Jack Burgess
Live editor

We're bringing our live coverage of Radio 1's Big Weekend 2024 to an end now... sadly... after tonight's headliner Coldplay gave the perfect closing performance in Luton.

The band even treated Stockwood Park to a brand new song - Orange - about football club Luton Town FC.

This was after locals urged Coldplay to adapt the lyrics of their hit song Yellow in order to appease fans, whose team plays in orange.

Raye gave a stunning performance on the main stage last night and so did Chase & Status on Friday night.

They weren't the only musicians that blew crowds away, though. There was also Sabrina Carpenter, Olly Alexander, Rag'n'Bone Man, Charli XCX, Becky Hill, Rudimental... the list goes on and on.

Thanks for joining our live coverage this year and we hope to see you back here in 2025!

Viva la vida.

• You can continue reading about the closing night of Radio 1's Big Weekend 2024 in our story here: Coldplay provide rousing festival finale

Mitch Mansfield
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

We know from BBC Asian Network's recent No Place Like Home series that Luton's a town that's previously been painted as divided.

But after a year hosting some of the world's biggest football teams, Luton's now hosted some of the world's biggest musical artists over a memorable three days.

And the town's done it with self-confidence and energy, on the festival site and beyond.

Screens around Stockwood Park this weekend have featured young people talking-up their hometown, where it's historically been talked-down.

And I don't think it's an overstatement to say that Radio 1's Big Weekend feels at least a little bit like some kind of 'Paradise' right now...

Even if it is putting the 'cold' into Coldplay!

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

“Unreal” - Luton fan Josh and his friends “loved” Coldplay’s surprise finale.

“I’m so glad Big Weekend came to this town,” they say - it means so much to everyone.

As we've been reporting, Coldplay's set took an unexpected turn tonight when the band's frontman Chris Martin introduced a new song called Orange - the colours of Luton Town's football team.

“Luton means a lot to us,” he said, after joking about the furore of singing Yellow, which is the colour that Watford plays in, 17 miles (27km) down the M1.

You can watch that moment in this clip here:

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

Working as the BBC’s music correspondent leaves me a little spoiled.

Not only do I get to meet all my heroes, but review tickets always give you the best views in the house.

But for Coldplay’s headline set, I headed deep into the crowd at Stockwood Park with my 14-year-old daughter, who was watching them for her first time.

I couldn’t see the stage. I could barely see the screens. But none of it mattered.

Coldplay have made stadium concerts an artform. They go to great lengths to make every moment of every show special for everyone in the audience.

That’s why they give out the wristbands, that turn the whole field into a giant LED screen.

That’s why the fireworks aren’t just kept for the finale.

That’s why they have so many songs with a wordless “woaaaaah” chorus that’s easy to pick up, and impossible to forget.

That’s why Chris Martin pauses to thank the food vendors and the security team and everyone from “the people way out at the back” to “he people squished down at the front.

“We see you and we love you,” he declares. Snobs might dismiss this as pandering to the lowest common denominator. I call it generosity.

An act of community. Proof that the hoary old cliché about the unifying power of music is true.

Plus, they’ve got more hits than you can shake a big knobbly stick at.

Can’t wait to see them on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage in a month’s time.

I might even queue up for the mosh pit again.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

I love that Chris dodged the difficulty of finding a rhyme for orange by spelling it out O-R-A-N-G-E and rhyming it with “I was born in love with Luton, and I’m always gonna be”.

A world-class lyricist at work there, folks.

This is quite the moment. Let's bring you some of these brand new lyrics from Coldplay's, err, surprise song, Orange.

"It's hard to be a football fan here in Luton town. Sometimes you do the best you can but you find you're going down.

"We didn't win all our matches, we didn't win the cup.

"But when you get knocked down in Luton you always get back up," he sings.

We didn't think we'd hear Chris Martin singing "I love you Luton" and "dress me up in orange" tonight, but here we are.

Luton Town FC were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship on the final day of the season this year.

Chris Martin is taking a break from the set to address the crowd - he says he read in the papers recently that some people in Luton were worried or angry about singing their song Yellow because of the Hatters and the Luton Town football club.

Martin says he was told he'd never make it out of Luton alive but he says "I'm OK with that".

He thanks everyone for singing along to Yellow and says for those who gave him a hard time about playing the song, he's done something special.

He's written a song called, none other than, Orange.

"I love you Luton Town FC!" he chants.

Image source, ZAC GOODWIN/PA WIRE

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

“I get excited every song,” Chris Martin says as he loses his earpiece.

Laughter all around us.

It is a truly magical feeling being between so many people, united with flashing wristbands and the lyrics of Yellow.

Coldplay are playing their hit song Yellow - there were some hopes they'd change the lyrics to 'Orange' in tribute to Luton Town Football Club - who play in orange.

As we mentioned earlier, Greg James said he'd have a word with the band - seems the message didn't get through, Greg...

We've got our first surprise of the set.

Coldplay just brought out singer Sabrina Carpenter, who performed earlier on the same stage, to play the song Magic with them.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

“Chris, you’ve fixed me.”

Says one person nearby, during Fix You.

Emily McGarvey
Live reporter

Chris Martin tells the crowd they sound fantastic for a crowd that's been going for 72 hours - the band sounds pretty fantastic themselves.

The mood has turned a little solemn as Fix You plays out across Luton but the fans are screaming out "lights will guide you home".

And the Coldplay frontman seems to pay tribute to earlier act Sabrina Carpenter, singing out her lyrics to the crowd: "That's that me, espresso!"

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

Fireworks to start a set bound to be full of fire!

Coldplay's song Paradise has us in Paradise as everyone sings and claps along.

People are on each other's shoulders for Viva La Vida and it's the loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd singing a song.

Chris Martin and the band look like they enjoyed their opening song at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend tonight.

You can watch Higher Power, from their 2021 album Music of the Spheres, here:

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

With Paradise transitioning into Viva La Vida, Chris Martin pauses briefly to say hello.

"Thank you so much for staying three days and waiting to see us," he says.

He adds that the band are "so happy to be on stage doing our job”.

Manish Pandey
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

This is the song I've been waiting for.

My favourite ever - right at the top of the tree.

The beat, lyrics and sound helped me through tricky exam revision moments and acted as an uplifting tune during sport events.

Actual goosebumps!

Mitch Mansfield
BBC Newsbeat reporter at Big Weekend, Luton

We were expecting fireworks at some point tonight, but Coldplay waste no time in lighting-up the Luton sky during their opening song Higher Power.

Without giving too much away, it's felt busier behind the main stage today - with the production that goes into a Coldplay show.

I'm sure we can expect some more surprises.

Mark Savage
BBC Music correspondent

“I want to know how much noise you can make,” says Vick Hope, welcoming Coldplay on to the stage.

“The band that are about to walk out on stage are no strangers to Big Weekend,” adds Greg James, “and we really love having them here.”

“Luton, please give it up for COLDPLAY!”

Huge screams and whoops as they arrive onstage in a blast of fireworks and confetti.