Glastonbury crowd go wild as Michael J. Fox makes surprise stage appearance with Coldplay amid Parkinson's battle
Glastonbury Festival is always full of surprises, with secret sets and special guests popping up throughout the five-day event every year. It's become common that headliners will bring out unannounced guests on the Pyramid Stage, and this year Coldplay really took the crowd by surprise.
The band, fronted by Chris Martin, took to the stage on Saturday, 29 June. Thousands flocked to the Pyramid Stage to catch a glimpse of Coldplay, who performed an incredible 21-song set.
Midway through their record-breaking set, Coldplay brought out their special guest - Back To The Future star Michael J. Fox. He appeared on stage to play the guitar during hit tracks Fix You and Humankind.
Chris Martin at Glastonbury
Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury
Michael, 63, who is battling Parkinson's, appeared in his wheelchair. Frontman Chris, 47, credited the actor as the "reason" Coldplay became a band, branding him a "hero" in a sweet tribute.
"The main reason why we're in a band is because of watching Back to the Future, so thank you to our hero forever and one of the most amazing people on Earth, Mr Michael J. Fox. Thank you so much, Michael," Chris said.
The Hollywood actor is an avid musician and famously played the guitar in the 1985 sci-fi movie. He was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's in 1991 when he was 30 years old, and publicly shared the news in 1998.
Michael J. Fox
Fans at home were thrilled to see Michael make an appearance at Glastonbury, with many taking to social media to react to the special moment. Some even claimed to be "in tears" as they watched the performance live on TV.
"Michael J Fox joined Coldplay on stage oh my god," one person wrote on X. A second said: "Coldplay, wow just wow. What a show and Michael J. Fox, don't tell me you weren't in tears."
A third fan wrote: "Coldplay rocking Glastonbury and then bringing out Michael J. Fox will be the best thing I see all year," and a fourth penned: "Michael J. Fox on stage with Coldplay at Glastonbury, great to see."
Michael J. Fox
Coldplay's Glastonbury set was watched by around 100,000 Glastonbury attendees on Saturday night, including some A-listers. Among the revellers was Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Gillian Anderson.
The British band made history as the only act in history to headline Glastonbury five times. Prior to their 2024 headline slot, both Coldplay and The Cure had headlined Glastonbury four times.
Coldplay made their debut at Worthy Farm in the New Bands Tent in 1999 after forming in 1997. They went on to headline the Pyramid Stage in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016.