"Live 2012" is the official documentation of Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto Tour, released as a combined film, live album, and e-book. The project captures Coldplay's performances from their 2011 festival dates and the Mylo Xyloto Tour, which began in December 2011 and wrapped up in September 2012. The film and album serve as Coldplay’s third official live release, following Live 2003 and LeftRightLeftRightLeft.
The film was premiered in cinemas worldwide on 13 November 2012, and was followed by the DVD and Blu-ray release on 19 November 2012. The live album, which also documents the performances from the tour, was released on the same date. Live 2012 was initially announced by Coldplay's creative director, Phil Harvey, in April 2012 under the working title "ColdplayFilm." The film and album were heavily tied to the Mylo Xyloto album and tour, with Xylobands—LED wristbands that lit up in sync with the music—featured prominently during the shows and also used as part of the film's promotion.
The official announcement came on 25 September 2012, along with the launch of two websites: one promoting the theatrical film release and the other focusing on the entire Live 2012 project. A trailer, lasting about two minutes, was released alongside the announcement and was shown in cinemas attached to other films. An exclusive preview of the song "Us Against the World" was made available on the Live 2012 website, with a choice of another track for fans to preview as well.
The film's theatrical release was special in that it was a one-night-only event, screened in 57 countries at 7:00pm local time (with some screenings starting at 7:30pm). The screening was followed by an airing on premium cable in the United States through a deal between Parlophone and Studio 3, with the film airing on Epix on 14 November 2012, just one day after the theater release. This theatrical and television release helped build anticipation for the commercial release of the DVD, Blu-ray, and live album.
In addition to the film and live album, Live 2012 was complemented by a 183-page e-book that chronicled the band's Mylo Xyloto Tour with photographs, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes content.
