Michael J. Fox Joins Coldplay on Guitar During Glastonbury Headlining Set, Little Simz Makes A

Go, Johnny, go! Coldplay brought Michael J. Fox onto the Glastonbury stage on Saturday night to play guitar during the group’s headlining set.

Before launching into “Humankind,” Martin freestyled lyrics to point out members of the crowd — this included Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis and Fox. Fox played with the group for the song and stuck around for a performance of “Fix You” too.

“With his Chuck Berry riff and the way he punched Biff: ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Michael J. Fox,” Martin announced as the actor took the stage. Fox, who has been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 1991, was in a wheelchair for the performance.

Related Stories

Late-Night TV vs. YouTube: Data-Driven Tips on Which Is Better for Celebs Promoting Films

Jeremy Allen White Thanks 'The Bear' Co-Stars While Accepting His Second Emmy: 'I Want Us to Be in Each Other's Lives Forever'

“The main reason we’re in a band is because of ‘Back to the Future,'” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin shared after the performance. “So thank you to Michael, our hero.”

Popular on Variety

Earlier in the night, the group brought out rapper Little Simz as a surprise guest, debuting a new collaboration. The title of the track is rumored to be “Supernova,” with the chorus prominently featuring the lyrics “and so we pray.” Burna Boy also has a verse on the song, though he was not present for the Glastonbury performance. Palestinian singer Elyanna assisted with vocals.

Simz’s surprise appearance came after she played the Pyramid Stage directly before Coldplay. Prior to Simz coming on stage, the band ran through a slew of its biggest hits, kicking it off with “Yellow,” slowing it down with “The Scientist” and performing “Viva La Vida” with a live orchestra. Victoria Canal also made an appearance during “Paradise,” with the 25-year-old singer-songwriter joining the band on vocals and piano.

After playing “Sparks,” frontman Chris Martin asked the crowd to hold their hands up and send their love to “Israel or Palestine, to Ukraine or Russia, to anywhere you want.”

Coldplay are Glastonbury legends — the rock band made its first appearance at the fest in 1999 and went on to headline in 2002 (replacing the Strokes last minute), 2005, 2011 and 2016. This year’s performance marks Coldplay’s fifth time with top billing, making the band the first act to do so.

Saturday night’s show followed last week’s news that the band’s 10th album, titled “Moon Music,” is due on Oct. 4. The first single from the record, “Feels Like I’m Falling in Love,” dropped on Friday. “Moon Music” was produced by hitmaker Max Martin, who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to the Weeknd. The album will be the band’s first since 2021’s “Music of the Spheres.”

Coldplay is currently still touring “Music of the Spheres,” and has made a considerable effort to diminish its carbon footprint, so far producing 59% less CO2e emissions than their last stadium tour. Having surpassed $810 million in revenue, the “Music of the Spheres” run has become the third-highest-grossing and second-most attended tour of all time. The trek is set to end in November in New Zealand.

Formed in 1997 at University College London, Coldplay’s current lineup includes lead singer Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the bestselling music acts of all time.

Read More About:

• Coldplay,
• Glastonbury Festival

More from Variety

• 

  China Box Office: ‘Transformers One’ Takes Top Spot on Quietest Weekend of the Year
• 

  Netflix vs. YouTube: The Post-Streaming Wars Era’s Archrivalry
• 

  China Box Office: ‘Stand by Me’ Retains Top Spot as ‘The Wild Robot’ Cranks Up Third Place
• 

  China Box Office: Thai Comedy ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Climbs to Third, as ‘Alien: Romulus’ Reaches $100 Million Milestone
• 

  ‘Until Dawn,’ ‘Silent Hill 2’ Remakes Show Relevancy of Retreading IP
• 

  ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Sets Theatrical Release in China Ahead of U.S.

Most Popular

• Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…

  

• Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’

  

• ‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker

  

• ‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)

  

• Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…

  

• Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’

  

• ‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’

  

• Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix

  

• Charli XCX Reveals Features for ‘Brat’ Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More

  

• Indian King of Comedy Kapil Sharma, Star of Busan Film ‘Zwigato,’ Takes On Global Streaming With Hit Netflix Show (EXCLUSIVE)

  

Must Read

• Film

  COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie

  By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks

• TV

  Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…

  
• TV

  ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut

  
• TV

  50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)

  
• Shopping

  ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates

  

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjqasrKGTZLStu8Gao2ibn6GxsbjAsmSdnZKqwbR5zZ6uZqufo7RuuMitq6WdXai2rsaMoKOaq6Sku6PB0bJkampja311gpRyaWg%3D