Live Review: Jamie xx – 7th June 2025 – LIDO Festival, Victoria Park, London, UK
3 min read
Day 2 of London’s newest festival LIDO didn’t get off to the best of starts, the forecast’s dark, wet, and gloomy proclamation proving to be truthful. This however didn’t stop patrons from flooding the fields of Victoria Park, excited for the night’s headliner Jamie XX, as well as the other major acts.
We arrived in time to see Animal Collective’s own Panda Bear, AKA. Noah Lennox take to the stage. The veteran musician’s psychedelic stylings pulled the crowd from their shelter in the trees and bar tents, the group’s calm demeanour hiding any doubts about the weather’s negative affects. From the new album Sinister Grift, Ends Meet and Praise washed over the audience in a warm wave of reverb and delay, while newest song Virginia Tech got heads banging and umbrellas shaking. There was the bare minimum of taking from the man himself, but the music did the talking; a deliberate and immediate back line groove, with an atmosphere that transcended the field.
London’s Sampha followed on the main stage, coming out dancing, becoming the sunshine in the rain. “Thanks for coming out,” he said later into the set, “it’s a day for character building.” Possibly the best description for the day as it was, but the band’s vibrant presence, tight, frenetic drumming, and in the pocket grooves would make it easy to stand in any conditions. The addition of (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano and the all out ending of Blood on Me cemented the fantastic set.
We caught snippets of the artists that followed. Arca’s reggaeton beats and larger than life attitude tried to bring the Venezuelan sun to the sodden park, while Jamie XX’s longtime collaborator ROMY packed out the second stage tent to a dangerous degree. Many claustrophobic people were seen forcing there way out of the ever-growing crowd, made ever so tighter by the building downpour. Eventually, it was decided that the best option was to retreat back to the main stage for the headline set.
When Jamie XX finally arrived on stage, his hypnotic rainbow light show drew everyone in like moths to a flame. Strobes flashed out into the crowd, the result being beamed via drone shots to the screens. It gave the feeling of inclusivity, a theme that Jamie has incorporated into his music for years. Wanna and Treat Each Other Right back to back served as perfect an intro as they did on his latest album, while the surprise inclusion of Gosh and Loud Places from his second solo record In Colour brought with them a nostalgic wave. This was elevated further by the appearance of Oliver Sim in the crowd, stood facing the stage, mic in hand. After his introduction with his song GMT, ROMY appeared on stage to sing Seesaw, the trio coming together for a remix of Jamie’s song Waited All Night. A lot of love was shared between the members of The xx, and it was reciprocated by the fans.
The stage was separated by walls of screens, the ceiling above Jamie moving up and down between songs while projecting the energetic pit back at him. A dancer was picked out of the crowd for All You Children, filmed up close and personal for the duration, the ecstasy clear to see on their face. The flow was nonstop and the light show was seamless. No words were shared by Jamie, but the happiness was clear each time the camera found him. By the time final tune Baddy On The Floor petered out, the damp and cold were long forgotten, the joy of Jamie’s music leaving everyone present in a good mood.
LIDO Festival continues this weekend:
OUTBREAK Fest (Friday 13 June)
Charli xcx’s own party girl festival (Saturday 14 June)
London Grammar (Sunday 15 June).
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.
