PALO ALTO, Calif. —It was at times unorthodox, but the opening night of the North American leg of Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour was a joyous triumph.

The first of two sold-out nights at Stanford Stadium, the show also marked the first standalone concert at the stadium that has also hosted the Olympics, World Cup and the Super Bowl. The U.K. band’s performance was a visual spectacle and a finely tuned artistic mastery on a grand scale.

Hitting the stage just before 8 p.m., when daylight challenged the pyrotechnics and some visual effects, Chris Martin and company had fun with an early start.

“You have to imagine you can’t see the band. This show is designed for less day-timey,” Martin said. “Really, it’s just four sweaty men trying to catch their breath.”

The musical fireworks burst right from the start with upbeat tracks like “Higher Power,” “Adventure of a Lifetime” and an absolutely raucous “Paradise.”

“Everybody OK? You sure you came to the right concert?” Martin asked as he sat at a keyboard to launch into “The Scientist.”

Artists who can make attendees in the rafters at a concert feel as invested as those up against the railing are great performers. At times, Martin scanned the back of the stadium, shouting out specific fans by their outfit or their mannerisms.

“This is concert no. 195 on this tour—or as we like to think, 194 rehearsals for Stanford,” he announced. “I hope you’re getting us at our best.”

Coldplay focused primarily on its two most recent albums, 2024’s Moon Music and 2021’s Music of the Spheres, but sprinkled in others throughout the night. Each song offered something different to look at, from confetti to fire and a plethora of other visual elements. Even the light-up wrist bands given to all attendees—something the band’s been doing for nearly two decades—were fun.

Martin carried on a relaxed conversation with the roughly 42,000 in the building for most of the night. After a rousing version of “Viva La Vida” and “Hymn for the Weekend,” he walked a ramp reading fan signs. Some marked a recent graduation. Others boasted traveling long distances for a show. Someone celebrated beating cancer.

“The advantage of the daylight is that I can see all the sexy people of Stanford,” Martin said. Bringing up a pair of fans, Astrid and Catherine, he dedicated ballad “Magic” to them. As the last notes faded, he took a moment to shout out another U.K. rock star.

“This song goes out to Matt Bellamy of Muse. Without him this wouldn’t exist,” he said.

While the show was bright and uplifting, it also tackled tough subjects in a way that was quite disarming and welcoming.

“We don’t believe there is such a thing as foreign places,” Martin said. ”You’re from here, and we’re from here.”

The message of shared belonging through the unifying force of music carried through the two-hour set. Guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion wore alien and space garb, with Martin donning a shirt emblazoned with the words, “Everyone is an Alien Somewhere.”

The wristbands struck again on “Yellow,” illuminating the stadium with a warm golden glow as the band turned out a soaring note-perfect rendition.

“This is our Muse song!” Martin shouted as Coldplay ripped through the impressively riff-centric rocker “People of the Pride,” which recalled the other band’s hit “Uprising.”

Another highlight was when openers Elyanna and Willow joined in during “We Pray,” while tall columns of flame shot upward.

During “A Sky Full of Stars,” Martin stopped the song and asked attendees to put their phones away. The crowd went absolutely bonkers when the song’s beat dropped.

“We have serious Visa issues, and we might have to leave the country,” Martin announced, before turning the situation into a lighthearted one by conferring with his bandmates. “They’ll let us play for a few minutes.”

All four then strolled to a secondary stage to perform “Sparks,” with Martin singing improvisational verses about fans shown on the screen. For “Good Feelings,” the crowd—including one Stephen Curry—was treated to post-concert fireworks.

The evening’s two opening acts went over swimmingly.

Willow Smith, or Willow, offered a jam-heavy, jazz-laced set, taking selections primarily from her latest album, empathogen.

“Let’s fill this space with as much love and positivity as we can,” she said early in the performance. Besides putting on a vocal clinic, Smith’s four-member band was captivating, bringing a jazzy energy to the stage.

Playing tracks like “False Self” and “Symptom of Life,” Willow adeptly kept up with the band and confidently showed off her vocal abilities.

“Mother Nature is so spectacular,” she said. “We love all the trees and the greenery here at Stanford.”

Even her older pop-punk songs like “Meet Me at the Spot” and “Wait a Minute” got a rework to fit with the motif.

Palestinian-Chilean pop singer Elyanna offered up another stellar performance, even with her 5:30 p.m. start time, fusing earth-rumbling stomp, folky dances and sounds and a keen understanding of great pop songwriting.

“When I moved here [to the U.S.] when I was 15, the first band I first saw was Coldplay, so I’m excited,” Elyanna said.

Playing guitar with two supporting percussionists, she also played a sitar at times on songs that included “Callin U” and an effective cover of “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at mikedewald.bsky.social.