Chris Martin Plays Surprise Hits Set With Ed Sheeran at 2024 Global Citizen Festival

On Saturday in New York, the Coldplay frontman performed two of his band’s biggest hits, along with two of Ed Sheeran’s, delivering a memorable set that blended both artists’ iconic tracks.

Chris Martin, a longtime supporter of the Global Citizen Festival, was once again set to curate the New York event over the weekend. However, the rain-soaked crowd that gathered to see headliners Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Rauw Alejandro received an unexpected treat. The festival, focused on urging world leaders to take action against extreme poverty, delivered more surprises than fans could have imagined.

On Saturday (Sept. 28), Chris Martin surprised fans by teaming up with Ed Sheeran for an unexpected acoustic mini-set. Sheeran led the performance with a rendition of Coldplay’s 2000 breakthrough hit “Yellow,” strumming an acoustic guitar as a smiling Martin played backup on an electric piano and joined in on the second verse. After the song, Martin quipped, “That’s enough of that,” before they transitioned into Sheeran’s 2017 chart-topping hit “Shape of You,” giving it a lively, uptempo twist.

The surprise set concluded with both Chris Martin and Ed Sheeran on acoustic guitars for an energetic rendition of Coldplay’s 2008 hit “Viva La Vida,” followed by Sheeran performing his song “Thinking Out Loud” with Martin providing jazzy piano accompaniment. Though Martin was slated to speak in his role as curator, Sheeran’s appearance was a complete surprise, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. The performance ended with a warm hug between the two, leaving the audience buzzing as they walked off stage together.