How to turn a rugby stadium into a Coldplay venue

Coldplay have taken their Music of the Spheres tour to more than 40 countries

The final hooter had just blown at Craven Park and the Hull Kingston Rovers players were back in their changing room, but on the pitch another team were starting their own challenge.

Within 30 minutes, the goalposts had been literally moved and the focus had switched to turning a rugby league stadium into a live music venue.

On 18 and 19 August, about 25,000 fans will head to east Hull to see Coldplay.

Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin said: "This is on a completely different level. We've had big names before but Coldplay are the biggest band in the world.

"It's hard to get your head around when you think they're not performing anywhere else in Europe apart from here and Wembley Stadium."

Despite being one of the smallest venues on the tour, Craven Park will have the same stage and set-up as other Coldplay concerts

As part of the preparations for the concerts, rugby club staff have "relocated" to allow the backstage crew to get to work, said Mr Lakin.

About 80 lorries are being used to transport the stage, lighting and other equipment which means the two concerts will be on a far bigger scale than anything previously seen at Craven Park.

"Previous acts have come and fitted into our stadium but we've had to work with the demands of Coldplay," said Mr Lakin.

"They're not budging on how they set up the stage, their pyrotechnics and everything that comes with it."

The staging for the concert will take up the entire south end of the ground while a catwalk extending into the stadium will run beyond the halfway line.

"It's probably the most intimate venue on the tour when you compare us with a stadium that holds 80,000 or 90,000 people," he said.

"People here will feel like they've got a front row seat, and even those at the back will be unbelievably close."

Paul Lakin, the chief executive of Hull Kingston Rovers, says the logistics behind Coldplay's Hull concerts are at "another level"

Although the proceeds of the ticket sales will go to the band, Hull Kingston Rovers expect to do well from the sales of food and drink – and they are shipping in 145,000 pints of beer and cider to meet the expected demand.

The club has also enlisted nearby schools and factories as official parking sites, although fans are being encouraged to use special bus services or free cycle parking.

Roads around the stadium will see closures and restrictions on the days of the concerts.

The Music of the Spheres tour started in Costa Rica in 2022, and since then Coldplay have performed more than 200 dates in 43 countries.

So why did they choose to come to Hull?

Mr Lakin, who said they could have sold out 20 nights given the demand for tickets, has no idea.

"We were one of six venues they considered but we don't actually know why they chose us," he said.

"There's maybe an element of luck but we'll embrace that. They are going to be special nights and I hope it lives in the memory for many years."

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