In a summer crammed with colossal Dublin gigs, Coldplay’s four-night stand at Croke Park might just be the hottest ticket of them all. Each shows sold out pretty damn quickly, a testament to the band’s staying power and universal appeal: I can't say I know many Coldplay die-hards, but I’ve never met someone who doesn't like them either.

On their latest, carbon-offsetting Music of the Spheres tour, the chart toppers pull out all the stops to get the crowd going - with the secret lying in the punters themselves.

Chief among Coldplay’s weapons of choice are the LED wristbands handed to spectators on their way in. During the show, these little marvels turn the entire stadium into a flickering pointillist masterpiece. It’s 80,000 people forming the world’s largest Georges Seurat painting set to a soundtrack of euphoric pop. It’s mesmerising, and those sat elevated in the stands could, would and will find themselves caught up in the pulsing light show more than the stage for the most part.

Coldplay at Croke Park. Thursday 29th of August 2024. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

The set kicks off with a one-two of ‘Higher Power’ and ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’, with Jonny Buckland’s guitar work shifting the gig into a dance-inducing gear. The gargantuan-sounding ‘Paradise’ follows suit, before ’The Scientist’ brings the tempo down and the emotion up, rounding off a whirlwind opening salvo.

Martin, for someone of his stature, is a bundle of self-awareness. He greets the crowd with a decently executed "Conas atá tu?" and apologises, half-jokingly, for being English. He's well attuned to the room, cutting songs off midway to jest, "Show's over… Enjoy Oasis." A refusal to take himself seriously which is a refreshing departure from the traditional megastar posturing.

He gets sentimental too, inviting two fans from Italy up on stage to sit beside him at the piano for ‘Everglow,’ dedicating it to their late father as well as a trio of late, great Irish legends: “Sinéad, Dolores, and Shane.”

Coldplay at Croke Park. Thursday 29th of August 2024. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

‘Yellow’ does what it always does and is belted out by tens of thousands, turning the venue into a beehive of golden light. At one point, the crowd breaks into chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole," but Martin silences them with a wave of his hand — he’s got them in the palm of it. Latest single ‘We Pray’ features from heavyweights like Little Simz and Burna Boy, who, after shutting down Grafton Street the night prior, are brought out to perform the tune.

Then comes a wonderfully absurd section where the band don some goofy alien-like helmets, which they pair with equally silly dance moves. After sign-language singing a portion of ‘Something Just Like This’, Martin hands the headgear to a security guard, who leaps on stage and busts a move. It's all a riot.

In a generous gesture to the fans at the back, they shift to a smaller stage in the corner of the Davin and Cusack stands for a stripped-down version of ‘Sparks’, making this mammoth sports arena feel like a living room. After thanking the audience as well as his highly capable support acts - Maggie Rodgers and hometown hero Aby Coulibaly - the band show some more apt crowdwork with 'The Jumbotron Song.' During the segment, Martin improvises his lyrics based on whoever pops up on the screen. One fan is caught red-handed in another group's shirt, leading the signer to semi-seriously state that Coldplay are in fact "better looking than Radiohead."

Coldplay at Croke Park. Thursday 29th of August 2024. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

‘Fix You’ signals the start of an emotional close – before the foursome return to the main stage, delivering a firework littered closing couple of belters in the form of ‘GOOD FEELiNGS’ and ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove.’

The two hour-and-a-bit spectacle feels over in a flash, as the crowd come to terms with the cosmic, euphoric moment in time they've just shared - one that leaves everyone in radiating in the afterglow of something truly special.

Coldplay at Croke Park. Thursday 29th of August 2024. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.