Some festival days are built around buzz, hype and spectacle, and then there are others that bring soul, sun, and a little dose of heartfelt, balmy summer magic. Jorja Smith’s All Points East takeover on 21 August belonged firmly to the latter, kicking off the 2026 edition of the festival in style.
Victoria Park, London, saw a compelling collection of R&B, soul, Afrobeats, jazz, garage and electronic music brought to its dusty terrain. Nia Archives, kwn, Odeal, Elmiene with The Sunday Service Choir, Destin Conrad, Maverick Sabre and Katy B joined an utterly stacked line-up with artists such as Demae, Konyikeh, Mychelle, Olympia Vitalis, Shivani Day, JAEL and Tyler Lewis showcasing some must-listen up and coming artists.
The big names on the line-up also did not disappoint in the slightest. Case in point: Ayra Starr. Her set mixed new material with an increasingly formidable collection of crowd-pleasers, moving through “Dangerous”, “Who’s Dat Girl” and “Bloody Samaritan”, much to the delight of the crowd. Starr’s star-quality (no pun intended) is clear for all to see, with mere gestures getting fans screaming for their Starr-girl. Her clear enjoyment in feeding off the audience was infectious, with Starr raising her mic for her fans to scream back her lyrics at multiple points.
On the East Stage, Tems brought her gorgeous vocals to an appreciative London audience. She’s always been lauded for her voice, and for good reason, soaring across the fields in Victoria Park, she only needs to bring herself to create a captivating live stage. It suited a festival whose best moments weren’t necessarily its loudest, but were instead its most gentle and unifying ones. Deftly flowing from song to song, the Nigerian singer-songwriter was a perfect inclusion to the day, and a fantastic final artist before the headliner was set to take to the stage.
Off the back of fantastic supporting artists who had brought nothing but a heartfelt atmosphere full of depth to the day, the night was Jorja Smith’s.
Opening with “Blue Lights” immediately connected the evening to the song that introduced so many listeners to her in the first place, while her shift “Teenage Fantasy” had crowds throwing up their phones in the air in celebration for one of the British singer-songwriter’s greatest classics. “Where Did I Go?” and “falling or flying” saw her shift through her various musical eras, before several guests joined Smith for an already luscious setlist. Odeal joined her for “Coming Home”, whilst Kyla appeared for a cover of Gordo’s “Do You Mind”.
One of the night’s sweetest moments came with Katy B, who took to the stage after being introduced by footage of a 14-year-old Smith singing “Katy on a Mission”, right before the pair performed it together. In the hands of another artist so many guest appearances could easily have felt gratuitous; with Smith, it instead felt like a love letter from an artist who has a deep love for her musical journey, and an even deeper love for the artists who inspire her.
By the time she hit the closing stretch of “Little Things”, “On My Mind” and “Be Honest”, there was no need for spectacle: with her gorgeous vocals and megawatt smile, the crowd was waving until the very last note, its warmth spreading across a park whose night had become rather chilly.
All Points East’s opening day once again proved why the festival has only continued to grow since its inception in 2018. For anyone who wants a truly fantastic day-out that is all music, there are few places where so many fantastic artists come to congregate in one place for a jam-packed day of some of the best music out there. What better artists to kick off such a sincere love for music than Jorja Smith, Tems, Ayra Starr and the rest of their cohort.
All Points East runs at London’s Victoria Park until 30 August 2026. Tickets can be found here.