„Thank you, beautiful People!“ – The best concerts at Wembley

More than 100 million records have been sold by the British band Coldplay – and in 2025, they will have a "home game" at Wembley Stadium in London as part of their tour. However, the creators of "Viva la Vida," who stormed to number one on the single charts in the USA and the UK in 2008, are not the first to rock Wembley. Football travel editor Carsten Germann, a football author and also a music journalist since 1998 (including interviews with former Marillion singer Fish, Cannibal Corpse, and Paradise Lost), presents a selection of the most famous Wembley concerts of all time. 

Concerts at Wembley – Milestones were set here. Like on July 13, 1985, at Live Aid, the largest rock concert in music history. 

It was a hot summer day in London, and yet 70,000 fans rocked for 16 hours at Wembley in the British capital – and simultaneously at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Wembley Concerts: The Greatest Gig of All Time 

When I look at the list of performers, I still get goosebumps today. Organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure ("If I Was"), 15 bands and solo artists rocked against the famine in Ethiopia – and raised more than 75 million euros. 

Following the English national anthem God Save the Queen, Status Quo took the stage with "Rockin' All Over the World" to warm up – for euphoric music fans at Wembley and in 110 countries on TV. David Bowie, Queen with the unforgettable multitalented and stage magician Freddie Mercury, The Boomtown Rats with organizer Bob Geldof, Bob Dylan, The Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Ultravox, The Who, Sir Paul McCartney, and U2 – what a lineup!

A flight on the Concorde made it possible for Phil Collins to perform both in London and Philadelphia. 

Freddie Mercury and Queen for 15 Pounds 

A year later, a concert followed, the live recording of which I still have in my record collection. Queen – Live at Wembley. 

Farrokh Bulsara, known as Freddie Mercury (world career impossible under his real name), pulled out all the stops with Queen in the football and concert temple of Wembley. 

An entertainer like no other, who probably will never be seen again, captivated 72,000 fans on July 12, 1986. 

The bands that performed with Queen were also no strangers: INXS, The Alarm, and Status Quo. Hard to believe: The cheapest concert tickets for Queen at Wembley back then cost 14.50 pounds. The grand finale was marked by Queen anthems "Friends Will Be Friends" and "We Are the Champions." 

The eternal final image: Freddie Mercury, dressed in a coronation cloak and crown, said “Thank you, beautiful people!” as he waved goodbye to the crowd. 

It wasn’t foreseeable at the time that the global music community would see the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley on April 20, 1992, after his death on November 24, 1991, in Kensington. 

However: It was the perfect setting, and to support AIDS research, the three remaining Queen members Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon performed, along with Metallica with the magnificent frontman James Hetfield, Guns N' Roses with the no less fiery Axl Rose, David Bowie, George Michael (both of whom passed away in 2016), and Sir Elton John.

When "The Posh" rocked Wembley…

In 1999, the British girl band Spice Girls, with the future wife of football idol David Beckham, Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams, attracted 150,000 fans to Wembley Stadium on two nights. So, quite literally, "The Posh" rocked. 

In 2003, the Wembley Stadium, opened in 1923, was demolished (see also Football Travel Series "Lost Grounds"). 

Of course, this didn't happen without a final visit: Oasis. The raucous brothers from Manchester graced the stage and recorded their live album Familiar to Millions at Wembley. Melodies for melons. 

Wembley Comeback: "A Concert for Diana"

Then, on July 1, 2007, the stage was grand once more. In the newly completed Wembley Stadium, “A Concert for Diana” took place on her 46th birthday, the memorial concert for the 10th anniversary of Diana, the beloved Princess of Wales († 1997). 

500 million viewers in 140 countries were watching on TV, with 63,000 people present live in the completely renovated Wembley Stadium. Of course, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, rocked out in the VIP box. 

On stage were Sir Elton John (“Your Song”), Bryan Ferry, and Sir Rod Stewart. 

2025: Coldplay and Oasis – More Wembley Concerts Than Ever 

In 2025, Coldplay will write a new chapter in the history of Wembley concerts. And Oasis will also return after 16 years and the legendary brotherly feud between Liam and Noel Gallagher in Paris in 2009 (cf. ARTE documentary: As It Was). 

When do Coldplay play at Wembley?

Coldplay will be live at London’s Wembley Stadium from August 22 to September 8, 2025, for a total of eleven nights as part of their "Music for the Spheres" tour. Our ticket and hotel packages can be found here.