At which London university did Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland meet?

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met at University College London, where they encountered each other during the university’s first week in September 1996.

The meeting became the starting point for Coldplay. Martin and Buckland began writing songs together in early 1997, before Guy Berryman joined and Will Champion completed the performing lineup in 1998. Both Martin and Buckland lived at UCL’s Ramsay Hall, which helped them spend time together outside classes.

The university connection is sometimes confused because Coldplay is generally described as a London-formed band rather than a university band. UCL, however, is specifically where the two founding musicians first met. Martin studied Ancient World Studies, while Buckland earned a 2:1 degree in mathematics and astronomy.

Coldplay’s early history moved quickly after that meeting: the group initially used names including Big Fat Noises and Starfish, then released the self-financed Safety EP in 1998 before signing with Parlophone in 1999.