Wembley Park has launched ‘Yellow 25’, a new large-scale public art installation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Coldplay’s iconic song, ‘Yellow’. The free installation, which runs until 30th September 2025, has been unveiled ahead of the band’s record-breaking 10-night residency at Wembley Stadium, which begins on 22nd August as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.
Created in collaboration with the global colour authority Pantone, the installation transforms the famous Spanish Steps connecting Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley. Each of the 58 steps has been matched to a specific shade of yellow, creating a visual journey that reflects the melodic and emotional arc of the seminal track. The installation follows a similar fan-favourite activation on the steps in 2024 for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Claudio Giambrone, Head of Cultural Programming at Wembley Park, who curated the project, commented on the choice of colour and theme: “Yellow is a colour that stands out. It’s light, energy and hope. It lifts your mood. That’s what we wanted to bring to life with this installation. We’re proud to have worked with Pantone to turn that feeling into something people can see, walk through and remember.”
Read the official press release in full below:
North London neighbourhood and entertainment district Wembley Park has unveiled a new, large-scale public art installation in collaboration with Pantone, the global colour authority and provider of professional colour language standards and digital solutions for the design community. .
Titled ‘Yellow 25’ the outdoor installation pays tribute to Coldplay – who formed in London – ahead of the band’s 10 sold out shows at Wembley Stadium, honouring the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough hit, ‘Yellow’, first released as a single in the UK on 26 June 2000.
For this installation, Wembley Park tapped Pantone’s team of colour experts at the Pantone Color Institute to create a colour journey across the neighbourhood’s Spanish Steps, drawing inspiration from the full emotional and melodic arc of the iconic song.
The Pantone Color Institute team matched each of the 58 steps to a specific shade of yellow using the Pantone Matching System™, starting with pale, muted tones and building to deeper, more luminous golds to reflect the song’s progression. Additionally, the song is framed within Pantone’s iconic chip, further illuminating the accuracy of the colours from concept to reality.
‘Yellow 25’ is located on Wembley Park’s Spanish Steps, a key pedestrian link between two of the UK’s most iconic live venues: Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley (formerly Wembley Arena).
Now in its fourth year, Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour lands in the UK on 18 August, with a record-breaking 10-night run at Wembley Stadium from 22 August.
This public thoroughfare has become a symbolic stage in its own right. In 2024, it was transformed to celebrate Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour with the fan-favourite mural ‘Auras’ by British artist Frank Styles. Now, it marks another cultural milestone, spotlighting Coldplay’s lasting legacy and influence in British pop music.
The latest addition to the free, public Wembley Park Art Trail, ‘Yellow 25’ transforms this multi platinum global hit song into a visual story told through colour and applied across Wembley Park’s urban canvas.
Claudio Giambrone, Head of Cultural Programming at Wembley Park, who curated ‘Yellow 25,’ comments: “Yellow is a colour that stands out. It’s light, energy and hope. It lifts your mood. That’s what we wanted to bring to life with this installation. Wembley Park is shaped by music and shared experiences, a place where energy is always in the air. So this felt like the right fit. We’re proud to have worked with Pantone to turn that feeling into something people can see, walk through and remember. And we hope Coldplay will be as proud as we are of this tribute to a song that has touched so many hearts in its 25 year history.”
Jane Boddy, Creative Director, Pantone Color Institute, comments: “Color, just like music, is a very emotional form of communication. We were inspired to explore how sound and color can work together to express the feeling of Coldplay’s iconic ‘Yellow’, and how the emotional journey of the song could be visually represented through the steps at Wembley Park. It was a creative exercise that engaged all the senses and invited us to explore the song’s emotion and lyrics in a new way. We hope fans and visitors will enjoy the installation and connect with the music and Coldplay’s legacy from a new colorful perspective.”
Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “London has once again shown that we are the global capital of music with a fantastic array of gigs and festivals this summer, including Coldplay’s record-breaking 10-night run at Wembley Stadium. It’s great that Wembley Park has joined with Pantone to mark this moment and celebrate the band’s long-lasting impact on music and our capital, as we build a better London for everyone.”
The Story Behind the Creation of ‘Yellow 25’
Yellow is a colour with deep roots. Across cultures and centuries, it has been associated with sunlight, joy, clarity and divinity. Ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians and Greeks used yellow to represent the life-giving power of the sun, a source of warmth and emotional strength.
Coldplay’s “Yellow” taps into those same qualities. It is a song about love, hope and devotion. Pantone’s approach focused on nuance. Each colour was chosen not only for its visual quality, but for how it reflects the emotional tone of each part of the track. Softer, desaturated yellows express moments of tenderness and uncertainty. As the melody rises, the shades brighten and shift, carrying the song’s energy and momentum. By the chorus, the yellows become fuller, deeper, more expressive. The bridge reaches peak intensity before softening again into a warm, luminous calm.
Pantone’s process involved more than matching colour to mood. The team considered saturation levels, tonal depth and the space between each hue to reflect the dynamic movement of the music. The installation mirrors the song’s structure, step by step, turning lyrics and melody into a visual path.
The result is something quiet but open. Whether you know the song or not, the colour invites you in. It speaks to hope, warmth, devotion and light. These are feelings that are shared and universal.
The Yellow Steps are also part of Wembley Park’s wider commitment to making culture visible in everyday public life. By bringing music into the built environment in this way, the piece connects not only two of the UK’s most iconic venues, Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena Wembley, but also the people moving between them.
In keeping with Wembley Park’s commitment to sustainability, ‘Yellow 25’ has been produced using a PVC-free film that contains no chlorine, plasticisers, or heavy metals, making it less harmful to the environment, and easier to recycle than traditional vinyl. Once the installation ends, it will be fully recycled and transformed into practical items like street cones, giving the artwork a purposeful second life.
‘Yellow 25’ is part of the Wembley Park Art Trail, which features large-scale works across the neighbourhood. Highlights include the now globally viral tributes to Taylor Swift, a mural dedicated to Lana Del Rey; and the Square of Fame, where visitors can see the handprints of artists including Madonna, George Michael, The Who, Bryan Adams, Kylie Minogue, and Dolly Parton. The installation is free and runs until 30 September 2025.
Visit wembleypark.com/yellow for more information.
Image credits:
Ben Pipe / Wembley Park
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