It was a surprise appearance that delighted fans of both “Back to the Future” and the British band Coldplay. On Saturday, June 29, 2024, Coldplay, led by singer Chris Martin, performed at the Glastonbury music festival in England. While the audience expected to enjoy the band’s music, they were treated to a memorable moment reminiscent of the iconic prom scene from the first “Back to the Future” film directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Amidst thousands of spectators, Chris Martin made a surprise announcement, bringing out Michael J. Fox, the star of “Back to the Future.” Fox first appeared on giant screens before arriving on stage in a wheelchair, guitar in hand, to perform alongside Martin. Together, they played Coldplay’s hit song “Fix You,” much to the crowd’s delight.
This sequence evoked memories of the famous scene from the 1985 sci-fi classic, where Fox’s character, Marty McFly, electrifies his high school prom with Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”
The moment was particularly poignant given Michael J. Fox’s long battle with Parkinson’s disease, which he publicly disclosed in 1998 after being diagnosed in the early 1990s. The neurodegenerative disease has since made it challenging for him to continue his acting career. In 2000, Fox established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has raised nearly 2 billion euros for the cause.
For Coldplay, welcoming Fox on stage held special significance. As Chris Martin explained, “the main reason for the existence of this group is ‘Back to the Future.’ So thank you to our hero Michael.”
This isn’t the first time Fox and Coldplay have shared a stage. In July 2016, Fox performed a few songs from the film with the band. At that time, he was still able to move without the aid of a wheelchair.
The unexpected reunion at Glastonbury served as a touching reminder of Fox’s enduring influence and the lasting legacy of “Back to the Future.”
