LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: LEWIS CAPALDI AT BST HYDE PARK, LONDON (11/07/26 - 12/07/26)
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has made a triumphant return to music after a two-year hiatus to focus on his mental health and Tourette’s syndrome. He marked his comeback last year with a surprise Glastonbury set following the release of 'Survive' – a full circle moment for the singer as he stepped back from music after struggling on stage at Glastonbury in 2023. On July 11th and 12th, Capaldi headlined BST Hyde Park in London, delivering two emotional and humorous sets to more than 60,000 fans each night. The shows clearly meant a lot to the singer, who told the crowd he wasn’t sure if he’d ever return to the stage for a while, visibly struggling to hold back tears during the first night.
Capaldi was supported by a strong lineup of artists across both days at Hyde Park. Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon performed on both days, bringing a quiet, chilled atmosphere to the Great Oak stage with music that blends indie folk and personal storytelling. Alon complimented the sailor-themed outfits in the front rows, worn by fans waiting for Conan Gray’s set later that day, and quietly asked 'Are you all waiting for Conan? What a beautiful human being'. Both days, Alon began with a solo acoustic performance before their band joined for a gentle, soft set.
Another act to play both days was Absolutely, the project of London singer Abby-Lynn Keen. After launching her solo career in 2023 with her debut album 'Cerebrum', she spoke on stage about her latest record 'Paracosm', released in February 2026, before performing a song off the record called 'Painting By Numbers'. Her set felt elegant but powerful, with a style that drew the crowd in easily. Keen is also the younger sister of global star RAYE; the talent clearly runs in the family.
Conan Gray closed out the run of returning artists with main-stage sets on both days. Many fans had waited all day for him, turning up with posters and sailor-inspired outfits, hats and merch. Before performing 'Family Line' Gray joked 'This song I usually don’t sing during festival sets but because I’m opening for Lewis, it’s okay to sing depressing songs. Thanks, Lewis'. He also teased the Hyde Park Swing Carousel in the distance, saying 'We’re all going on that swing later. All of us'. Shortly after, Gray even performed one song while seated on his own swing on stage.
Before performing 'Heather', his biggest hit, he said 'This song is about a girl I knew in high school. If you hear this, Heather, I’m sorry but also not because I’m having a wonderful time at Hyde Park'. He closed his set with 'Vodka Cranberry' noting 'This song turns one year old today' before adding 'I love London so much. Thank you for having me'.
Aside from the acts that played both days, the lineup changed throughout the weekend. On Saturday, July 11th, that included Luz, an Irish-Argentinian singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 2020 through her bedroom covers. Her songs were quiet and emotional as she told the crowd that she is currently working on her debut album. Before her first song, she admitted she hadn’t performed in a while and was feeling nervous but the crowd clearly loved her set.
On the Great Oak stage, The Vaccines brought the energy. Lead singer Justin Young called out to the crowd on the 30-degree London day: 'Are you all on Factor 50 and hydrated? It’s so hot up here'. Their set was energetic and fun. Young introduced their 2024 hit 'Sunkissed' by saying 'We’re gonna play a song we haven’t played in a while' before closing their set with 'All My Friends Are Falling In Love'.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old singer-songwriter Nieve Ella played the Rainbow Stage to a crowd of loyal fans at the front. She performed a new song that she said would be out soon before reflecting on her last appearance at the festival: 'Last time we played here was two years ago and we played on the Birdcage stage. It was cool and it was one of the festivals where… it was one of our first London festivals'. Before performing 'Car Park' she called out 'I want as many people singing this if you know it, it’s from Heartstopper'.
On Sunday, July 12th, acts such as Mark Sharp & the Bicycle Thieves played the Birdcage stage. With Capaldi drawing a large Scottish crowd, it felt like a celebration of artists from his home country, with fans in the front waving Scottish flags, singing and clapping along. 'Thanks for coming down early' Sharp said as they delivered a strong, energetic set on a small stage.
Folk Bitch Trio from Australia took over the Rainbow stage with beautiful three-part harmonies and a chilled, intimate set.
