On Tour with Coldplay: How one Oxfam staffer is hitting the road with the band while advocating for refugees around the world
This year Oxfam is joining the band Coldplay on their A Head Full of Dreams tour asking fans and people around the world to Stand As One with refugees. Anna Roguski is the lucky Oxfam staffer who is accompanying the band on their global tour. Below she shares with us her reflections from the road.
Six months ago I embarked on a life-changing adventure as Oxfam’s Tour Coordinator, travelling around the world on Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams tour to bring the Stand As One campaign to Coldplay fans. After joining the band at their shows across Latin America and Europe, I’m now in the USA as the tour travels through the States from New York to San Francisco (and everywhere in between!).
Having only briefly visited the USA once before, for me this is an incredible opportunity to experience so much of this diverse and welcoming country — and we’ve wasted no time in doing so! After arriving in America just a week ago in we’ve already played eight unforgettable shows in six cities, and over 2,800 Coldplay fans have joined us to Stand As One with people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and disaster. With over 65 million people worldwide currently on the move this is the most serious refugee crisis since records began, so there could be no better time for us to have such an amazing opportunity to bring Stand As One to so many people.
So far on the tour in the USA I’ve been truly inspired by our local volunteers at each concert, especially when hearing their stories about why the Stand As One campaign is so important to them. From long term Oxfam supporters to people volunteering with us for the first time, everyone has been so passionate about ensuring that refugees and internally displaced people are supported and able to live in safety. And it’s not just the volunteers I’ve been inspired by — at each gig I’ve met hundreds of Coldplay fans who have signed the petition and shared with us why they think solidarity with those forced to flee is so crucial at this time.
In short, it’s been an incredible first week and a half, and I’m so excited about the next months campaigning here in the States!
If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket to an upcoming Coldplay show make sure you stop by the Oxfam table to sign the petition, get your Stand As One wristband and meet our fantastic high-energy team of local volunteers — we’d love to say hi! Or if you’re interested in joining us as a volunteer at one of the shows we’d love to hear from you — you can apply here to be a part of the team.
Follow along with Anna’s journey and go behind the scenes at Oxfam On Tour, and on Instagram (OxfamOnTour) and Snapchat (OxfamOnTour)
