Coldplay frontman Chris Martin says he never meant to insult Toronto’s Rogers Stadium

Coldplay performs at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Monday, July 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

TORONTO — Coldplay frontman Chris Martin says he didn’t mean to insult Toronto’s newest concert venue when he called it a “weird stadium in the middle of nowhere.”

Martin issued the clarification Friday during the third of four concerts at the newly built Rogers Stadium, which is on the outskirts of the city.

He says he “never criticized” the stadium and only meant to thank concertgoers for making the trek to the former Downsview Airport lands.

When he first took the stage on Monday, he thanked fans for putting up with “the traffic and the travel and the trains and the waiting” to get to the venue.

Concertgoers had complained about poor crowd control at the 50,000-capacity stadium when it first opened last month, and some said it was a hassle getting out of the venue even after Coldplay’s first show.

At Friday’s show, Martin said he only meant to thank people for putting up with the hassle of getting to the venue, not to insult the people who built the stadium.

“I have never criticized this stadium that was beautifully, kindly built for us to play in. I don’t think to say anything mean at all. I’m so grateful to have somewhere where we can hang out with all of you,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press