Mumford & Sons at BST Hyde Park
Mumford & Sons at BST Hyde Park, London — 2026-07-04
Mumford & Sons returned to BST Hyde Park for a festival day that built from emerging artists to surprise appearances by Hozier and Shania Twain.
Ten years after their last BST Hyde Park headline appearance, Mumford & Sons returned to West London’s Great Oak Stage to close out a day that showcased exactly why BST remains one of London’s standout summer festivals. Across multiple stages, artists including Cliffords, Divorce, Heidi Curtis, Bec O’Malley, CAAMP, Holly Humberstone and The War On Drugs created a line-up where arriving early felt like part of the experience rather than simply waiting for the headliners.
One of the day’s earliest discoveries was Heidi Curtis. The North Shields singer-songwriter brought a welcome edge to the afternoon, blending indie, folk and rock into a set that felt both polished and refreshingly raw. Her powerful vocals carried effortlessly across Hyde Park, while her band added just enough grit to complement rather than compete with the songs. For an artist only just beginning to release music, she already looked completely at home on a festival stage.
Over on the Birdcage Stage, Bec O’Malley drew one of the day’s more surprising crowds. Despite having officially released just one song, the Bolton singer-songwriter had no trouble pulling people in, with curious festivalgoers quickly stopping to see what the growing buzz was about. His gravelly vocal and Americana-leaning songwriting found a natural balance between British indie and Nashville influences, while his relaxed stage presence made the intimate setting feel like exactly the right place to discover an artist at the very start of what promises to be an exciting career.
Opening the Great Oak Stage, Divorce eased festivalgoers into the day with their distinctive blend of indie rock and alt-country. Their understated performance set the tone for what would become a consistently strong line-up from first act to last.
As the afternoon gathered momentum, CAAMP delivered one of the day’s most enjoyable sets. Their blend of folk, country and bluegrass felt perfectly suited to a warm July afternoon, with Peach Fuzz, Vagabond and Come With Me Now providing the soundtrack as the crowd steadily grew. Evan Westfall laughed about finally seeing London in the sunshine after previous winter visits, while a rainbow guitar strap quietly acknowledged Pride celebrations taking place across the capital. By the closing All The Debts I Owe, the audience in front of the stage had grown considerably, with many festivalgoers choosing to stay put long after they had wandered over.
Later in the day, Irish outfit Cliffords brought a welcome burst of energy to the Rainbow Stage. Fronted by the charismatic Iona Lynch, the four-piece combined soaring guitars with infectious melodies, drawing a lively crowd and proving why they’re quickly becoming one of Ireland’s most talked-about emerging bands. Across the smaller stages throughout the day, BST Hyde Park once again showed its knack for pairing established names with artists well on their way to finding much bigger audiences.
Holly Humberstone shifted the mood without losing the audience for a moment. Festival crowds can easily become distracted during quieter sets, but not this one. Whether revisiting favourites from Paint My Bedroom Black or introducing songs from Cruel World, Humberstone held the park’s attention with understated confidence. Looking out across the audience with an almost disbelieving smile, she repeatedly thanked the crowd, calling it “such an honour” to be there. It felt like another step forward for one of Britain’s most distinctive young songwriters.
The War On Drugs brought an entirely different atmosphere. Adam Granduciel and his band have built a reputation on patience rather than spectacle, and Hyde Park gave their songs the room they needed. Opening with Who’s That before rolling into Red Eyes, they slowly layered shimmering guitars and expansive rhythms across the park. Pain, Under The Pressure and Strangest Thing unfolded at their own pace before I Don’t Live Here Anymore closed a set that never felt hurried. There was little conversation between songs because none was needed; the music did all the talking.
By the time Mumford & Sons emerged, the crowd stretched well beyond the sound desk, filling Hyde Park with a sea of faces waiting for the hometown heroes. Opening with Begin Again, accompanied by bursts of pyrotechnics, Marcus Mumford greeted the crowd with a grin and a promise: “We’re Mumford & Sons… we didn’t come to f*** around.”
The opening moments quickly made one thing clear: this wasn’t a band looking backwards. I Will Wait barely needed an introduction before thousands of voices took over, while White Blank Page and Lover Of The Light reminded everyone that some of the band’s quieter songs still carry just as much weight as their festival anthems.
Rather than feeling like obligatory additions, the newer songs from Prizefighter and Rushmere sat comfortably alongside the band’s best-known material, earning the same enthusiastic response as tracks that have been part of their live shows for years. Marcus Mumford remained relaxed throughout, joking that he’d probably spend most of the evening talking about football before taking a moment to appreciate another summer evening in his hometown. There was an easy chemistry between the band and the audience that made the performance feel less like a show and more like a celebration.
The first guest of the evening arrived in the form of Hozier, joining the band for Rubber Band Man before staying on for Awake My Soul. Introduced by Mumford as “the kindest man in music”, it never felt like a celebrity cameo. Instead, it looked like two friends sharing a stage, with their voices complementing each other beautifully.
As daylight slowly faded, Little Lion Man, Believe, Delta and Wolf lifted the atmosphere even further before the band briefly stepped away from the stage.
Then came one final surprise.
“We’ve got another cheeky surprise for you.”
Fresh from performing at Wembley Stadium earlier that evening, Shania Twain walked onstage to one of the loudest reactions of the night. Joining Mumford & Sons for Here, she looked completely at ease before Marcus Mumford admitted she had been one of his musical heroes for years.
One song was never going to be enough. As soon as the opening riff of Man! I Feel Like A Woman! rang out, Hyde Park became one giant celebration. Even those who had spent much of the evening rooted to the same spot couldn’t resist joining in, singing every word back at the stage.
There was only one song left.
As The Cave closed the evening, the chorus echoed across Hyde Park from every direction. Nearly two decades into their career, Mumford & Sons continue to write songs that feel built for moments like this, where the line between artist and audience almost disappears.
BST Hyde Park has always been about more than its headliners, and Saturday was a reminder of that. From emerging artists opening the stages to one of Britain’s biggest live bands closing the night alongside Hozier and Shania Twain, it was a day that never lost momentum and rewarded everyone who arrived long before the headline set began.
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