Every summer, BST Hyde Park transforms London’s most famous park into one of the best summer music events in the country and 2024’s iteration kicks things off with a bang with headliner SZA as well as The Cuban Brothers, Sampha, Elmiene, Snoh Aalegra and more.
As regular BST Hyde Park goers will know, the festival pulls out all the stops to make sure that it offers a wide variety of enjoyable experiences for festival-goers in between the variety of stages on offer.
From the rather magnificent House of Peroni Nastro Azzuro, to the Cuban storefronts that flag the Cuban Garage Stage. While much of the buzz was (and rightfully so) reserved for American superstar SZA’s impending first-ever visit to the festival (read the review of her stunning show here), much joy could be found in the variety of other artists that brought their A-game to London.
A balance between huge artists and fantastic up-and-comers has always been a strength of the festival, and even though The Birdcage Stage, hidden in a corner of the site, is one of the smaller stages on offer, a perfectly intimate crowd was ever-present. Nia Smith in particular was a highlight, with a set that showcased beautiful vocals that reeled in viewers. Other artists, Jessy Blakemore and Fabiana Palladino also showed off the joys of these smaller stages with equally enthralling performances, and hopefully we will see all three return to BST in the future to grace the main stage one day. For those visiting BST Hyde Park for the first time, spending some time to check out The Birdcage Stage is a big recommend, both for the personal atmosphere and the new gems that you’ll discover there.
Sekou was amongst the artists that brought The Rainbow Stage alive with his distinctive and soulful voice. Alongside Hope Tala and No Guidance, good vibes, voices that you can melt into and music as a connector between emotion, identity and heart seemed to come to the fore. All three were great complements to the artists that took to The Great Oak Stage, Elemeine and Snoh Aalegra, two artists with rapidly growing global fanbases.
Elemiene kicked things off on main stage with gentle aplomb, serenading the crowds across the park with a silky-smooth performance and commanding the stage with a quietly simmering passion that was captivating. Snoh Aalegra the took to the stage, showcasing exactly why she has many global fans, with her performance of some of her best tracks, with “Find Someone Like You” and “DO 4 LOVE” being particular highlights. The Swedish-Iranian artist has earned a reputation for gorgeously immersive albums, and hopefully we see her perform even more in the UK in future. Both artists have surely won new fans from their time on the main stage, and if you haven’t had the chance to check out their work before, now is the time.
After SZA took to the stage to perform a breathtaking concert to crown a triumphant first day at BST Hyde Park, it was impossible to not reflect back on a day of top-notch, diverse R&B that showcased some of the stars – new, rising and already burning bright – that the genre has to offer to fans from around the world.
BST Hyde Park runs until the 14th of July 2024. Get tickets here.
