Chris Martin has divided fans after thanking India for “forgiving” British colonialism during his Coldplay concert in Mumbai.
The frontman, 47, touched on Britain’s brutal colonisation of India in 1858 during the band’s gig at the weekend.
Coldplay performed for around 75,000 people at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium as part of their Music of Spheres world tour.
“Thank you for coming,” Martin told fans onstage. “It’s amazing to us that you welcome us even though we are from Great Britain.”
He went on: “Thank you for forgiving us for all of the bad things Great Britain has done and welcoming us into your home.’
“This is our fourth visit to India, and the second time to play. First time we played a long show and we could not have asked for a better audience. Thank you for coming today everybody!”
Coldplay last played in India in 2016 when they took to the stage at the Global Citizen Festival.
His comments sparked a mixed reaction, with some fans praising the singer while others called out the “unnecessary stunt.”
“Chris Martin is an amazing guy, he has a beautiful aura and this is how you turn a page from the colonial past… by acknowledging the history between two countries and treating them as equals,” one wrote.
“So Coldplay’s Chris Martin, a British Citizen in his concert, accepted that the British did wrong in India for 2 centuries,” another added.
“All his tickets were sold, he could have avoided but he still said it live during the concert. Seems it came from the heart.”
Show #181, Mumbai#MusicOfTheSpheresWorldTour pic.twitter.com/bTkryzfjWa
— Coldplay (@coldplay) January 20, 2025
“Chris healing intergenerational trauma with a mic, stage and some tunes,” a third joked.
Others condemned Martin’s apparent “virtue signalling” - a derogatory expression referring to the expression of opinions that reflect popular moral values.
“Ohh. A random guy from Britain apologised. That solves everything!!” one wrote.
“That was totally unnecessary stunt... You’re a singer just entertain them that's it,” another added.
“Who says India forgave Britain?” a third user wanted to know.
“White people and their virtue signaling,” someone else raged as another asked: “What in the white guilt did I just watch?”
The British government ruled over India from 1858 until 1947 during a period known as The British Raj.
British rule led to extreme poverty and famine for many Indians while the British government gained a lot of wealth from trade with India.
