Steve Wonder is one of the best-selling artists of all time and tonight the living legend brought his joyful catalogue of music – spanning six decades – to BST Hyde Park for the second time. This time, as part of his “Love, Light and Song” UK tour, he brought Corinne Bailey Rae on stage with him for “Everybody Is A Star”, a very special Sly and the Family Stone cover.
With in excess of 100 million records sold all over the world, it’s no surprise that Steve Wonder’s appearance sold out. The 65,000-strong crowd, awaiting all the hits, got exactly what they hoped for as Mr Wonder — dressed in a white tunic with stitched portraits of John Lennon and Marvin Gaye — delivered the soundtrack to the lives of many of those present.
Kicking off with “Love’s In Need of Love Today”, he attributed the song to the fragility of the world today. “We’ve been through the hate, [but] love is far bigger,” he said with sincerity. “We need — in a time when this planet is too angry — light. So, I want to start off with a song off that you would by now know…” An extra special, and unexpected, cover of “Imagine” by John Lennon, followed.
From there, the setlist exploded with pure Stevie magic: “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”, “Higher Ground” and “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” were the first half highlights, with a cover singalong thrown into the mix: “You Are My Sunshine” (Jimmie Davis).
Stevie asked the thrilled crowd: “Are we good? Are we all having a good time? You damn well better be.”
Joining the superstar on stage this evening was Corinne Bailey Rae. Together, the pair performed “Everybody Is A Star.” “Tonight we want to acknowledge the life of Sly and the Family Stone,” Wonder explained.
The 75-year-old also brought key musical family members on stage, dedicating a special ‘Happy Birthday’ to his 13-year-old daughter Zaiah Morris. Wonder’s son Kailand Morris also took the limelight to perform “I Can Only Be Me.”
Against the backdrop of the sunset, “Sir Duke”, “Isn’t She Lovely” and “I Just Called To Say I Love You” rolled the evening into night, with the audience becoming more lively and excited with every moment that passed.
Then, with one final burst of energy, super Stevie unleashed an incredible finale: “Superstition”, with its big band production, led the way for “Always” and “Another Star” – before the brightest star of the show took his final bow.
Opening the Great Oak today was a guitar-yielding Corinne Bailey Rae, who has been supporting Stevie Wonder on his UK tour. A flurry of favourites began the set, including “Trouble Sleeping” and “Closer”. “New York Transit Queen”, she reminded the audience, was written about Audrey Smaltz, a 17-year-old girl who was once the face of Ebony magazine.
With a tambourine in hand, Ms. Rae delivered her biggest hit “Put Your Records On.” Ending with the sweet melody of “Like A Star”, Corinne picked up her guitar for one final song. “Have a great evening and drink loads of water,” she said. “And maybe I’ll see you later,” which of course she did, with the surprise return to duet with Stevie in his set.
The uplifting energy of Thee Sacred Souls echoed across Hyde Park in the balmy heat. The trio – made up of singer Josh Lane, bassist Sal Samano and drummer Alex Garcia – made their London festival debut, with Lane even walking into the crowd as he sang.
“Lucid”, “Weak For Your Love” and “There For You” all featured, ensuring Hyde Park were primed and ready for the upcoming evening of sizzling soul music.
British-Sudanese soul singer-songwriter, Elmiene, has been billed as ‘a rising star in the neo-soul and r&b world’ and has grabbed the attention of judges for the BBC Sounds of 2024 and the Brit Awards Rising Star 2025 category – nominated for both.
In between sampling some of his own thoughtful tracks – “Mama”, “Crystal Tears”, “Anyways” and “Someday” – the 24-year-old happily riffed Wonder classics, including “Blame It On The Sun”.
“Thank you very much Hyde Park. I don’t know if you lot know this but, this day is a very, very important day in my life. This is a day that I get to support my hero, Stevie Wonder. The greatest to ever do it…”
Also supporting Stevie Wonder tonight was Ezra Collective, the Brit Award and Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet from London. “We are the Ezra Collective and we are here to play some Afro-beat jazz for every single one of you to dance to.”
And dance they did, from the get-go with tunes such as “Shaking Body”, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and “Femi Kuti Tune” emanating across the Royal Park.
“In 2018 I bought tickets for Stevie Wonder. I was with all my best mates and we danced to Stevie Wonder all night, and it was the best gig I’ve seen — to this day — in my life,” Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso shared. ”
“It would be an honour to contribute to the dancefloor for one of the greatest musicians of all time… And to be doing it in London.” Appropriately, the set ended with the glorious “God Gave Me Feet”.
For years, American singer-songwriter, Durand Bernarr, has been offering his soulful vocals to big artists, including the neo-soul star, Erykah Badu.
Tonight, he stepped into the limelight for himself – headlining the Rainbow Stage, and London, for the very first time. Pulling on tracks such as “Stuck”, “Whisper” and “Fist Bump”.
Having spent his early years living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, singer-songwriter Hajaj ended up in London (via California, Colorado and Barcelona), where he met producer Aidan Glover, who would go on to produce his album “Last Call For Coco”. For Hajaj, this was a step unimagined – having grown up in Jeddah at a time when artistic expression was suppressed due to religious extremism. Now taking to the BST Hyde Park stage, Hajaj greeted the crowd with pure joy: “Thank you, thank you. Thank you, Stevie Wonder for having us.”
Performing “songs about my life and maybe yours”, TAMZENE – hailing from the Scottish Highlands – brought her highly-rated songs to a London audience. The singer, wearing a burgundy maxi dress, thanked fans for the tremendous welcome. “Thank you for joining us in this beautiful little corner of London,” she said. “I hope you’re all wearing sunscreen!”
Soul songstress, Mica Miller, headlined the Birdcage stage, sharing tunes from her upcoming “Heaven Knows” album; Afro-soul singer LULU., showcased her southeast London sounds, and Jon Poppii, opened the day on the Birdcage Stage.
Photos by Bethan Miller [including main Stevie Wonder image top of the page] / Isha Shah / Patrick Gunning / Chloe Hashemi
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