All-American pop sensation, Olivia Rodrigo, dazzled 65,000 fans with a 19-song set, as she made her debut at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2025 last night.
The superstar, who has clocked up a string of Top 10 hits all over the world, put on a true pop masterclass for the excited crowd – which included upcoming BST Hyde Park headliner Sabrina Carpenter, Bridgerton actor Luke Newton, Gavin and Stacey star James Corden and Rodrigo’s boyfriend Louis Partridge.
The legendary Ed Sheeran joined Olivia on stage for a guitar duet of Sheeran’s 2011 classic, “The A Team.”
“Oh my God, there’s so many people here I can’t believe my eyes!” beamed Rodrigo, as she took to the stage to see a sea of purple cowboy hats in front of her. “You guys, I have a really special feeling about tonight. Are we ready to have a good fucking time?”
Later, the star paid homage to the British capital she loves so much. “London, did you know you guys are my favourite city? [I’ve had] so many special moments in London and so many special moments in this park actually – this is like my dream gig!
“It’s such a magical night and we get to watch the sunset together – it’s so romantic. It’s nights like this that are so special, I have to pinch myself. I do think London is my favourite place right now.”
With a setlist enhanced by pyros and a glistening silver-sequin tassled outfit, the 22-year-old pulled out hit after hit. “Bad Idea Right”, “Traitor”, “Vampire”, “Drivers License,” and “Happier” all featured in the first half of the performance, with a chorus of fans singing along to every single word. Among them was James Corden, who also seemed to know every lyric.
The second half of the show was jam-packed with tracks such as “Jealousy, Jealousy”, “So American”, “Favorite Crime”, and the guitar-led “The A Team.”
“I want to introduce one of my favourite Brits and one of the best songwriters of all time,” Rodrigo declared as Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage, in a white t-shirt and jeans, to a frenzy of screams. The pair walked together to the front of the Great Oak Stage’s long runway – giving every fan a clear view of the duet of the summer – before launching into the 2011 hit.
Oliva’s 90 minute set came to a climax with an epic encore of some of her best loved tracks: “Brutal”, “All American Bitch”, “Good 4 U” and “Get Him Back.”
Supporting Olivia at Hyde Park was The Last Dinner Party. “It’s so nice to be back playing BST Hyde Park because this was one of our really, really early shows,” Abigail announced. “When we just started… We got a spot here when the Stones were playing. It’s so lovely to get back here, to support Olivia Rodrigo and hopefully we have more people here who want to support us.”
The London-based band stood among replica Roman pillars dotted across the stage, as they played fan favourites including “Mirror”, “Gjuha”, “On Your Side” and “Portrait of a Dead Girl”, before completing their set with “Nothing Matters.” Lizzie Maynard joyfully added that this BST Hyde Park show was the first time her grandfather had seen her perform.
Norwegian musician, “Girl In Red” dazzled the growing audience with a string of her best tracks, including “Bad Idea!”, “4am” and “I Call You Mine.” Wearing her trademark smart black jacket with a white t-shirt and black trousers, and holding her prized guitar, “Girl In Red” was greeted by a chorus of cheers. “I’m looking at a gazillion Olivia Rodrigo fans right now,” she grinned.
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Marie Ulven Ringheim, also opened up about her mental health, talking about how she had battled through rehab in recent months. “I wasn’t going to live anymore,” she shared with honesty, before launching into the thoughtful lyrics of new song, “Hemingway.”
Elaborating on a tough 2025, the star has addressed her absence from the music scene on Instagram, writing: “Last year I ended up in a really bad place, with addiction, ED and depression that almost killed me. On Friday I’m releasing a song called ‘Hemingway’ and it tells a part of that story. Thank you for all the love you have been sending my way since I opened up about all of this.”
Dressed in a red t-shirt with ‘Harry Styles’ emblazoned across the front, British-Ivorian singer-songwriter, “Flowerovlove”, stole the hearts of people gathering at the Great Oak Stage earlier in the afternoon. The “New Friends” singer, who is signed to Capitol Records, took everyone by surprise by unexpectedly popping out of a giant white stiletto shoe before launching into a stellar set.
US alt-pop sensation, Between Friends, flew in from California to be the first act on the Great Oak Stage. Thrilled with the mass turnout to their set, the sibling duo told the crowd: “You guys have given us such a warm welcome in London. This is the biggest show we’ve ever played”.
Headlining The Rainbow Stage, was Caity Baser. The “Kiss You” singer wasted no time in getting the crowd singing along, playing an array of both old and new songs. Sharing a special moment with everyone watching, she shared: “You guys know how much I love singing and performing. I love you, sharing this time is so surreal. The likes of “2020s”, “X&Y” and “Pretty Boys” graced her setlist, with new track “Watch That Girl”, capturing the moment spectacularly.
Meanwhile, Scottish Tik-Tok sensation, Katie Gregson-MacLeod, embraced the 26-degree London heat as she took to the stage – introducing herself as “seriously hot and sweaty”. Showcasing her tracks “Body” and “Guest List”. Kicking off the day was British singer-songwriter, Ruti, The Voice UK winner. Irish four-piece Florence Road, Brit’ singer-songwriter Aziya, and Kent-born footballer-turned-musician Déyyess also did their thing at BST.
BST Hyde Park will see more legendary artists take to the stage over three weekends, with headliners Zach Bryan (28 + 29 June) Noah Kahan (4 July), Sabrina Carpenter (5 + 6 July), Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts (11 July), Stevie Wonder (12 July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July) appearing.
Set in London’s beautiful Royal Park, BST Hyde Park kicked off in 2013 with The Rolling Stones reliving their legendary 1969 gig, plus Bon Jovi, Lionel Richie and many more packing out the park for memorable summer nights.
The event has featured many now famous shows from Carole King, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Adele, Taylor Swift, Robbie Williams, Black Sabbath, Take That, Kylie Minogue, The Who, Blur, Kendrick Lamar, The Strokes, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lana Del Rey and many more.
And the midweek programme allows free access to the site with outdoor cinema, street food markets, children’s theatre, fitness classes, summer sports screenings, evening events, live music and much more.
Photo credits:
Sophia J Carey (Captioned SJC)
Jennifer McCord (Captioned JM)
Isha Shah (Captioned IS)
