US pop-rock stars Maroon 5 headlined the second weekend of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park last night (Friday), when Adam Levine, lead guitarist James Valentine, drummer Matt Flynn, keyboardist PJ Morton, rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, and bassist Sam Farrar took time out of their “Love Is Like” tour for a dynamic sold-out show.
The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” played from the speakers – a tribute to the collaborations of the past where the two bands had come together to perform -then came the rugged beats of “Harder”causing a roar to erupt from the crowd at the Great Oak stage.
“Hyde Park! Holy sh*t. This is absolutely incredible,” announced Adam Levine. “Ladies and gentlemen, to see all you people here tonight is an incredible incredible thing. We first came here in 2005 and played The Barfly – there weren’t that many people there, probably 40, if we were lucky.
“Our first album came out in 2002, and man when I tell you, it just keeps getting better — all because of you guys. So, thank you so much… for all you’ve given us. And we’re going to give a little of that back to you tonight.”
A string of hits followed: “Animals” and “One More Night — both taking Levine down the cat-walk style “runaway” and deep into the huge crowd. “Sunday Morning” came just as the sun was setting and immediately transported everyone back to the band’s early years. James Valentine’s guitar solo took centre stage, as he brought the song to a finish.
“Heavy”, “Won’t Go Home” and “Memories” followed. Then the crowd passionately sang “She Will Be Loved”. Pushing for even more, Levine encouraged fans to give the final chorus one last belt. “Let’s make the rest of London jealous. Let’s f***ing go!” he instructed and got his wish.
In the crowd, famous faces like Jess Glynne, Joel Dommett and Bradley Simpson (The Vamps) danced. “Tracks like “Love Somebody” gave more committed fans something to cherish. “Girls Like You” provided yet another singalong opportunity. “This one’s a lot of fun,” agreed Levine as Cardi B’s rap flooded the speakers. The song’s 2018 music video, starring the likes of Millie Bobby Brown and Ellen DeGeneres, graced the screens.
The whistle intro to “Moves Like Jagger” warranted yet another roar, and it was phones-in-the-air for the song that brought the band next-level global fame. As the track came to a dramatic guitar-strumming end, Levine joined his bandmates to thank the crowd. “BST Hyde Park, this is a dream come true… we f***ing love you,” he said.
The encore of “Payphone” began with Levine on his own at the mic’, singing the gentle opening lines, before the music began. It was the sweet rhythmic beats of “Sugar” that eventually brought the show to thundering a close.
“This was so much crazier than we could have imagined all those years ago — and we have you to thank,” Levine shared, in one last shout out. “Thank you all so much, Hyde Park. Thank you, London.”
OneRepublic’s set of back-to-back trusted hits had the Royal Park filled to the brim in the late afternoon sunshine. “I think there’s about 19 years’ worth of songs we’ve got to rip through in the next hour, so we’re gonna move quick,” announced frontman Ryan Tedder as the recognisable drum beats to “Stop and Stare” began. “This next song is the most important song to us.” In seconds the audience were belting out the emotion-filled chorus to what is perhaps the band’s second most well-known song.
Sharing with fans that the band have written a string of hits for everyone from from Sir Paul McCartney to Taylor Swift, Beyonce to Tim McRae to Ozzy Osbourne (“I worked on his last album, too”) Tedder asked the crowd to indulge him for the next seven minutes as he sang a medley of some of his favourites, including “Halo” (Beyoncé), “Bleeding Love” (Leona Lewis) and “Rumour Has It” (Adele). All the while, he ran in and out of the audience, making sure he was getting as close to fans throughout.
“Oh, but there’s more!” he exclaimed as “Apologize” followed, before the more upbeat “I Ain’t Worried” and “I Lived”. “I wrote that song for my kid when he was one,” Tedder laughed. “Now, he’s 15. Time passes quick, y’all.”
He even gave a nod to artists that had come before on the Great Oak Stage. “How great was Jess Glynne earlier? She’s crazy [good], insane. We did a couple of songs together years ago. Maybe they’ll come out one day,” he teased. As the hour-long set came to an end, “Run” led into the band’s most recent European hit, “Counting Stars”.