On the main stage, Alessi Rose brought plenty of pop energy, drawing the crowd in with personal songwriting as she spoke about the story behind 'First Original Thought' telling the crowd that the song was written about a guy before jokingly adding '…but I’m on the radio now'. She also said how it’s a dream to play this stage, telling the crowd that she had visited BST Hyde Park many times before and always dreamed of performing here one day. Many young girls gathered near the front to see Rose and sang along loudly.
Shortly after, Sadie Jean drew a big crowd to the Birdcage stage. She said she would be playing some sad songs, including one about a friendship breakup. Her set felt intimate and vulnerable yet powerful. It was clear she could easily return to a bigger stage in future years.
Finally, it was time for Lewis Capaldi’s set. One of his greatest strengths is the way he balances emotional, heartbreaking songs with a sharp sense of humour. 'Thank you for your money' he joked on Saturday, July 11th, before adding 'I know many of you are gonna leave once the England game comes on'. In the end, the England team won later that night, but for many fans, Capaldi’s return to the stage in London was the main event.
His songs were deeply emotional and often brought fans to tears throughout the night but Capaldi balanced this out by lifting the mood with funny moments between songs, almost like a stand-up comedian at times. When one fan shouted something at him, he replied 'I can’t hear what you’re saying. You’re really far away but you’re also really close'. He also acknowledged the livestream, as his set was live-streamed for anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to attend, calling out 'Hello to everyone watching'. At one point, after performing 'Pointless', he launched into a long guitar solo before turning back to the crowd and joking 'You didn’t know I can play guitar. Ignorant. Sometimes when you gotta play, you gotta play'.
Capaldi’s voice is powerful and rich, perfectly suited to his emotional songs that often turned into huge singalongs on both nights, especially on tracks like 'Someone You Loved' or 'Before You Go'. Before performing 'Something in the Heavens' Capaldi joked that if you rearrange the letters in 'SHIT' it spells the song title – another example for the stark contrast between his humour and the emotional weight of his songs.
A little later, he brought out Sam Fender, saying the singer is a good friend of his and that they both released their debut singles in 2017. 'You love him' Capaldi said before Fender joined him for a duet of Fender's 'Rein Me In', one of the night’s most special moments. Another emotional moment occurred before Capaldi’s performance of 'The Day That I Die' when the singer became more serious and visibly emotional, holding back tears, thanking the crowd as he said 'There was a time when I took a break after Glastonbury and I didn’t know if this was gonna be possible again'. He spoke about how special these shows were for him before quickly snapping back into his humorous character: 'Here is a song about me dying'.
He also performed a cover of Creedence Clearwater’s 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain?' before ending the first night's set with 'Someone You Loved' and a spectacular firework. At one point in the set, Capaldi said 'Everything is going well. I feel great. I feel happy'. Something that, according to him, had not always been the case. On the second night, he told the crowd, 'There was a time when things were really bad. I’ve played London lots of times and there were many times when I wasn’t enjoying it but I’m having a buzz right now'.
Night two also featured a special appearance from The Kooks' Luke Pritchard, with a special duet of 'Naive' after Capaldi told the crowd that he had looked up to Pritchard when he was younger and 'wanted to be as cool as them'. He also brought a young fan on stage who held up a sign saying 'Lewis is my first ever show. Can we take a selfie?' prompting Capaldi to joke 'Bring me the child. Hurry up now'.
Capaldi’s emotional set was perfectly balanced by his humour, but his voice remains one of his greatest strengths: powerful, rich and able to carry both the heartbreak of his ballads and the warmth of his more playful moments. 'It was a fucking dream. Thank you so much, Hyde Park' Capaldi called out on night two.
Overall, Lewis Capaldi’s BST Hyde Park return felt like a celebration of everything that makes him such an incredible live performer. His emotional ballads that spark huge singalongs and his ability to make people both cry and laugh made for a set that felt both vulnerable yet joyous. Most importantly, the shows proved that his voice and stage presence remain as powerful as ever, if not more so since his hiatus. In 'Survive', Capaldi's first single after the hiatus, he sings 'Most nights I fear that I’m not enough but I refuse to spend my best years rotting in the sun'.
His return left many fans proud to see him back on stage with such resilience and joy, making his return feel even more meaningful. Hopefully, Capaldi will never have to step away from the stage again and can keep sharing that same mix of honesty, humour, heart and musical talent with his fans for many years to come.
Words and photos by Nadine Goetz.
