Sabrina Carpenter brings her pop extravaganza to BST Hyde Park (Review)
London, Saturday 5 July, 2025 – Sabrina Carpenter brought her signature sleek white stage and runway, that wouldn’t be out of place in a New York nightclub, to London on Saturday night – for the first of two sell-out shows at BST Hyde Park. The Espresso star donned a glittery red leotard, with her name emblazoned across the chest, and calf-high white boots as she launched into Busy Woman. An illuminated ‘SC’ dazzled at the top centre of the stage.
The 18-song setlist was complemented by Carpenter’s 12-strong dance crew. At one point, somewhere between Good Graces and Slim Pickins, she even had a crew member deliver her a shot on a tray – which she slipped back with only a slight wince. Speckled through the set were 1950s-style advertisements, played out on the big screens. Coincidence, Taste and Feather brought both emotion and party vibes to the performance, with the 26-year-old singer introducing Sharpest Tool as a “song that is very important to me”.
Showing appreciation to her robust supporting line-up, Carpenter listed every single artist that played the stages of BST Hyde Park today: “Thank you to everyone on the bill… Amber Mark – one of my dearest friends,” she said. “[There are] so many talented people here. Now, I expect you to sing… it’s a concert!”
With an introduction to her new single, Manchild, and a sensual rendition of Because I Liked A Boy, the singer announced: “When I heard I was going to play Hyde Park… the first thing I did was look at the weather app. Because you guys are shady here.” It was the perfectly planned intro to the only cover of the night – with a stereo-sonic clap of thunder, the familiar swooshing intro of It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls began. Of course, it was a fitting performance.
Leaving her dancers to showcase their talents by embarking on a dance competition that went to an audience vote, Carpenter returned for the second half of her set – this time clad in a slinky black glittery dress and matching bra. It wasn’t long before Bed Chem unfolded on a circular bed draped in white sheets. The delectable Juno – with a dedication of pink handcuffs to a fan – came next, followed by the inimitable Please, Please, Please.
And just like that, Carpenter was lifted into the air on a crane-operated platform. “OK, London,” she declared. “Smile! You’re on camera!” She leaned over the rail as her new stage slowly moved over the electric crowd, singing Don’t Smile to individual fans below, and blowing kisses. Then, came Espresso. “The louder you scream, the more I drink,” remarked ‘the princess of all things short and sweet’, with an espresso glass in hand. Naturally, the crowd went wild as she downed the glass – and fireworks filled the skies.
“My name is Sabrina,” she announced as the show closed. “Thanks for coming.”
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Having her own stage party tonight was the enigmatic Clairo, who performed with her trusty – and utterly terrific band — for her BST debut. The performance encompassed an array of instruments, from the flute and saxophone to the organs and drums. “Alright, London – are you ready for this? she asked, as they delved into the likes of Glasses, Softly and Flaming Hot. “[This] is really sexy, [it’s] crazy!” Clairo’s 15-song set was met with whoops and cheers from the young audience – with Amoeba and June getting the loudest cheers. Watching Clairo in the crowd were a string of famous faces, from her pal Beabadoobee to Abby Clancey and Dylan Mulvaney.
The wonderfully eclectic Beabadoobee unravelled 15 of her most celebrated tracks this evening, showcasing the likes of Charlie Brown, Real Man and Perfect Pair. “I’m very grateful to be here,” she told the audience, drawing attention to her attire that had the word ‘SEX’, in pink, plastered across the front. “[In fact], I wore this top especially for Sabrina.” Born in the Philippines and living in London, 25-year-old Beabadoobee has played some mega shows in her time – from supporting the likes of 1975 and Taylor Swift to touring alongside Clairo. Today, she played to almost 65,000 people at Hyde Park in London. What a feat.
“If y’all have a drink in your hand, this one’s for you,” hollered Amber Mark, as she paved the way for a night of top pop music on the Great Oak Stage. Putting on a mix of tunes, including Won’t Cry, Lose My Cool, Foreign Things, her newest release Sink In – which samples The Adventures of Stevie V’s Dirty Cash (Money Talks) – and her “personal favourite” (Mixer), the Grammy-nominated 31-year-old ensured the audience were singing along from the off.
Over on The Rainbow Stage, Luvcat impressed with her smokey, mysterious vocals and trademark leopard print dress. The artist, from Liverpool via London, managed to ooze her typical jazz club vibes even in a field of several thousands of people. In a recent interview, Luvcat explained where her musical inspiration originates: “I think, sound-wise, it comes from what I’ve grown up listening to,” she explained. “My granddad raised me on Sinatra, the Rat Pack and musical theatre, while my dad raised me on The Cure, Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. It’s all about mixing those two into this strange cocktail of Gothic romantic drama.”
“BST, how are you guys doing today?” called SOFY. “I’m 5’1″ and that’s where my similarities with Sabrina Carpenter end… well, apart from that we both make really good music.” Well, that wasn’t an understatement – as the audience utterly loved the 28-year-old’s laid-back-come-kick-ass sound. Noticeable was the increasing crowd that came together for the rhythmic Floating Forever, unceremonious Strawberry Milkshake and the utterly cool togethertogether.
South London alt-R&B artist Sola kicked off the festivities on The Rainbow Stage with the melodic keyboards and jazzy vocals of Standing Ovation. And finally, on Birdcage, Bolton-born DellaXOZ introduced tracks from recent EPs, The Della Variant and Dellairium. Earlier, indie duo The Two Lips and cross-genre sisters IDER opened the festival.
BST Hyde Park returns with more superstars and unique shows. It has become THE place to be in the London summer, a date in the diary for hundreds of thousands of fans every year. This June and July will see more legendary artists take to the stage over three weekends with headliners Olivia Rodrigo (27 June), Zach Bryan (28 + 29 June) Noah Kahan (4 July), Sabrina Carpenter (5 + 6 July), neil young and the chrome hearts (11 July), Stevie Wonder (12 July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July) taking over Hyde Park.
