'Send love to...Charlie Kirk's family': Chris Martin urges Coldplay fans
What's the story
During Coldplay's recent final show at Wembley Stadium, frontman Chris Martin paid tribute to the family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (31), who was recently shot and killed. The heartfelt message came before the band performed their song Fix You. "Let's raise our hands like this and send love anywhere you want to send it in the world. You can send this to your brother or your sister," Martin told the audience.
Tribute details
Martin asked fans to send love anywhere in the world
Martin continued, "You can send it to Charlie Kirk's family. You can send it to people you disagree with, but you send them love anyway." Martin's appeal drew mixed reactions online. One X user wrote, "This is one of the dumbest things they could have done." Another agreed, saying, "Why bring politics into a concert moment like this!!" Another fan, however, agreed with Martin and said, "It's great when artists use their platform for compassion."
Incident details
Kirk was shot dead during a public event in Utah
The tribute followed Kirk's assassination on Wednesday while he was speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. A suspect named Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested on suspicion of capital murder, weapons and obstruction offenses. Reports suggest that the shooting was a single, targeted shot fired from a rooftop during the public event.
Tour details
Martin also urged fans to send goodwill to other regions
At Wembley, the final show of Coldplay's record-breaking run of 10 consecutive performances at the London venue on their Music of the Spheres tour, Martin also urged fans to send goodwill to other regions. He mentioned "peaceful people in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, Azerbaijan and Sudan and Somalia." The band plans to resume their tour "somewhere in southern Africa in about 18 months."
Twitter Post
Here's what the singer said
🚨BREAKING: Coldplay's Chris Martin tells his audience of 80,000+ to send love to Charlie Kirks family during final night at Wembley
— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) September 13, 2025
It's no longer about left vs right. It's about humanity vs insanity. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tBts2oNeeE
Controversy
Kirk had publicly criticized Coldplay in the past
Kirk was an extremely divisive figure due to his hard-right views on immigration and gun control. In fact, he had publicly criticized Coldplay, saying that he would "rather be caught dead than be at a Coldplay concert." "I find Coldplay music very hard to listen to," he had said. He is survived by his wife and two kids.