Live Review: Charli XCX – 14th June 2025 – LIDO Festival, London, UK
3 min read
LIDO Festival 2025 - Charlie XCX - credit: Henry Redcliffe
This past Saturday we headed down for what was arguably the most anticipated day of Victoria Park’s LIDO Festival – Charli XCX. In complete opposition to last week’s festivities, festival goes were treated to warmth and sunshine, no longer having to cower under trees unless the sun became too much. Some wandered between the stalls and tents, starting the party early in the DJ tent, while others found a patch on the field to sit and enjoy both the music and the rays.
We found ourselves in the latter camp for 070 Shake on the main stage, the New Jersey native performing a brash set with their back to the audience seemingly half of the time. For the final song, she dropped the microphone into the crowd, allowing an energetic if tone-deaf fans to take the reins and shout back the words in highly autotuned fashion.
Japanese House followed. Their pretty synth-pop stylings acted as both a pallet cleanser and anomaly at the festival, but still wooed the gathering crowd. Singer Amber Bain commented on her proximity to the festival “—a short Lime bike ride away—” although we doubted whether that was how she arrived on the day. “I feel good now,” she said later on, “this next song is depressing, though … sorry.” Despite this, it was received well, as was the set itself.
Gesaffelstein emerged on a crystallised platform, adorned in his signature statuesque mask, looking like a black marble Elvis Presley. His pulsating techno beats rattled the area around the stage, hard drops drawing people into the rhythm. The set felt like it was over before it truly got started, but left a taste for his sound and a want to see him at a later date.
Finally, at half nine, Charli appeared. Element of the 365 remix rang out, Charli prancing across the stage, owning it. As the song glitched and filtered away, a giant stage-wide backdrop descended from the rafters. The iconic green, with Brat crudely crossed through, like a bad idea in a notebook. Unbeknownst the the audience at the time, but this conveyed a message that Charli wished to pass on.
This was for later, however, as after 360 concluded Charli pulled the banner down, announcing that the show had truly begun. Von dutch and Club classics turned the audience into a writhing sea, while I might say something stupid and party 4 u got everyone singing along. The honour of this show’s Apple dancer when to Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg, who appeared front and centre to perform the aforementioned TikTok dance with grace and flare. Fellow festival performer Bladee floated onto the stage for Rewind, which ironically got rewound after some confusion with the version being played. The confusion was felt by the crowd, some unsure of who the hoodie-wearing guest was, but by the end – and with the additional appearance from A.G. Cook – all was forgotten.
Charli’s final song, a cover of Icona Pop’s I Love It – which Charli wrote – was cut just before the end to play a message to the audience. It spoke about the longevity of Brat, and how Charli is unsure of how long to drag the trend out. It made subtle hints to the way in which Brat’s popularity exploded, and to how some music breakthroughs are perceived and forgotten in quick succession. But, in the end, it was made clear that Charli doesn’t want it to end. “Not just for summer,” as one quote put it. “Let it go on forever”. Something told us that Brat has a lot more in its lifecycle yet.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
