Live Review: Lewis Capaldi – 12th July 2026 – BST Hyde Park, London, UK

We’re incredibly grateful to once again have been invited back by the fantastic BST Hyde Park PR team to cover this year’s concert series, and what a summer it has been. Across three sun-soaked weekends in London’s Hyde Park, we’ve been lucky enough to witness some truly memorable performances from the likes of Garth Brooks, Duran Duran, Scissor Sisters, Kesha and Pitbull, before Lewis Capaldi brought another hugely successful edition of the festival to a close with the second of two sold-out headline performances.

After spending the past year firmly re-establishing himself as one of Britain’s most loved live performers following his emotional return at Glastonbury in 2025, Sunday’s show felt less like a comeback and more like a celebration.

Taking to the Great Oak Stage just as the sun began setting over London, Capaldi kept things as understated as ever in a denim jacket, white T-shirt and black trousers. While the stage itself reflected one of the biggest production investments of this year’s BST series – adopting a striking industrial look with towering steel structures and giant LED screens framing both Capaldi and his band – the focus never drifted from the man at the centre of it all. Opening with Hollywood, Grace and the uplifting Heavenly State of Mind, he was greeted by a sea of fans who had clearly waited a long time for this moment.

As with any Capaldi show, the cheeky wit and one-liners were delivered between each song.  “Night two! We couldn’t fit another c*** in here if we tried,” he joked within minutes of walking on stage before thanking everyone for coming – and for buying tickets and making a money-to-pocket gesture which had the crowd laughing. You really do have to appreciate the musicians honesty. Spotting plenty of Scottish flags around Hyde Park, he also couldn’t resist mentioning England’s Euro quarter-final win the night before. “Everybody enjoy the football last night? Less said about that the better for me,” he laughed.

Capaldi’s quick wit was every bit as entertaining as his music. Whether he was poking fun at himself, chatting with fans or throwing in another perfectly timed one-liner between songs, he had the entire crowd hanging on every word. It’s a rare quality to be able to entertain 65,000 people without singing a note, but Capaldi managed it repeatedly throughout the evening. His warmth and authenticity shone through just as brightly as his vocals, making the show feel surprisingly personal despite its enormous scale.

One of the night’s most memorable moments came when Capaldi spotted a young fan named Mason in the front rows holding up a sign asking if he could join him on stage. Without missing a beat, Capaldi invited him up to say hello to the Hyde Park crowd before posing for a selfie together that Mason is unlikely to ever forget. It was a small gesture, but one that perfectly captured the genuine connection Capaldi has with his fans and reinforced why he remains one of the most likeable performers on the live circuit.

Capaldi summed up the evening perfectly when he announced, “We’ve got a shit load of ballads to get through… and by God, we’re going to sing them and we’re going to sing them well.”

Wish You The Best, Love The Hell Out Of You, Almost and Forever showcased both the emotional depth of Capaldi’s songwriting and the strength of his newer material, while Bruises had Hyde Park taking over vocal duties during the chorus. Pointless and Something In The Heavens kept the emotion flowing as darkness slowly settled across the park, with the audience hanging on every word.

Following Sam Fender’s surprise appearance during Saturday night’s show, Capaldi had something equally special planned for his second audience. Explaining how watching The Kooks perform Naive at Reading Festival back in 2006 inspired him to want to become a musician, he welcomed frontman Luke Pritchard to the stage.

As soon as the opening guitar riff kicked in, Hyde Park erupted. Watching Capaldi perform one of his favourite songs alongside one of his musical heroes was one of the standout moments of the night, with the crowd happily taking over much of the singing as the pair worked their way through the indie classic.

Back to his own catalogue, Capaldi barely gave the audience a chance to catch their breath. Before You Go was one of the biggest crowd moments of the night, while The Day That I Die brought everything back down with a beautifully stripped-back piano performance that had Hyde Park almost completely silent. Removing his in-ear monitors for Hold Me While You Wait, Capaldi stepped back and allowed the audience to become his backing choir before Forget Me lifted the mood once again with thousands dancing and singing arm-in-arm.

Returning for the encore with Survive, there was an added layer of meaning behind the song given everything Capaldi has experienced over the past few years. Hearing 65,000 people passionately singing every word back at him felt like a fitting full-circle moment before the inevitable finale arrived.

The opening notes of Someone You Loved instantly transformed Hyde Park into one giant choir. Phone lights illuminated every corner of the park as every lyric echoed back towards the stage, creating one final unforgettable moment between artist and audience.

Before leaving the stage, Capaldi revealed he’d be taking some time away after the summer to work on a new album before promising fans he’d see them again soon. Judging by the response across both Hyde Park headline shows, there will be plenty of people waiting. Ourselves included.

Lewis Capaldi’s songs remain among the strongest in modern British pop, but it’s his personality that continues to set him apart. Funny, humble, refreshingly honest and never afraid to laugh at himself, he makes an audience of 65,000 feel like they’re sharing an evening with an old friend. Add one of the most impressive stage productions of this year’s BST Hyde Park series into the mix, and Sunday’s headline performance proved the perfect way to close another outstanding summer of live music in London’s most iconic park.

Brendon Veevers

::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.