Two Madison Area Technical College students had just left the Kollege Klub bar near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus early Saturday when one of them thought she recognized Coldplay's lead singer.
Carolina Oliveira told her friend it was Chris Martin crossing the street. Her friend didn't believe her because Oliveira, 27, usually wears glasses but didn't have them on.
The friend, Sarah Vieira, 25, said loudly, "'Chris Martin? No, you're just joking,'" Oliveria said. "And I think he heard, so he turned around, and then we were like, 'Oh my god, it's really him.'"Â
Martin introduced himself then proceeded to walk with the women and Vieira's friend, Alice Lofgren, 22, who was visiting from Sweden, to The Edgewater hotel where he was staying, the women said.
"He was walking, with a hat (on), like the most normal, basic man ever, no security, no anything, just him," Vieira said.
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Carolina Oliveira, second from right, Sarah Vieira, second from left, and Alice Lofgren had a chance meeting with Coldplay’s Chris Martin early Saturday morning on Langdon Street.
Coldplay's sold-out Madison show at Camp Randall Stadium Saturday had about 58,000 attendees, according to a UW-Madison official. It was the latest stop in the band's Music of the Spheres world tour, which began in 2022 and spans 225 nights in 80 cities across 43 countries.
Vieira, who is studying to become a surgical technician, said she brought up to Martin the viral video clip from the band's show immediately preceding Madison's, outside of Boston, in which the chief executive of a tech company was caught on the concert's big screen who wasn't his wife.
"I laughed so hard about what happened in the other concert with the CEO drama, and he got all serious about it,"Â Vieira said. "And he was like, 'I'm actually kind of sad.'"
He said he hates how bad news always gets more media attention than good news, she said.
Martin, 48, showed them a picture of the daughter, Apple, 21, he has with his ex-wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. "It was such a random moment. At the end of the day, he's still a dad,"Â Vieira said.
They talked about Brazil, where Oliveira and Vieira are from, and about Sweden. As they were saying goodnight, he thanked them in their native Portuguese.
Not wanting to be "that type of fan," the women were reluctant to ask for a photo, but it was Martin who suggested it, they said.
After Oliveira said she'd see him at the concert the next day, Martin asked if the others would be there. When they said they didn't have tickets, he said he would arrange for them to all go.

The envelope with Carolina Oliveira's five free tickets to Saturday's Coldplay show.Â
When they arrived Saturday afternoon, the group had five floor tickets waiting for them, upgrading the seats Oliveira, her boyfriend, and a friend of her boyfriend already had.
Oliveira and Vieira had seen Coldplay from the stands at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2022, near the beginning of its marathon tour, which is the top-attended tour of all time, according to Billboard. But being on the floor "was a whole new experience," she said.
Near the end of Saturday's show, Martin mentioned that the night before he'd "met a girl called Carolina Oliveira and her friends, Susan. Maybe. I can't remember. They were very drunk."

Coldplay’s Chris Martin performs Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oliveira, who studies biotechnology, said she was amazed Martin not only remembered her name, but pronounced it correctly (although Vieira's name is Sarah, not Susan).
Except the women weren't exactly drunk, Oliveira said. They'd had one drink apiece at Paul's Club before going to the Kollege Klub for a second, she said. They were taking a shortcut on Langdon Street to Sotto Night Club when they ran into Martin, but after meeting him decided to call it a night, Oliveira said.
While the concert was amazing, Vieira said, the chance encounter was better. She met one of her heroes and found out that his friendly onstage persona is legit.
"It's going to be our fun fact of our life," she said.
State Journal reporter Sabine Martin contributed to this story.
Photos: Coldplay rocks Camp Randall

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay was the second act to play Camp Randall this summer, after county music star Morgan Wallen played two shows late last month.

Coldplay's Chris Martin performs Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

People volley large balloons in the crowd while Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay's two-hour set Saturday at Camp Randall was a hit parade loaded with special effects.

Elyanna performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

A could shares a moment before Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

People watch from the stands as Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

People wait before Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

People watch Coldplay perform on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Coldplay brings its "Music of the Spheres World Tour" to Camp Randall.

Will Champion on the drums, Saturday night at Camp Randall.

Coldplay performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

The crowd watches Elyanna perform on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Elyanna performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Elyanna performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Elyanna performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

The crowd waits before Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

People dance as a DJ gets the crowd excited before Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.

Arya Starr performs on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Camp Randall in Madison, Wi.