Infinite Nights: Coldplay Live at Expo 2020

Tom Bairstow of creative production collective, NorthHouse explains how extended reality pushed the boundaries of production during Coldplay’s innovative Al Wasl Plaza performance.

The designers, directors, and visual artists at NorthHouse have collaborated with many incredible global names over the years, from Beyoncé to Bruno Mars, to Ferrari, BT, and even the Super Bowl. The collective are also long-time collaborators with Coldplay, first working with the band in 2015 for the A Head Full of Dreams Tour. That campaign was an incredible experience and we have stayed in touch with the team ever since,” said NorthHouse’s Tom Bairstow, recalling the company’s history with the band and explaining how they came to work on Coldplay’s Expo 2020 performance. “We were in contact with the Coldplay team during lockdown regarding the Music of the Spheres album. The Expo 2020 show was part of the band’s album promo shows, which NorthHouse has been a big part of, starting with a performance in the Roundhouse, London, back in April 2021 and leading up to the Expo 2020 show.”

As well as creating content for the upcoming world tour, NorthHouse had a two-pronged remit for the Expo 2020 project, which comprised 360° immersive visuals to be projected all around the gigantic Al Wasl dome during the performance, as well as a mixed reality promotional trailer to be released before the show. We jumped into both projects simultaneously, starting around October 2021,” Bairstow revealed. It was important for us to ensure that both elements synchronised nicely from an art direction point of view.”

Photos: Expo 2020

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