Seoul tops Coldplay's LED wristband return rate in world tour

Chris Martin, front man of the four-member British rock band Coldplay, performs during the band’s "Music of the Spheres" concert tour in Korea, at Goyang Sports Complex Stadium in Gyeonggi Province, April 17. Courtesy of Live Nation Korea

Ninety-nine percent of Coldplay fans in Korea returned their LED wristbands at the band’s world tour concerts in Seoul as of Thursday, setting a world record for the band’s global sustainable efforts.

The British rock band returned to Korea for the first time since 2017 to perform six gigs in Seoul between April 16 and Friday as part of its “Music of the Spheres” world tour, with an estimated 50,000 attendees per show.

As part of Coldplay's eco-conscious approach to live music, the band provided attendees with reusable, plant-based LED wristbands called “Xylobands.”

Similar to K-pop light sticks, they illuminate in different colors and rhythms in accordance with the show, and fans are encouraged to return them afterward for recycling.

The band has been motivating global fans by tracking the recycling rate by city and displaying the ranking of every performance.

Triggered by that “friendly rivalry,” Koreans went all in to set a world record — and beat neighboring Japan.

Previous top-ranking cities were Tokyo and Helsinki at 97 percent and Hong Kong at 97 percent. Seoul recorded 96 percent after its first concert on April 16.

The scores apparently reminded many Koreans of the Korea-Japan rivalry and created an online buzz. “We shall never lose anything to Japan. Who was that 4 percent?” an online user wrote, while another wrote, “Let’s show Japan how it’s done.”

At the next concert on April 18, the score went up to 98 percent before finally marking the global record of 99 percent on Thursday.

A screen at Goyang Stadium shows cities' LED wristband return rates before Coldplay's concert in Seoul, Thursday. Captured from Twitter

The competition has added an extra thrill to what was already a dazzling experience, according to Lee, a Seoul-based office worker who was at the show on Thursday.

"People erupted into thundering cheers as they saw the '99 percent' on screen before the show," she said. "After the show, the audience was buzzing with excitement about returning the wristbands, many pointing out that 'We need to beat Japan.'"

Meanwhile, Coldplay also created unforgettable memories in humor for coincidentally visiting the country during its critical moments in politics — again.

The band first came to perform in Korea in April 2017, shortly after the Constitutional Court confirmed the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. Similarly, the band returned to Korea this year following the ousting of former President Yoon Suk Yeol by the same court on April 4.

While many online users nicknamed the band “anarchy fairy” and “impeachment fairy,” front man Chris Martin noted during a concert on April 18, “Every time Coldplay comes to South Korea, there is no president.” The audience erupted in laughter and cheers.

The tour is expected to attract a total of 300,000 concertgoers, which is the most ever for a foreign music act visiting Korea.