Coldplay to open iTunes festival in the US

Los Angeles: Coldplay will play at the opening night of the iTunes festival, taking place in the US for the first time next month. The event, held in London for the last seven years, will be staged alongside the South by Southwest (SXSW) music showcase in Texas, reported a leading magazine.

Coldplay said it was a `great honour`for the band, adding "we hope everyone has a fantastic time". Each of five shows at Austin`s Moody Theatre, from March 11-15, will be streamed in full online via iTunes. An eclectic mix of musical styles have been promised across the five nights, from country legend Willie Nelson to rapper Pitbull. Apple executive Eddy Cue said they had struggled to find the right venue to stage a US version of the festival. Cue has also not ruled out the US festival becoming an annual event along the lines of the UK series of gigs. "We`ll see where it leads us. I can tell you when we did the London one for the first time, we did it for a week in London and look what it`s become," he said.