AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS... BST HYDE PARK 2025 - OLIVIA RODRIGO
OLIVIA RODRIGO KICKS OFF AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS… BST HYDE PARK 2025! AHEAD OF HER HEADLINE PERFORMANCE AT GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY NIGHT.
★★★★★ (5/5)
OLIVIA RODRIGO OPENING UP AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS… BST HYDE PARK 2025!
PHOTOCREDIT: SOPHIA J CAREY
65,000 people came to see Olivia Rodrigo, and she made every single one of them feel seen
BST has always been a magnet for unforgettable moments, but Olivia Rodrigo’s debut at this iconic London festival was something truly electric. From the very first step onto the grounds, there was no mistaking who the day belonged to. The sun was out, and under a golden sky, Hyde Park transformed into a lavender dreamscape for one unforgettable Friday.
Even hours before Olivia took the stage, it was clear that this wasn’t just another festival appearance. This was a milestone, an arrival. Fans poured in, draped in every shade of purple imaginable: lilac t-shirts, sequinned violet boots, and plum-tinted cowboy hats. From the entrance to the Great Oak Stage, the park pulsed with anticipation, and the atmosphere felt almost cinematic.
Before Olivia’s set, the day unfolded like a carefully written mixtape, each act setting the tone and raising the energy. First, I caught RUTI on the Rainbow Stage, her voice a stunning blend of soul and softness, captivating with quiet confidence. She floated through her set, creating a connection with the crowd and playing a lot of new music, which was so good.
Next, I made my way to the Birdcage Stage, where AZIYA brought the fire. Her raw guitar riffs and blistering stage presence crackled with intensity, making her one of the most electric performers of the day. She’s supported the likes of Griff, Florence + the Machine, and Nova Twins, and it shows. Standout tracks were “bbydoll” and “diamonds.” This is an artist you do not want to sleep on.
As the sun began to dip, Girl in Red ignited the crowd at the Great Oak Stage. Her mix of grunge-pop anthems and fearless honesty resonated through the crowd like a shared secret. When she launched into fan favourites like “We Fell in Love in October” and “Serotonin,” it felt like the entire park was singing with one voice. It was a beautiful build-up to the night’s centrepiece.
But it was Olivia Rodrigo’s entrance that turned the festival from vibrant to transcendent.
Her entrance was met with a roar so loud that it could have shaken the trees, and she was dressed like a Gen-Z rock star straight out of a dream: grungy, glamorous, and entirely herself. She shared that London is her favourite city and that she has had so many memorable moments in Hyde Park, and tonight was another chapter in that story.
ED SHEERAN JOINS OLIVIA RODRIGO AS SPECIAL GUEST AT AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS… BST HYDE PARK 2025
PHOTOCREDIT: SOPHIA J CAREY
Olivia didn’t just perform, she connected. Sharing stories of special memories in Hyde Park, she made the massive setting feel intimate, like we were all in on a secret with her. And then came the moment that sent shockwaves through the crowd: a surprise duet with Ed Sheeran, joining her onstage to sing “The A Team.”
With no introduction, Ed joined Olivia for a stripped-down duet of his breakout hit “The A Team.” It was a moment of pure, unfiltered magic, as two of the biggest singer-songwriters of their generation stood side by side, their voices melting together in bittersweet harmony. There was something almost sacred about it; phones were raised, but so were hearts. It felt like being part of something historic
This wasn’t just a concert, it was a celebration of youth, vulnerability, rebellion, and girlhood in full bloom. Olivia Rodrigo made her BST debut not just memorable, but monumental. I saw people crying, hugging, swaying together like they were in a collective dream. And when she closed with “get him back!” a punchy, defiant anthem, the field transformed into one giant, screaming chorus of catharsis.
By the time the final confetti fell, and Olivia waved her final goodbye, Hyde Park was glowing not just from the lights but from the shared experience of something joyful, honest, and transformative.
London gave her love. She gave it right back
OLIVIA RODRIGO OPENING UP AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS… BST HYDE PARK 2025!
PHOTOCREDIT: ISHASHAH PHOTOGRAPHY