A RAINBOW IN THE WOODS: MIKA DELIVERS AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT AT WASING

LIVE REVIEW | MIKA w/ McGrath | ON THE MOUNT AT WASING | 26th June 2026 by Kevin O’Sullivan

Some concert venues ask you to queue between metal barriers before funnelling you onto acres of concrete. Wasing couldn’t be further removed from that experience if it tried.

Long before the music begins, Wasing has already worked its magic.

The walk through the woods isn’t simply a route to the stage; it’s an introduction to an evening that feels more like stepping into another world. Volunteers greet arrivals with warm smiles as the scent of incense drifts lazily between the trees, while remnants of the estate’s recent Summer Solstice celebrations still decorate the woodland. Delicate ribbons and handcrafted ornaments catch the evening sunlight, gentle reminders that this is a place built around wellbeing as much as live music.

Throughout the year, Wasing plays host not only to concerts but to yoga retreats, wild swimming, seasonal gatherings and wellness events. That ethos lingers in the air. There is no rush, no frantic scramble for position. People stroll, chat quietly and simply enjoy being present before emerging from the trees to reveal one of Britain’s most spectacular outdoor concert settings.

On The Mount is a natural amphitheatre. The gently sloping hillside means almost every ticket holder enjoys an uninterrupted view of the stage without endless rows of heads blocking the view. Blankets are spread across the grass, families settle together and friends catch up beneath cloudless Berkshire skies.

The weather, however, had clearly received the memo that summer had finally arrived.

Temperatures climbed into the thirties, making this one of the hottest days of the year. Walking through the crowd with camera in hand, I couldn’t help noticing an amusing theme developing. Everywhere I looked there were fans…with fans. Delicate folding fans, brightly coloured fans, floral fans, even homemade creations fluttered constantly across the hillside as people battled the heat with good humour. It made for some wonderful photographs and perfectly summed up the mood. Nobody seemed remotely bothered by the soaring temperatures; they were simply determined to enjoy a glorious evening in an extraordinary setting.

With the stage framed by ancient woodland behind it, Irish singer-songwriter McGrath had the enviable but daunting task of opening proceedings.

Still only in his early twenties and hailing from Northern Ireland, McGrath already possesses a confidence that belies both his age and relative experience. Comparisons with Dermot Kennedy and Noah Kahan are understandable. There is the same ability to blend heartfelt storytelling with melodies that remain lodged in your head long after the final note has faded.

Walking onto a stage of this scale could intimidate many young performers. McGrath simply looked at home.

Opening with ‘Tomorrow’s Sons’, he immediately established an easy rapport with the audience. His vocals carried beautifully across the hillside, rich with warmth and emotional honesty, while the setting itself seemed almost designed for songs of this nature.

‘Seize’ maintained the momentum before McGrath paused to introduce ‘Rotha’. Explaining that the Irish word refers to the wheel of life continually turning regardless of life’s highs and lows, the song carried an emotional weight that resonated in the peaceful surroundings.

One of the afternoon’s genuine highlights arrived with a beautifully judged rendition of The Waterboys’ ‘Fisherman’s Blues‘. Rather than attempting to imitate Mike Scott’s unmistakable delivery, McGrath made the song entirely his own, using its soaring chorus to demonstrate an impressive vocal range that comfortably filled every corner of the natural arena.

By now, it was obvious why his reputation continues to grow.

‘Burn Daylight‘, released as only his second single, showcased his songwriting credentials before he shared news that prompted enthusiastic applause. Later this year he embarks upon his own headline tour, including a London date at The Lower Third within Outernet on 4 December. Judging by today’s performance, it may not be long before venues considerably larger are calling.

There was another announcement too; the following day he headed to Hyde Park to open for Garth Brooks.

The country influence became immediately apparent as McGrath launched into a superb interpretation of ‘Tennessee Whiskey‘. It could easily have felt like a crowd-pleasing cover inserted simply because of the following day’s engagement, yet instead it sat naturally within the set, his soulful vocals lending the song an authenticity that earned one of the afternoon’s biggest receptions.

