MUMFORD & SONS ARE “BANJO BOYS” NO MORE AS THEY BRING SPECIAL GUESTS TO HYDE PARK

LIVE REVIEW | MUMFORD & SONS w/ The War On Drugs, Holly Humberstone, Cliffords and more | BST HYDE PARK, LONDON | 4th July 2026 by James O’Sullivan

There are few prettier places to spend one of the hottest days in British history than Hyde Park. Even fewer when the soundtrack comes courtesy of Mumford & Sons, The War On Drugs, Holly Humberstone and a supporting cast that stretched from Nashville to Nottingham, Cork to Ohio. The series of BST festivals in Hyde Park is always pleasant, even as it spans countless genres — Maroon 5 into Mumford & Sons, Pitbull into Lewis Capaldi — and 4th July was no exception, trading pyrotechnics and breakdowns for banjos, harmonies and heartfelt songwriting… and a lot of heat. 

Nottingham alt-country outfit Divorce eased the crowd into the day with warm harmonies and understated charm, Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow’s intertwined vocals perfectly suited to the sunshine. ‘Karen’ gradually blossomed into an instrumental crescendo, while fiddle-led ‘Checking Out’ and the gentle melancholy of ‘Antarctica’ proved there’s plenty more to the duo than the “country” label often attached to them. A soothing and relaxing set, perfect to start the day — though it must be weird being a first band on at a ‘Golden Circle’-using festival, playing to two throngs of maybe a hundred people, 50 odd metres apart. 

Nashville singer-songwriter Cassandra Coleman followed shortly after with perhaps the day’s most delicate set, over on the Rainbow Stage. Fresh from touring with Angus & Julia Stone, Coleman laughed about feeling “pretentious” wearing sunglasses — though, with the sun shining directly at her face, it was easily forgiven by the crowd — while her smoky voice floated across Hyde Park on ‘Joan of Arc or Moonbeam’, while ‘Maggie’ transformed into a lovely communal singalong after she patiently taught the crowd the chorus, grinning all the while. 

Ohio folk favourites Caamp were up next. “Happy to get my pale arms burnt playing for you London” Taylor Meier grinned as opener ‘Huckleberry Love’ faded away, and with the sun by then in full swing, it sure wasn’t a joke. Banjos, husky vocals and effortless Americana rolled across the park on ‘Lavender Girl’ and ‘Snowshoes’ before the slower, more introspective ‘Vagabond’ took centre stage — at least until the track blurred into motion, the crowd whooping and hollering along — before the frantic, toe-tapping, banjo-strumming urgency of ‘I Keep Going’ brought the set home… along with a brief nod to The Lumineers with ‘Sleep On The Floor’.

Making her London debut, Stella Lefty barely seemed able to believe the reception she received as she danced, chuckled and beamed at her packed out crowd. Forgetting the words to a second track might feel like a death sentence to some acts, but ad-libbing ‘Why Wouldn’t We’ as a gushing, speechless thank you simply made her grin even wider; meanwhile, ‘Something To Lose’ — about the terrifying “best feeling in the world”, being scared of falling in love but feeling like you don’t have a choice — and the unreleased ‘You Were Mine’ let fans indulge in her woven tales of love and woe. By the time ‘Slow Dancin’’ or ‘Boston’ sunk its teeth into London, Hyde Park was a goner. 

If Holly Humberstone had any concerns about following such a strong run of artists, she sure didn’t show it. Opening with ‘So It Starts’, the Grantham-based singer-songwriter wrapped Hyde Park in the sort of intimate atmosphere that has become her trademark, delicate vocals gradually giving way to soaring, emotionally charged choruses. ‘To Love Somebody’ and ‘Out of the Picture’ showcased her gift for making even a festival crowd of tens of thousands feel remarkably close, while the title track of her latest album, ‘Cruel’, demonstrated just how much her songwriting has matured over the past few years. 

‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’ was as beautiful as ever, Humberstone’s near-whispered closing lines hanging weightlessly over Hyde Park before disappearing into the summer breeze, while the venomously cathartic-feeling ‘Red Chevy’ gave the poignant, occasionally despondent set a nice bit of bite that helped win over some of the crowd who may not already familiar with her discography. A final, heartfelt “Happy Pride, all year round!” — the first mention of the day’s other festivities, at least across the main two stages — before ‘Scarlett’ helped win over the rest. Heartfelt, honest, introspective, and always a delight. 