With her name glittering against a red backdrop, Jess Glynne, drew in the mid-afternoon crowd with her biggest hits, which she performed with the confidence and vigour for which she’s renowned.
First up, was the song that sent the star to chart-topping success in 2018, “I’ll Be There”. A stream of top tracks followed, from “123 “and “Take Me Home”, to “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” and “Thursday”. The 36-year old singer also threw in Rudimental’s “These Days”, in which she featured in 2018, and Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be” which she fronted in 2014. Naturally, the set closed with the song that brings summer vibes to every generation, “Hold My Hand” had the crowd singing their hearts out to the very end.
“It’s been absolutely years since I last played Hyde Park,” r&b songstress Ella Eyre told her audience, as she stepped into the sunshine and onto the Great Oak Stage. “Last time I was here, I was supporting Take That [in 2016].”
The “Just Got Paid” artist wasted no time in reminding fans that she still has a phenomenal voice, particularly after having surgery on her vocal cords. Singing a soulful rendition of “Crazy” by Miles Barkley, Ella said: “I’ve been a part of the music industry since I was just 16 years old. This was the first single I released, and I wish I could say I had written it.”Eyre didn’t skimp on her own tracks, either. “Space” opened the set while “Kintsugi” (which Ella says is a Japanese artform that repairs poetry bricks using gold), captured everyone instantly.
Reading four-piece, Only The Poets, opened the Great Oak Stage, preparing the crowd for an afternoon and evening of edgy rock beats and belt-them-out-loud choruses. Pulling out highlights from their debut album, “Monumental” had the audience up against the barrier and dancing early on, while “All This Time” showcased the band’s mellower side.
“When you start a band, and we’re from Reading which isn’t too far [from here], you never think you’ll play Hyde Park one day,” admitted lead singer and guitarist, Tommy Longhurst. “These are legendary bands that have inspired our music,” he said. ” It means a lot to be on the same bill.”
Flanked by bandmates, Andrew “Roo” Burge, Clem Cherry, and Marcus Yates, Longhurst also acknowledged how grateful the band are to be playing London’s largest Royal Park. “We will never ever forget that one time we played Hyde Park and you were all a part of it,” he remarked as the band ended with the catchy “Jump!” and the lyrics, ‘If you’re jumping, I’m jumping too’.
“Come and get involved in the party!” That was the advice Bradley Simpson had for fans as he took on the Rainbow Stage presented by British Airways. The ex-Vamps star took to the stage following the release of his debut album, “The Panic Years”, last year, which he says represents the instability and anxiety of his 20s.
Delivering “Picasso”, “Play At The Moon” and “Almost”, Simpson realised quickly he was performing to fans that had travelled to see him specifically. “Are we sweating out there today? Well, you look gorgeous,” he told them, charming them with his smile. “Thanks for coming out to see me today.”
“I know it was stupid wearing a leather jacket,” joked Pedro Santos as temperatures hit 26C in Hyde Park. The former Here At Last member had already promised their social followers new tracks, and it was new tracks they gave them. The EP-style setlist featured “Lady In Red” and “I Don’t Know Me”, both released in 2026.
LA duo, VOILÀ made up of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Gus Ross and actor-musican Luke Eisner brought high energy electro-pop to the Rainbow Stage. The pair played non-stop music to a sea of bunny ears, a trademark accessory worn by their fans.
On the Birdcage stage was London born, LA-based singer, Stefan Mahendra, who has spent recent days opening for Joss Stone in Germany. He was followed by Glaswegian singer-songwriter, Pat Hamilton, who has been touted as “one of Scotland’s most promising young artists”. Limerick Indie-pop band Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, completed the Friday line-up.
- BST Hyde Park 2026 headliners so far have been Garth Brooks (27th June) and ATEEZ (28th June), before Maroon 5. Next up are: Mumford & Sons (4th July), Duran Duran (5th July), Pitbull (10th July) and Lewis Capaldi (11th July and 12th July).
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