally friendly."
Collaboration Successes: "Higher Power" and JOYTOPIA
The long-standing partnership between BMW and Coldplay dates back to 2014. Back then, the band, comprised of Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Guy Berryman, played to 1,500 enthusiastic fans at the end of their "Ghost Stories Tour" at BMW Welt in Munich. These initial contacts and a shared awareness of sustainability ultimately led to a collaboration between BMW and Coldplay.
The June 2021 campaign for the BMW iX and BMW i4 electric vehicles was the first major joint success for the brand and the band. BMW and Coldplay collaborated on this unique campaign. The campaign's song "Higher Power" became a huge hit, and the phrase "This joy is electric" was the perfect brand message for the two new premium BMW models.
Sustainable travel around the world as a model for the entire automotive industry
At the IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich in September 2021, held under the slogan "RE:IMAGINE TODAY" and in the spirit of the BMW Group's vision of sustainability and a renewable economy, another major success was achieved in this collaborative effort. In the newly created BMW JOYTOPIA metaversion, a completely virtual performance by Coldplay was presented. The musicians' performance could be streamed online for 24 hours and was viewed by over 150,000 people worldwide. For the digital world, JOYTOPIA represented a milestone in marketing and corporate communications.
The successful partnership between BMW and Coldplay has now expanded, leading directly to a new climax during next year's world tour. As a partner and supplier of recyclable car batteries, BMW will support the British band in achieving their goal of contributing to sustainability. This partnership is game-changing and has the potential to become a model for the entire concert industry.
material thanks to BMW Group
