22,141 BALD CAPS AND COUNTING: PITBULL MAKES HISTORY IN LONDON
Pitbull ( @elliekoepke_photograph / BST Hyde Park)
LIVE REVIEW | PITBULL w/ Kesha, Tinie Tempah, Lil Jon and Los Tucanes De Tijuana | BST HYDE PARK, LONDON | 10th July 2026 by Ruby Stewart
Pitbull made history at Hyde Park on Friday night. Drawing a massive crowd of nearly 70,000 fans – one of the largest BST Hyde Park audiences ever – the atmosphere was incredible. To top off the historic night, an incredible 22,141 fans wore bald caps to mimic Mr. Worldwide himself, officially smashing a Guinness World Record.
From the moment the gates opened the atmosphere felt celebratory. Fans filled the park cheering, dancing and proving exactly how powerful live music can be at bringing people together
Before Pitbull took to the main stage though, it was down to the star studded support to get the show started. Up first, the Cumbias sounds of Mexico’s Los Tucanes De Tijuana. Wasting no time getting the early crowd dancing, the Latina sextet transformed the Grand Oak Stage into a vibrant backdrop of colour, breaking away from the noughties theme which would lead the rest of the day.
Lil Jon was next and his set was as iconic as he is. Describing the set as his “dream DJ playlist”, the crowd were lost in even more noughties nostalgia, A set dedicated to mostly non stop 00’s covers, the highlights included Eminem‘s ‘Lose Yourself’, Usher‘s ‘OMG’ and Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’. A man who clearly knows how to win over a crowd, Lil Jon primed the stage perfectly for what’s still to come.
It has been so refreshing to see Tinie Tempah back out on the stage again, and his BST Hyde Park performance didn’t disappoint. ‘Written In The Stars’, ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’, ‘Pass Out’ – Tinie is one of those artists you’d be forgiven for forgetting just how many classic tunes he actually has.
“There are a lot of bald caps out there,” he laughed. Then, prompting a wave of cheers, he shouts “If there are any Tinie Tempah fans out there, make some noise!”
Peak noughties pop nostalgia came from one of the most anticipated performers of the day, Kesha, who brought the party to the stage. Performing her hit singles such as ‘TikTok’ and ‘Sleazy’, the singer told the crowd “I have not played Hyde Park in 15 years. Many of these next songs, I’ve not sang them in 13 years and I want you to know I’ve taken all the original production out and I’ve reproduced them for us tonight.”
Continuing to address the crowd, Kesha reflected on how far she has come in her turbulent journey, reminding us “London, have I mentioned I’m a free woman?” – a statement which was met with a rupture of applause. Seeming genuinely happy to be performing today, the singer thanks her fans who have stuck by her by saying “As an independent artist, it means everything to me to be playing one of the biggest festivals in London.”
Hyde Park was already buzzing, but then the moment arrived. Enter the new Guinness World Record holder, Pitbull.
Opening with ‘Don’t Stop The Party’, Pitbull continued to play hit after hit.‘Hotel Room Service’, ‘International Love’ and ‘I Know You Want Me’ came as early highlights, before things got emotional. “I’m just taking it all in,” he told the 70K strong crowd. It was clear how much it meant to him and it was also clear how much he cared about his fans.
He continued to gush in the moment, going on to say: “An immigrant family out of Cuba. To be able to pursue my dream and be on the stage like this, represent with all the baldies around the world. This is priceless. There’s no way I can say thank you. There is no words I can say what I feel right now.”
Rolling through his hits for the best part of two hours, the end of the show came laden with surprises. Lil Jon returned for a trio of treats, performing ‘Gasolina’, ‘Jumpin’ and ‘Damn I Love Miami’ with Pitbull. Then came Kesha, joining the star to perform ‘Timber’ – the first time the pair had performed together for more than 13 years.
Closing out with a nod to England’s World Cup appearance was a rendition of ‘Wonderwall’, before Mr Worldwide ended the show with ‘Give Me Everything’ – a track which reflected the enormity of what this night represented for everybody on site.
From Glasgow to Leeds, Cardiff to St Anne’s (yes, really), and across to Dublin and Limerick – before breaking world records in London – Pitbull continues to live up to his global title. It’s loud, fun and it’s gloriously nostalgic. Say what you want about Mr. Worldwide, but the man knows exactly how to put on a show.
