Production issues to delay Coldplay tour

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Coldplay has been forced to postpone the start of its North American tour by two weeks because of unspecified "production delays which mean that the show simply won't be ready" for its planned June 29 kickoff in Philadelphia.

The itinerary will now begin with a July 14-15 stand in Los Angeles; it was to close August 4 in Chicago but will instead wrap that day in Boston. Tickets for the scrapped dates will be valid for the new ones, but refunds are also available at points of purchase. An updated itinerary is posted on the band's Web site (www.coldplay.com).

Coldplay's previously announced free shows in London (June 16), Barcelona (June 17) and New York (June 23) will go on as planned, as will a July 27 show at the first Pemberton Festival in British Columbia.

After the conclusion of the first North American leg, the group will tour international markets through early October, after which it begins another round of North American dates. In 2009, Coldplay will play European stadiums and might play such venues in North America as well -- "if we can do the business," manager Dave Holmes told Billboard.

The band's fourth album, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," will be released June 16 internationally via Parlophone/EMI and a day later in North America via Capitol. First single "Viva La Vida" last week became the biggest hit of Coldplay's career by jumping from No. 10 to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Reuters/Billboard