If archaeologists ever excavate the leyline reputed to circulation beneath the Pyramid Stage subject, it is going to possible appear to be this. A shimmering ocean of 200,000 luminous neon specks, undulating throughout the vale to the sound of twinkling synth rock.

Tonight’s spectacular preview comes courtesy of the huge array of LED wristbands handed out throughout the positioning and waved aloft for 2024’s reluctant record-breakers. As a lot as Chris Martin copiously thanks “the best metropolis on earth” for the prospect to play, Glastonbury is fortunate to have him.

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour hits Glastonbury virtually three years in, having been by means of the UK twice already. The band reportedly needed to be talked right into a record-breaking fifth Glasto headline present that may moderately be thought-about overkill. The Elton-rivalling crowd who make the completely wonderful “Viva La Vida” probably the most unifying and celebratory moments ever to emanate from this hallowed stage, although, are very a lot up for being overkilled.

The tour was one thing of a free Eras of their very own – an hour dominated by early classics, then an hour of their newer hyper-pop tendencies. Glastonbury will get extra of an impressive mash-up. A Nineteen Seventies BBC clock counts all the way down to a brazen opening “Yellow”, then the band ricochet between albums, Martin bouncing and skipping across the stage like one of many native druids has summoned a sprite-like embodiment of pure melodic pleasure.

A pulsing “Paradise” provides option to an early outing for “The Scientist”, performed by Martin on a battered “Hey Jude” piano lined in stars and scribbles, but in addition 1 / 4 of one million heartstrings. “Clocks” – pounding, backlit in inexperienced – cues up the electro-pop rush of “Hymn For The Weekend” and effervescent folks rocker “Charlie Brown”. An hour or so races by, as for-the-ages Glasto headline units are likely to do.

Coldplay solely ever come near realising their undeserved popularity for the strange after they give up their anthemic powers to the sonic sinkhole of EDM pop. Now, there’s a lot dialogue overseas this yr about Glastonbury’s on-going relationship with pop music. Our personal Adam White convincingly argues elsewhere that, past the headliners, a style with such mass enchantment right here (witness Sugababageddon and the XCXocalypse) deserves prime-time respect quite than being shunted to dangerously overcrowded sidelines.

However let’s not neglect that exterior countercultural behemoths like Glastonbury, pop music has all the time been overwhelmingly in style and ceaselessly will probably be – the clue’s within the identify. And good factors have additionally been made about Coldplay’s profession trajectory mirroring the pageant’s. Each vibrant leftfield extravaganzas acquired so large they needed to embrace the mainstream machine so as to preserve their unwieldy success as streaming submerged rock.

With Coldplay adamant that they’ll cease making music in 2025 (a superb 10 years after they started flagging up the tip of the street) then, it maybe bodes unwell for Glastonbury’s future course: when you’ve gone full pop, the implication goes, you’ve reached the tip of the artistic line. There’s nowhere to go however small once more.

What could be relied upon although, irrespective of their style preferences, is that each will ship the spectacle of a lifetime. Even when indulging Pharrell-friendly grooves on “Adventures of a Lifetime” or a Ok-pop collaboration with BTS on “My Universe”, they blow extra finances on balloons, confetti and fireworks than Moscow is at the moment spending on filling your timeline with Reform UK content material.

For “One thing Simply Like This”, their sci-fi rave collaboration with The Chainsmokerz, they don cartoonish alien heads. Martin stops “A Sky Filled with Stars” simply earlier than its Balearic blast off for a “band assembly”, asks everybody to place their telephones away and “contemplate your self a part of the efficiency for this one track”, then drenches the Pyramid in aurora borealis.

Additionally they signpost some methods again. Mid-set Little Simz emerges so as to add grainy verses to a premiere of rap pop new monitor “We Pray” – presumably set to seem on forthcoming tenth album Moon Music – marking a far darker course than the glossier fare of late. “Arabesque” comes accompanied by a video visitor spot from Femi Kuti and a swampy horn part of no little voodoo, whereas a white-clad gospel choir seem on the stage’s rim for a soul chorale of “Violet Hill” led by Laura Mvula. A soul noir coda to Coldplay’s profession awaits? Color us intrigued.

Each band and pageant additionally know the worth of “occasion” moments. Following a stripped-down run by means of the debut album’s jazzy ballad “Sparks”, Martin grabs an acoustic guitar and begins inventing songs on the spot, describing members of the group that pop up on the display screen: a person with a mannequin Pyramid Stage on his head; Michael Eavis, “the world’s biggest farmer”; shock visitor guitarist Michael J Fox.

Then the stage fills with gamers for a jubilant “Humankind”, a none-more bombastic “Repair You” and one other new track to shut the night, “FeelslikeImfallinginlove”. Each competes for showstopper of the pageant.

“You make my world gentle up,” Martin sang earlier; one hell of a note-to-self.