Candlelight: Coldplay vs. Ed Sheeran

The Great Hall at the University of Reading hosts a Candlelight tribute to Coldplay and Ed Sheeran on Saturday 14 November, with the Quattro String Quartet on strings. It's a 60-minute set that pulls from both songwriters, and the whole thing is played as instrumental pieces.

The Coldplay half takes from a few different eras. There's the early piano-led The Scientist and the stadium-filling Viva la Vida, alongside Clocks, Something Just Like This, Adventure of a Lifetime, Fix You, Feels Like I'm Falling in Love and A Sky Full of Stars. The Ed Sheeran side is a bit shorter, with Bad Habits, Photograph, Shivers, Perfect and Give Me Love.

If you've never been to a Candlelight show, the format is the same across the board: the audience sits under the glow of thousands of candles while a live ensemble reimagines popular hits as instrumental pieces. The organisers describe it as a multi-sensory experience, and they make it clear that these concerts aren't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the artists, their estates or official representatives. The show runs for around an hour, is recommended for ages 8 and over — with under-16s needing to be accompanied by an adult — and is wheelchair accessible. Seating is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis within each zone.

It starts at 20:00, with doors opening 45 minutes before, and tickets run from £19.50 to £48 via Fever. The venue is The Great Hall, University of Reading, London Road, Campus, Reading.