Coldplay 'kiss cam' clip goes viral, tech firm Astronomer's CEO resigns

Punjab First News · 19 July 2025, 5:30 PM

Coldplay on stage amid colourful lights at a concert — A Coldplay concert at the Xcel Energy Center in the US in 2012 (file photo) (Matthew from USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

A few seconds of footage from a Coldplay concert became one of the most talked-about videos of 2025. During the band's July 16 show at Gillette Stadium near Boston, the "kiss cam" put Andy Byron, CEO of tech company Astronomer, on the big screen with a senior colleague.

On seeing themselves, Byron ducked out of view and his colleague turned away. Frontman Chris Martin joked about the moment from the stage.

A concertgoer's video of the moment racked up more than 26 million views on TikTok and X, setting off a flood of memes and worldwide coverage.

Astronomer's board opened an investigation, and on July 19 the company announced that Byron had resigned. It said its leaders are expected to set the standard in conduct and accountability, and named co-founder Pete DeJoy interim CEO.

The story had one more twist. On July 25, Astronomer released a tongue-in-cheek video featuring actor Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin's former wife, as its "temporary spokesperson". It drew millions of views within hours.