Zach Bryan Hyde Park Night One
Over the past five years the growth of country music here in the UK has been colossal which has seen it become the fastest growing genre in the market where the share of the singles market has more than doubled over the last two reporting years. Off the back of this rapid growth it was no surprise that UK country fans would finally get to experience artists on stages that match the large scale outdoor events across the pond when last year a new home was found at American Express presents BST Hyde Park where Morgan Wallen and Shania Twain both headlined shows to over FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE!!!!
For 2025 and the eleventh running of the event, the genre of country music and it’s close Americana cousin would once again take centre stage as Grammy award winner Zach Bryan headlines two sold out shows over the first weekend before Noah Kahan would be here on the Friday of weekend two to help celebrate American Independence Day on July 4th. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Stevie Wonder, Jeff Lynne and Neil Young along with Grammy winning pop princess's Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter (who will close out 2 nights) complete this year’s lineup at London’s iconic Royal Park.
The capital was basking is thirty degree sunshine for a stacked Saturday lineup also featuring Irish singer- songwriter Dermot Kennedy, LA based indie rockers Mt. Joy, rising Georgia star Willow Avalon who was one of this year’s standout performers at C2C Festival back in March, UK chart-topper Gabrielle Aplin, viral southern rock sensations Ole 60, Texan troubadour Angel White and Canada’s hottest new Americana darling; Noeline Hofmann which made up what was in our eyes one of the strongest bills from top to bottom since the inception of the festival.
One of the best things about Hyde Park is the accessibility which I know this may be a slightly biased opinion when you live along the Central line but Hyde Park is easily reached from multiple tube stops and also Victoria train station so combined with a 10:30pm curfew means that everyone can get to and leave the event with no difficulty. It is well signposted with where you need to go depending on your tickets which is something that a lot of other large outdoor events could learn a thing or two from and once you are inside it is a very easy site to navigate with well numerous well staffed bars and a layout that works so well that it has seen limited changes over the years meaning a fun, welcoming and familiar atmosphere each time you enter.
For 2025 and the eleventh running of the event, the genre of country music and it’s close Americana cousin would once again take centre stage as Grammy award winner Zach Bryan headlines two sold out shows over the first weekend before Noah Kahan would be here on the Friday of weekend two to help celebrate American Independence Day on July 4th. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Stevie Wonder, Jeff Lynne and Neil Young along with Grammy winning pop princess's Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter (who will close out 2 nights) complete this year’s lineup at London’s iconic Royal Park.
The capital was basking is thirty degree sunshine for a stacked Saturday lineup also featuring Irish singer- songwriter Dermot Kennedy, LA based indie rockers Mt. Joy, rising Georgia star Willow Avalon who was one of this year’s standout performers at C2C Festival back in March, UK chart-topper Gabrielle Aplin, viral southern rock sensations Ole 60, Texan troubadour Angel White and Canada’s hottest new Americana darling; Noeline Hofmann which made up what was in our eyes one of the strongest bills from top to bottom since the inception of the festival.
One of the best things about Hyde Park is the accessibility which I know this may be a slightly biased opinion when you live along the Central line but Hyde Park is easily reached from multiple tube stops and also Victoria train station so combined with a 10:30pm curfew means that everyone can get to and leave the event with no difficulty. It is well signposted with where you need to go depending on your tickets which is something that a lot of other large outdoor events could learn a thing or two from and once you are inside it is a very easy site to navigate with well numerous well staffed bars and a layout that works so well that it has seen limited changes over the years meaning a fun, welcoming and familiar atmosphere each time you enter.
Credit: @bethanmillerco
Our day began with a catchup with Angel White who after navigating north London’s fast food joints and our favourite Honky-tonk for the past couple of days was really pumped to be playing back across the pond once again. The main stage programme began down in Georgia and there is just something about watching feisty redheads from that state perform and Miss Willow Avalon is pretty special. She was the name I heard on everyone’s lips at this year’s C2C but due to scheduling conflicts managed to evade my gaze at the O2 back in March but I got it straight away and she was a perfect start to the day. She has an ability to truly captivate and make you laugh at the same time combined with incredibly witty songs.