Seeing Cork’s Cliffords headlining a stage felt right. With their distinct brand of dreamy indie rock, along with flashes of raw emotion, a drizzle of righteous fury, and just a dash of grunge, it’s always bizarre that they’re not bigger than they are. Their Palestine flag, emblazoned with Saoirse don Phalaistín, hanging proudly from the speakers as they took to the stage, may have had something to do with it — it’s bad how many venues and festivals still try and play the apolitical flag despite years of live-streamed genocide and abuse, let alone the decades beforehand — but given what happened with The Mary Wallopers, Cliffords, The Last Dinner Party and more at Victorious last year, it’s not too much of a stretch to make. 

Sorry, the band!

Front woman Iona Lynch was utterly captivating, her voice shifting effortlessly from hushed, almost ethereal restraint to impassioned, full-throated roars across ‘My Favourite Monster’, ‘Feels Like A Man’ and the simmering intensity of ‘Sleeping With Ghosts’. Gavin Dawkins’ trumpet added another layer of character throughout, a delightful surprise when you first hear it, giving the band’s already expansive sound an unexpected richness. The live debut of ‘Horses & Divorces’, Iona quick to reassure the crowd that “the chorus is only two words”, left Hyde Park happily singing along, while ‘Bittersweet’ — after another cry of “Happy Pride and Free Palestine!” — was as powerful as ever. Cliffords are truly grand. 

For newcomers, The War On Drugs were perhaps the day’s most divisive booking. Existing fans were treated to a flawless masterclass in expansive Americana and heartland rock as Adam Granduciel and company eased into ‘Pain’, ‘An Ocean In Between The Waves’, ‘Harmonia’s Dream’ and the magnificent ‘Under The Pressure’ with seemingly effortless confidence, Charlie Hall’s drumming remaining utterly captivating throughout, but particularly with the setting — both the heat exacerbating any issues and the brightness preventing the band from letting loose with their lighting — they always feel a little inaccessible to newcomers. But it’s near impossible to dislike ‘Red Eyes’, while harmonica flourishes across ‘Who’s That’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’ added another layer to the band’s rich, textured sound. 

For long-time fans it was nothing short of sublime, but their slow-burning, atmospheric approach demands patience, a tall ask from a crowd already wilting in record-breaking temperatures. Mesmerising if you were already invested; perhaps a little harder work if you weren’t.

Starting around eighteen minutes behind schedule, Mumford & Sons evidently felt like they had to win the crowd over. And, after a gentle introduction of ‘Begin Again’, what’s better for a waiting crowd than the ever-explosive, and slightly ironic feeling, ‘I Will Wait?’ Between that and the surprise guests, it was a hell of a set from start to finish — but let’s not jump ahead and ruin the surprise!

If there was one thing the evening proved, it’s just how timeless those early Mumford songs have become. Marcus barely needed to sing during ‘White Blank Page’ or ‘Lover of the Light’, tens of thousands taking over vocal duties while families, security staff and even paramedics danced with abandon to the 2010 classics. Rather than simply leaning on nostalgia, though, the set cleverly charted the band’s evolution. ‘Badlands’ highlighted the more reflective songwriting of Rushmere, aided by Stella Lefty’s beautiful guest harmonies, while the rockier pulse of ‘Truth’, ‘Ditmas’ and ‘The Wolf’ reminded everyone that the band long ago escaped the “banjo boys” stereotype. Partially, anyway.

Special guests only elevated proceedings further. The aforementioned Stella Lefty for ‘Badlands’ was fun, if not quite a surprise; Hozier emerged to enormous cheers for ‘Rubber Band Man’ before remaining onstage for ‘Awake My Soul’, mostly relegated to tambourine duties, was a bit more of one! Shania Twain’s appearance in the encore though, joining for Chris Stapleton’s vocal duties in ‘Here’ before stealing the spotlight for ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’ — Marcus getting a taste of his own medicine as he happily confined himself to tambourine duties — felt more out of left field, even Marcus seeming stunned as he brought her on-stage. She’d only been down the road in Wembley, as Harry Styles’ support, sure — but it was still a hell of a surprise. 

A final ‘The Cave’, complete with fireworks, helped bring an end to the too-hot-but-thoroughly-enjoyable day; just a shame that, despite starting late, Mumford & Sons band still finished around ten minutes early, leaving roughly half an hour of their allotted time unused. Still, on a sweltering day that tested everyone in attendance, Mumford & Sons delivered exactly what Hyde Park had come for: songs that have become woven into the British music scene, and a reminder that, fifteen years after their breakthrough, those choruses remain almost impossible not to sing; even the General Admission fans, watching the joyous ants on stage, couldn’t help but love it.

Though Wilder Mind still deserves a little more love. Just saying. #BringBackSnakeEyes

Mumford & Sons latest album Prizefighter is OUT NOW.