Closing with ‘Tennis Balls’, McGrath departed to deserved applause having done exactly what every support act hopes to achieve. He won over an audience that largely arrived to see somebody else.

As the stage crew worked quickly behind the scenes, anticipation steadily built. The sun still blazed relentlessly overhead. Those colourful hand fans continued working overtime while hats, sunglasses and every available patch of shade became prized possessions. Looking around the hillside, it struck me that despite the heat, there wasn’t the slightest hint of impatience. People simply looked happy. When the lights finally dimmed, Mika’s exceptional band and backing singer took their places first. The roar that greeted their arrival was impressive. The roar that followed seconds later as Mika himself bounded onto the stage was something else entirely.

Dressed in a dazzling blue sequinned suit that sparkled beneath the evening sunshine, he exploded straight into ‘Modern Times’ with such infectious energy that any lingering sense of calm from the woodland walk instantly disappeared. Within moments he was dancing across every inch of the stage, encouraging the audience to join him from the very first chorus.

This was my first time seeing Mika live. If there was one word that defined Mika’s performance, it was joy. Not the polished, carefully choreographed kind that can sometimes leave you admiring a show more than feeling part of it, but the infectious joy of someone who genuinely loves performing. Every smile felt spontaneous, every interaction sincere, every sprint across the stage driven by excitement rather than routine. The pace barely relented.

‘Eleven and Relax (Take It Easy)’ followed in quick succession, but it was during the latter that Mika reminded everyone he is every bit as gifted a raconteur as he is a singer. Mid-song, he began picking out individual members of the audience from the stage with astonishing accuracy.

“The lady with the feather boa…”

“The girl with the rainbow flowers in her hair…”

“The kid right at the back in the red T-shirt…”

“The lady with the Lebanese flag on the barrier…”

Each received their own moment in the spotlight before the song built once again into its euphoric finale. Thousands of people felt as though they were sharing the evening with an old friend rather than watching an international pop star.

The temperatures remained relentless. Mika laughed that only a few months earlier he had been performing in Birmingham surrounded by snow, yet here he was in Berkshire on what felt hotter than Madrid, where he had been only that same morning before flying over for this very show. The audience needed little encouragement to laugh along.

Spotting the famous Wasing campfire still burning at the top of the hill, he paused.

“What are you doing up there?” he joked. “If you want to get even hotter…come down here with the terrible children and dance with us!”

The hillside erupted. Eventually, even Mika surrendered to the heat, removing his glittering jacket to one of the loudest cheers of the evening. Looking back across the crowd, those colourful hand fans I’d spent photographing before the show were once again fluttering furiously in every direction. The production itself evolved beautifully as the evening unfolded.

Rather than overwhelming the audience with spectacle from the outset, the staging gradually became more theatrical. At times, it was wonderfully understated. A simple cabinet topped with a ladder became an intimate storytelling space where Mika perched between songs, sharing anecdotes and chatting with the audience as though sat in somebody’s front room rather than on a festival stage.

Minutes later, the atmosphere shifted completely. As daylight slowly gave way to dusk, the lighting transformed the woodland backdrop into a canvas of colour while carefully timed bursts of pyrotechnics punched dramatic punctuation marks into the biggest moments of the set. It never felt excessive. Instead, every visual element served the songs.

Then came the wardrobe changes. The sparkling blue suit gave way to vibrant pink, then sunshine yellow before deep emerald green, each costume reflecting the colourful personality at the heart of the performance. Considering the amount of running, dancing, jumping and seemingly endless movement, every one of those outfits must have been thoroughly soaked by the end of the evening.

Standing still simply wasn’t an option. Mika bounded from risers, leapt across the stage, danced with his exceptional band and repeatedly disappeared into the crowd itself, dissolving the invisible barrier that often exists between performer and audience.

