Coldplay launch ‘Choose Love’ pop-up shop to provide refugees with winter essentials

22 December, 2022

Coldplay have reopened their annual pop-up “shop” with Choose Love – the “accidental charity” co-founded by the band’s former manager, Josie Naughton – to provide refugees around the world with items to help them survive the winter.

In addition to an online shop, the pop-up is currently being hosted in-person at 15-17 Foubert’s Place, Carnaby. Uniquely, those who visit the shop don’t actually leave it with any physical goods – instead, they’re encouraged to “buy” items like coats, heating fuel, food and educational materials, with the monetary value then being used to allot those items among refugees and people displaced by disasters internationally.

In a video shared by Coldplay on social media, they explained the concept: “It is a shop like no other – you buy services and supplies, and we deliver them to refugees and displaced people… Everything you buy will go directly to the people who need them the most.”

The pop-up comes amid controversy for Choose Love; earlier this month, via Corporate Watch, a group of 12 ex-employees shared an open letter alleging that the charity (which was formerly known as Help Refugees) fostered a “toxic work culture”. According to the letter, “many [current employees] continue to feel bullied if they disagree with your approach”, and “any feedback on how to improve the organisation is treated as a personal insult”.

Meanwhile, this month also saw Coldplay confirm that they’re back in the studio, presumably working on the follow-up to last year’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ album. Just last week, Nile Rodgers revealed that he’s been involved with the process, saying he “had a blast” recording with the band. “What was great working with Coldplay is that we’re all in the room together and it’s sort of like a spiritual thing,” the Chic guitarist said.

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