Nearly seven years since their first performance in front of their Filipino fans, British rock band Coldplay made a successful return to the Philippines for their “Music of the Spheres World Tour” this weekend at the Philippine Arena.
Despite the venue’s distance from the main city and limited access to parking, fans stayed true to their dedication to attend the two-night concert, resulting in heavy traffic getting in and out of the concert venue.
During their performance, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin shared they also experienced the traffic jam and expressed their gratitude to their fans for still showing up at their concert.
“Thank you to all of you for coming through the traffic. Holy sht! I think we’ve seen some traffic, but I think you have the number one in the world. So, thank you, thank you for making the effort to come through all that bulls*t to be here!” said Martin.
Even the First Couple, President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, attended the first day of the Philippine leg of the band’s concert.
The presidential security group defended the decision for the First Couple to ride a chopper to attend the concert, citing “unexpected traffic issues” that posed security concerns for the executive.
“Yesterday, the Philippine Arena experienced an unprecedented influx of 40,000 individuals eagerly attending a concert, resulting in unforeseen traffic complications along the route,” said Presidential Security Group (PSG) commander Maj. Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales.
He said the traffic situation prompted the security group to convince Mr. Marcos to use the presidential chopper to avoid any possible potential threat.