The sun and and tens of thousands of fans came out to see US megastar Olivia Rodrigo headline a spectacular first day at BST Hyde Park.
The day kicked off with an electrifying set from BETWEEN FRIENDS on the main stage, as well as some of the most talented female and non-binary singer-songwriters of the moment, such as Katie Gregson-Macleod, Ruti, Aziya, Déyyess and many others supporting on the Birdcage Stage and the Rainbow Stage. Though Rodrigo was not set to take the stage until late that evening, all who came early were treated to a new wave of pop, alt-pop and pop-rock that had the crowd out in droves. Further highlights included girl in red bringing some to tears as she announced during her set on the main stage that this was the fourth show she had performed since leaving rehab and overcoming an addiction.
flowerovlove was also a captivating performer, displaying her signature bright energy on the main stage as she asked the crowd about their current celebrity crushes and as she performed a bevy of her addictively catchy summer-ready songs. Meanwhile, The Last Dinner Party was the perfect final act before the main headliner, with their euphoric instrumental magic of the five-piece band never relenting as they served anthemic vocals and sublime guitar instrumentals.
Even before the headliner hit the stage, the message was clear: if you aren’t watching what the ladies and non-binary community are doing in the alt-rock-pop space, you’re sorely missing out.
Never has London – apart from perhaps when Rodrigo was here last in 2024 – been bathed in such a swathe of purple, and for good reason. It took the most dedicated fans queuing for hours for a spot anywhere near the front of the stage to be nabbed, with many a truly spectacular outfit to be seen amongst them.
Anticipation could not have been higher by the time Rodrigo took to the stage, kicking off the show with “bad idea right?” before following up with “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “vampire”, three hits off her most recent, critically-acclaimed album, 2023’s GUTS.
The declaration that London was her favourite city (much appreciated by all in attendance) led into ‘drivers license’, made all the moving by the last chorus almost entirely performed by the fans.
The crowd were on their feet throughout, singing along to every word as she brought both her rock star and theatre chops to the stage, at one point playing the piano, whilst taking to the guitar at another. Ed Sheeran coming on as a special guest to perform his beloved hit ‘The A Team’ certainly did not hurt either, and fans that stayed right up until the end were truly rewarded with the fantastic encore of ‘brutal’, ‘all-american bitch’, ‘good 4 u’ and the deeply loved ‘get him back!’
Aside from all the passion, glitz and energy, one of the most beautiful aspects of the concert, from the very beginning up until the last note and beyond, came from the joy of seeing so many kids, especially little girls, having fun singing along to the songs. They jumped, danced and cheered as their parents and grandparents knew the very same lyrics, even down to those waiting outside the venue long before the concert was up.
That Rodrigo is an already lauded and appreciated songwriter is well-known, and of course, her vocals are superb live. A large proportion of her fanbase is made up of teenagers and the below-forty crowd that connect deeply with her lyrics, and all too rightly so given her ability to express the pain and confusion of growing and changing in a manner that feels always feels raw and deeply sincere.
However, it is also a special and all-too underrated thing, when a mainstream artist is also able to genuinely cultivate a space safe and inclusive enough so that people of all ages and backgrounds can simply enjoy music together. It cannot be denied that there were times when, listening to these families and friend groups all singing along, a tear was brought to the eye of this reviewer.
BST Hyde Park has seen some of the biggest and brightest stars in music grace their famous stages, but for all the doubters (if there are any left) who wondered if Rodrigo could build on the mega-success of SOUR and avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, there is no doubt to be had: Olivia Rodrigo is a bona-fide megastar.
Tickets and more info about the rest of BST Hyde Park, running on select dates until the 12th of July, can be found here.