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Coldplay choose Clair Global for comms and data services

Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour, which is led by Production Manager Chris Kansy, has called upon Clair Global for comms solutions and IT deployments. When the large-scale tour visited India, the band performed for almost 223,000 fans over two nights at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the world’s largest cricket ground.

Clair Global designed a comms system comprising two Riedel Communications Artist64 digital intercom network frames, fifty Bolero wireless beltpacks and six panels. The band’s Showcaller, Julia Whittle, communicates via Clair’s main show channel, which has a one-way transmit to Motorola radios, while multiple radio interfaces are deployed to offer seamless coverage for distant positions, such as pyrotechnic gags, which on a production of this size can be fired from up to 400 m away from the stage.

Clair Global also provided 200 Motorola XPR 3500e radios that can be reprogrammed over Wi-Fi utilizing the IT network installed. “Each of the Motorola base stations offer two-way communication from our Artist system, Bolero and radios”, explains Clair Global RF Technician Turner Pollari. “With simple fiber runs it offers us the ability to easily change how we deploy the system. For the show in India, production kept the cricket pitch uncovered for as long as possible and the cable runs to our two FOH positions were adjusted. Additionally, with the support of Luminex switches, we can be flexible and quick with changes. We take an uplink from the IT printer rack at the stage that provides internet to each Luminex in the comms system, making it easier in a crowded stadium to access apps and other means of communication.”

At every show, a third Riedel Artist64 system lives in “video world”, managed by the band’s Video Systems Engineer Chris Farrants. “This enables an easy solution to integrate the engineering, camera and LED teams, which all live on a Bolero system”, says Pollari. “A further 8 x 4 wire lines are shared with Audio/RF Tech James Smallwood, who runs yet another Artist system that provides panels for the audio and backline departments. The AES67 trunkline also ensures the crew can use the Bolero antennas.”

A key requirement for the huge shows in India was to accommodate a 100-person livestream crew; the Disney+ Hotstar’s team, which livestreamed from Ahmedabad for a 3-hour broadcast. Clair Global interfaced 8 x 4 wire lines to keep this team in the loop on how the live concert production was unfolding, ensuring every department could work seamlessly. The Disney+ team had thirty Boleros on their own network, bringing the total to eighty Boleros in 1.9 for the Indian shows alone.

“Having so many people with so many communication options mean Coldplay’s shows run in a very polished manner”, continues Pollari. “Everything in this huge production is quickly conveyed, from tech to medical emergencies, every step allows for real time updates.” The back-of-house IT infrastructure is heavily advanced, and is overseen by Clair’s Data Services Specialist Dalton Tyler, who deploys each IT rack strategically as well as the access points (APs) and SSIDs curated to each crewmembers’ workflow. Clair Global also creates encrypted networks for each tour department and production office, critically protecting both staff and artist data.

“In Ahmedabad, we had two Gbps data lines coming into the stadium from the local Internet service providers”, details Tyler. “Due to the amount of people relying on us for data, we used two separate providers for each line, ensuring there was a back-up plan. We have several different networks for various departments; management and dressing rooms are set-up in advance, and I install up to 24 Cisco Meraki APs to provide Wi-Fi to all other areas of the venue once on site. Other key networks are for the production office compounds - often servicing up to twenty offices backstage - the stage, where we run APs throughout the underworld, and through our comms system to both FOH locations, providing consistent and reliable data to all crewmembers.”

“Music of the Spheres”, which has been crowned the highest-attended music tour of all time by the Guinness World Records, continues for much of 2025, travelling across Asia, North America and the UK, culminating at London’s Wembley Stadium on September 8.

(Photo: Anna Lee Media)

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