One of the evening’s warmest moments came with ‘Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)’. Before launching into the song, Mika shared the story of how a visit with the late Victoria Wood to a nightclub where everybody was welcomed—regardless of size, appearance or sexuality—helped inspire its message of acceptance and celebration. It was a reminder that beneath the glitter, humour and infectious hooks lies an artist whose songs have always championed individuality. The response from the crowd suggested that message remains every bit as powerful today.

There was scarcely time to catch breath before another highlight arrived. ‘Popular Song’, later reworked with Ariana Grande, prompted another huge singalong before ‘The Origin of Love’ and ‘Lollipop’ continued the momentum.

At one point in the show Mika spotted a fan who had spent much of the evening holding aloft a homemade sign reading simply:

“Mika, please invite me on stage.”

Eventually he did.

Taylor’s obvious delight was matched only by the cheers from thousands watching on, creating another of those wonderfully unscripted moments that cannot be rehearsed.

By now darkness had completely settled over Wasing. The pyrotechnics burned brighter against the night sky, the lighting danced through the surrounding trees and the stage felt transformed from an outdoor platform into a magical pop playground.

Before ‘Lollipop’, Mika reflected on his own journey, recalling the days when he drove himself from gig to gig in a humble Toyota. He also spoke movingly about presenting The Piano, explaining how the programme had introduced him to extraordinary people with extraordinary stories. It was another reminder that behind the flamboyant showmanship sits someone genuinely fascinated by human beings.

Taylor wasn’t the only one Mika invited to become part of the show.

During Giants, he encouraged the crowd to climb onto each other’s shoulders. Looking across Wasing’s natural amphitheatre, smiling faces suddenly began appearing above the sea of people as fans happily obliged. It was another wonderfully spontaneous moment that perfectly summed up the evening—strangers laughing together, families joining in and thousands of people completely immersed in the joy of live music.

That humanity ran throughout the evening. Whether laughing with the audience, celebrating individuality or simply thanking everyone for enduring the hottest day of the year, there was never the sense that any interaction had been scripted.

‘Happy Ending’ provided the emotional bridge towards the finale, its soaring chorus washing across the hillside as hundreds of phones illuminated the gathering darkness.

Then came the songs everyone had been waiting for. The appearance of an enormous theatrical megaphone during ‘Grace Kelly’ was gloriously absurd and perfectly Mika. It somehow captured everything that makes him unique—playful, imaginative and completely unafraid to embrace the theatrical. Mika summoned Giants – a cue for people to climb on shoulders which many obeyed.

By this point, nobody was merely watching. They were dancing, singing, laughing, sharing the moment.

‘Love Today’ brought proceedings to a spectacular close, one final explosion of colour, movement and unfiltered happiness before the lights finally fell.

Walking back through the woodland afterwards, the atmosphere had changed completely from when we’d arrived. The incense still drifted gently through the trees. The Solstice decorations still swayed in the warm evening breeze. Yet now those quiet woodland paths echoed with conversations about favourite songs, favourite moments and smiles that seemed reluctant to disappear.

Some artists perform concerts. Mika creates experiences. I arrived at Wasing expecting an entertaining evening from a performer with a formidable reputation. I left wondering why it had taken me so long to see him live.

There are gigs you enjoy. There are gigs you remember. Then there are those rare evenings when artist, audience and venue come together so perfectly that none of them would have been quite the same without the others. This was one of those nights.

Mika’s boundless energy, the brilliance of his band and backing vocalist, McGrath’s accomplished opening set, and the extraordinary beauty of Wasing combined to create something genuinely special. In a world where live music can sometimes feel increasingly polished and predictable, this was gloriously alive.

As we emerged from the woods and looked back one last time towards the now-silent stage, one thought lingered above all others.

If this is what a first Mika concert feels like, it certainly won’t be my last.

About the Author

Kevin O'Sullivan

Editor

View All Posts