Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin Drop a Surprise Set That Rocked the 2024 Global Citizen Festival

If you weren’t there, well, tough shit, because this was one hell of a moment. Ed Sheeran, the ginger guitar god, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin – the guy who made piano rock cool again – took to the stage at New York’s Global Citizen Festival, completely unannounced, and tore the place down with an acoustic set that had the rain-soaked crowd begging for more. It was f***ing magical.

Unexpected. Unstoppable. Unfiltered.

The crowd had been vibing to headliners like Post Malone and Jelly Roll, but when these two musical titans stepped out – without so much as a whisper of a warning – jaws dropped. Ed kicked things off with Coldplay’s legendary Yellow, strumming his acoustic guitar like it was his only lifeline. Chris Martin, being the showman he is, slid in on the electric piano, adding his signature melancholic flavor to the mix. And just as the audience thought they’d had enough serotonin for the day, Shape of You took a whole new form. An uptempo, jumpy remix of Ed's iconic track had everyone grooving harder than they thought possible in the mud.

One Hell of a Medley

These legends weren’t done yet. Oh no. Next up was Coldplay’s anthem Viva La Vida. The two men, both armed with acoustic guitars, cranked the energy up to eleven. Sheeran’s Thinking of You followed, with Martin slipping into some jazzy piano magic that gave the performance that extra layer of “holy shit, I can’t believe this is happening.” By the end of it, the crowd wasn’t just cheering—they were roaring.

Global Citizen Festival’s Unlikely Dynamic Duo

Chris Martin has always been the humble face of the Global Citizen Festival, and this year was no exception. Scheduled to speak on the need to end extreme poverty, Martin wasn’t expected to pull out this kind of surprise – and neither was Sheeran. But here we are, witnessing history. Two British icons, showing the world what happens when true musicians decide to cut loose. They shared a hug, gave the crowd one last smirk, and walked off stage like they’d just given a casual performance in their backyard.

The World Wasn't Ready

Everyone loves a good surprise, but this was next-level. The combination of Martin’s high-energy piano riffs and Sheeran’s catchy, heart-on-sleeve lyrics was something no one saw coming, but everyone f***ing loved. If you missed this, find a replay because, honestly, you don’t want to be the only one who didn’t witness these two powerhouses absolutely kill it at one of the world’s biggest festivals.