We headed north of the US border as the baton for the redheads was passed on to Noeline Hofmann who proudly flew the flag for team Canada in temperatures much hotter than her native Alberta. Personally she was the star draw for me so, I would have really liked to have seen her on the Great Oak Stage like at the ZB shows in Ireland. Americana really has found its new darling and she is a badass songwriter that we really hope will become a regular visitor to these shores and you will be able to read our interview with her very soon.
What I love most about festivals is that you hear an artist for the first time and then go home to stream their entire catalogue because they just blew you away. Dermot Kennedy, where have you been for me? I Slept on this guy so bad and this set was just really enticing and a perfect way to set the tone for the first of two headline shows from Mr Zachary Lane Bryan.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing in front of you” was his prelude to performing “God Speed” but in reality there were sixty thousand of the luckiest people in the world stood in front stood in front of him. We dream about witnessing shows like we see in US stadiums and we have to grasp them with both hands when these opportunities come along which the British public did and sold out his first show before tickets even hit general sale.
The array of crowd favourites such as “Something in the Orange”, “Pink Skies”, “American Nights” and “I Remember Everything” were the prelude to the fifteen minute encore which everyone knew was coming but the real treat was hearing brand new song “Streets of London” which will be released on Monday. Then as the two hour show concluded and no matter how incredible it looks on YouTube videos or what you see on socials, being in the crowd for fifteen joyous minutes of everyone singing the words to “Revival” is so uplifting and really is soothing to the soul before the night sky was filled with fireworks to send us on our way. The show was so joyous that maybe we’ll do it again today but this time there’s a little bit of Turnpike Troubadours on the way to add even more magic to the day.
American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2025 continues with the second headline performance from Zach Bryan today (June 29th) along with appearances by Noah Kahan (July 4th) Sabrina Carpenter (July 5th & 6th) neil young and the chrome hearts (July 11th) Stevie Wonder (July 12th) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (July 13th) with full festival details and any last remaining tickets for select shows available on their WEBSITE and you can see what has been happening at all of the events on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK
We headed north of the US border as the baton for the redheads was passed on to Noeline Hofmann who proudly flew the flag for team Canada in temperatures much hotter than her native Alberta. Personally she was the star draw for me so, I would have really liked to have seen her on the Great Oak Stage like at the ZB shows in Ireland. Americana really has found its new darling and she is a badass songwriter that we really hope will become a regular visitor to these shores and you will be able to read our interview with her very soon.
What I love most about festivals is that you hear an artist for the first time and then go home to stream their entire catalogue because they just blew you away. Dermot Kennedy, where have you been for me? I Slept on this guy so bad and this set was just really enticing and a perfect way to set the tone for the first of two headline shows from Mr Zachary Lane Bryan.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing in front of you” was his prelude to performing “God Speed” but in reality there were sixty thousand of the luckiest people in the world stood in front stood in front of him. We dream about witnessing shows like we see in US stadiums and we have to grasp them with both hands when these opportunities come along which the British public did and sold out his first show before tickets even hit general sale.
The array of crowd favourites such as “Something in the Orange”, “Pink Skies”, “American Nights” and “I Remember Everything” were the prelude to the fifteen minute encore which everyone knew was coming but the real treat was hearing brand new song “Streets of London” which will be released on Monday. Then as the two hour show concluded and no matter how incredible it looks on YouTube videos or what you see on socials, being in the crowd for fifteen joyous minutes of everyone singing the words to “Revival” is so uplifting and really is soothing to the soul before the night sky was filled with fireworks to send us on our way. The show was so joyous that maybe we’ll do it again today but this time there’s a little bit of Turnpike Troubadours on the way to add even more magic to the day.
American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2025 continues with the second headline performance from Zach Bryan today (June 29th) along with appearances by Noah Kahan (July 4th) Sabrina Carpenter (July 5th & 6th) neil young and the chrome hearts (July 11th) Stevie Wonder (July 12th) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (July 13th) with full festival details and any last remaining tickets for select shows available on their WEBSITE and you can see what has been happening at all of the events on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK
