Chris Martin Draws Huge Crowd with Surprise Performance in the Streets of Dublin amid Coldplay World Tour

Chris Martin was joined by "WE PRAY" collaborators Burna Boy, Little Simz, Elyanna and Tini for Grafton Street pop-up on Wednesday, Aug. 28

Chris Martin performs in the streets of Dublin
Chris Martin performs "WE PRAY" in the streets of Dublin on Aug. 28. Photo:

Little Simz/Instagram

Stage or no stage, Coldplay knows how to draw a crowd.

Ahead of the band’s first of four Dublin concerts on Thursday, Aug. 29, lead vocalist Chris Martin caused quite a stir in the Irish capital when he surprised Grafton Street-goers with a performance of new song “WE PRAY” — including with all of its collaborators.

In the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 28, Nigerian singer Burna Boy, English rapper Little Simz, Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna and Argentine singer Tini — all of whom are featured on the track, which dropped Aug. 23 — hit the streets with Martin, 47, for the pop-up performance.

With nothing but a speaker and a few microphones, the star-studded group each performed their parts as the crowd filmed and cheered, as shown in footage shared to Coldplay’s social media accounts.

“On my knees, I pray, as I sleep and wake / 'Cause inside my head is a frightening place,” Burna Boy, 33, sings in one clip. “Keep a smiling face, only by this grace / 'Cause love's more than I can take.”

Other footage shows the group of musicians smiling, dancing and singing together as people not only crowd around them, but also stick their bodies out of windows to get a peek at the performance.

In an Instagram post dedicated to the special rendition of “WE PRAY,” Coldplay dubbed the evening at Grafton Street a “magic moment.”

“WE PRAY. Grafton Street, Dublin,” the post reads. “Magic moment with @burnaboygram, @littlesimz, @elyanna, @tinistoessel. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and to TikTok for helping to make it happen.”

Burna Boy also documented the special moment, sharing more angles of the Grafton Street crowd on Instagram Story, as well as a sweet behind-the-scenes look at the group moments before their pop-up.

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In the clip, Martin appears to be giving the artists a pep talk of sorts as they put their hands together for a pre-show circle.

“That’s all,” the Coldplay frontman finishes in the clip as someone off-camera yells, “You’re gonna be amazing, guys!”

The performance comes amid Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour. After performing four shows at Dublin’s Croke Park, the band will have a nearly two-month break, during which their upcoming album, Moon Music, is scheduled to drop on Oct. 4.

The group will then embark on the tour’s Australian leg for a slew of shows in Melbourne and Sydney before wrapping up the tour in Auckland, New Zealand, on Nov. 16.

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