BST Hyde Park 2024: Headlined by Morgan Wallen
Date: 04th July 2024
Location: Hyde Park, London
*NO PHOTO GALLERY OF MORGAN WALLEN - DUE TO BEING ALLOWED TO PHOTOGRAPH SUPPORT ACTS ONLY*Coincidentally taking place on American Independence Day, an array of marvellous country musicians gathered at London’s BST Hyde Park for a summery day of entertainment, activities, food, drink and more. In addition to being Wallen’s first BST headline show, the all-day concert also marked the biggest country concert ever held in the United Kingdom, with approximately 50,000 fans in attendance!
This was my first time going to a BST Hyde Park event and, whilst each of the respective lineups for this year have been fantastic, one particular day stood out to me and it was the day that Morgan Wallen, one of my favourite artists, was headlining. With country music constantly growing in popularity in the UK, this show was a country fan’s dream as Wallen was joined by an array of other astounding artists such as ERNEST (who Morgan has previously collaborated with), Riley Green, Ella Langley, Alana Springsteen and many more.
Across the entire site, there were a total of three stages - the Great Oak stage, the Birdcage stage and the Rainbow stage - each with set times which conveniently didn’t overlap, allowing attendees to make their way between them in order to catch a glimpse of every musician on the lineup, if they so desired. It was like a mini buzzing city all in one corner of Hyde Park, with an abundance of food and drink stands for people to relax at between sets, and even a few VIP areas on site. I was also told that several buildings and structures on site were purely erected just for the sake of the festival itself.
Thousands of fans arrived adorned in country-themed attire, cowboy boots and hats, injecting a sense of whimsical fun for the day they were about to partake in. As I heard a variety of different accents during my time walking around, it seems that a respectable amount of dedicated fans must have travelled from other countries, including from Wallen’s native homeland of the USA, for the day-long concert. This incredible commitment displayed by international fans is undeniably a testament to the unmissable brilliance of the BST Hyde Park lineup.
Unfortunately, due to establishing my bearings when I arrived in London, I missed Ella Langley’s set but I was grateful to catch the performances of ERNEST, Riley Green, Alana Springsteen and, of course, the main man himself Morgan Wallen. The American singer-songwriter sang his heart out to an ocean of tens of thousands of fans who flocked there to see him in the flesh, and the crowd was substantially larger than the last time he performed in London at the O2 Arena which reflects his growth and success internationally.
It was amazing to witness ERNEST perform because I had previously heard of his music and love his collaborations with Wallen, such as “Cowgirls”, “Flower Shops” and “Hangin’ On”. My day at BST Hyde Park was such a wonderful opportunity which opened my eyes to other exceptionally talented artists such as Riley Green, an artist I will definitely listen to now that I’ve heard his remarkable live vocals. Getting the opportunity to hear back-to-back country artists has reignited my love for the music and also fuelled my desire to delve into the genre more.
With a sliver of sunlight left, Morgan’s set began with him walking out to the track “WHISKY WHISKY” by MoneyBagg Yo, which his vocals are featured on. On the massive screens surrounding the entirety of the Great Oak main stage, live footage played of Wallen walking from backstage, hyping himself up and playing up to the camera in preparation for performing to his biggest UK crowd to date. Just shy of two hours long in total, Wallen’s extraordinary voice soundtracked the setting sun and, as the sky became a collage of beautiful colours, the ambience of his set felt flawless. Accompanying Wallen’s vocals throughout his set were impeccably distinct video graphics and visuals which heightened the excitement of the delighted crowd.
Around halfway into Morgan’s show, accompanied by both his band members and security guards, he made his way through the VIP Diamond area to a B-Stage which was situated just in front of the general admission crowd. He performed a few tracks on this smaller stage, all of which were more intimate songs of his such as “Cover Me Up”, his rendition of Jason Isbell’s original song, and a song dedicated to his mother called “Thought You Should Know”. Watching him perform these two tracks on the big screen was truly mesmerising, but I must admit I wish I was able to witness these songs up close, like a small number of the crowd were able to!
The Tennessean’s voice was undeniably as impressive live as on record and I feel truly blessed to have now heard it live in the flesh. His extensive setlist consisted of twenty-three tracks, three of which were during the encore, and one of the most memorable moments for me was when he sang his latest single “Lies Lies Lies”. Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios the last time Wallen was in London, the new track was only released a few days ago on 5 July, meaning he debuted the song to thousands of lucky listeners a few hours before the song even made it to streaming platforms!
Although I am predominantly a hip-hop/rap fan, my music taste has expanded as I’ve gotten older and I have become a huge listener of country music. There is something unique about the genre which makes me happy whilst listening; perhaps it is how the songwriting resembles storytelling which I find so captivating. I may be a newer fan of country music but, for what I lack in expertise, I have certainly made up for in concert experience, due to BST’s phenomenal lineup of country stars. On the whole, my long and tiring trip to the UK capital was undoubtedly worthwhile as Morgan Wallen and every single artist I had the pleasure of seeing at Hyde Park were remarkable performers and, now I have the taste for the British Summer Time experience, I hope to dive back into it in a year’s time.
ERNEST
Alana Springsteen
Riley Green
