SABRINA CARPENTER SELLS OUT X2 NIGHTS AT HYDE PARK WITH 50’S SWAGGER, RECORD-BREAKING CATALOGUE & GUESTS DURAN DURAN

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. British Summer Time (BST) consistently delivers the biggest lineups year-on-year, bringing some of the world’s most renowned artists to central London for their moment at Hyde Park. Headlining the festival has become a rite of passage, as new bands and artists join the likes of The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and many more in the vast heritage of just 12 years.

This year, we have already seen unforgettable performances from Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan with ELO right around the corner. It’s safe to say everyone on the bill was hotly anticipated and deserving of their moment in the sun, each bringing more than 65,000 fans together. 2x GRAMMY® winner and BRITs Global Success Award, Sabrina Carpenter was certainly front of mind for many, selling out two nights following her critically acclaimed album Short And Sweet with success more than ten years in the making. Across the two nights, the Espresso-star brought along friends Clairo, Olivia Dean, Beabadoobee, Amber Mark and more.

Over the last twelve months, Sabrina Carpenter has seen record-breaking success for her blend of 50’s fashion and infectious pop, including hits Espresso, Please Please Please and Taste. She’s also recently released Manchild as the 26-year-old gears up for her next album, due this August, Man’s Best Friend. It’s no secret either that Carpenter’s live shows are humorous, well-orchestrated and ultimately dazzling. We headed to BST Hyde Park on the second of her two-night residency to catch what all the hype is about.

Amber Mark was the first act we caught, offering a gorgeous performance in the beaming sunshine. This was closely followed by Olivia Dean, who has seen recent success herself, and left a lasting impact on the day. After playing Glastonbury and appearing on stage with Sam Fender for a duet of Reign Me In, the rising star has been spotlighted for her sophomore record, which drops in September. Despite playing immediately after a concentrated thunderstorm over Hyde Park, fans raced from the merchandise stalls to catch a glimpse of the star.

Next up was international indie icon Clairo with what she described as her ‘biggest show to date‘. Her soft rock, woven with blissful soft pop, serenaded over the park in the best of ways, as she danced around in a pair of headphones in front of a full band. While still moderately shy, her performance was immaculate, and it was joyous to hear new tracks from Charm resonate as much as those on Immunity and Sling. The highlights were most certainly Sexy To Someone and Bags, both of which brought the sun out once again.

When it was time for Sabrina Carpenter, the anticipation was so strong you could almost feel it. As crowds overwhelmed the main stage, a ‘Live From London’ aesthetic lit up with a news report from Carpenter herself. As a colossal replica of her initials began rising to the top of the stage, the popstar appeared seamlessly from a hidden pod and burst into Busy Woman. She entered wearing a ‘Sabrina’ embroidered outfit, glistening with sparkles as the sun began setting. When the chorus kicked in, encouraged by thousands of screams, she began a conga line with her dancers, before transitioning into Taste and Good Graces.

“Hey London, how are you doing? I’m Sabrina, what’s your name?” she asks, grinning from ear to ear. To our surprise, 65,000 people cried out their individual names, which was strangely satisfying. Before jumping into a new track, Manchild, an advertisement for ‘Manchild Spray’ began rolling. This ‘videotape’ style throughout was certainly distinctive and a nod to her 50s influences. The track itself went down a storm, considering it was only released a month ago.

Carpenter followed up on this very female-empowered segment with Coincidence, Sharpest Tool, and Because I Liked A Boy. Sharpest Tool was sung differently than normal, as an acoustic rendition, allowing her to sing straight from the heart, without the usual theatrics. While not the most lyrically inventive track, it was nice to see her mix and match her set for her biggest show to date.

In a similar vein to Olivia Rodrigo’s show the other week, who praised British culture, Carpenter made similar remarks: “I’ve been told your humour is dry. That’s why I love it here!”. It is also very fitting after referencing her debut performance at BST a couple of years ago alongside BLACKPINK, showing incredibly how far she has come in such a short space of time.

Following this, she made the audience howl, which prompted many raised eyebrows. However, shortly after, the pop powerhouse welcomed Duran Duran on stage. As far as collaborations go, this was unequivocally one for the books. They performed a duet of Hungry Like The Wolf, a track which worked incredibly well for both parties.

After this, we entered Act Two of the show, which kicked off with a couples dance competition. The audience watched several dancers on stage face-off, before shouting the number of the ‘couple’ they wanted to win. It’s little details like this which make her shows so interactive and engaging for the whole audience. This act featured extended versions of Nonsense, Feather, Bed Chem and Please Please Please. The last two tracks were very heavily 80’s inspired, making the collaboration with Duran Duran all the more plausible in hindsight.

“I’m so tired being single” she jokes, before showcasing a couple on the front-row to be her girls for Juno. This has become a staple of her shows and another nice way to get closer to the crowd when headlining such large venues. If that wasn’t enough, she even walked through the audience, high-fiving hundreds of people on the way to perform from a raised crane to close the night. “London, this is one of my biggest dreams come true, ever“. She looked out to the thousands of phone torches, hand-made outfits and cowboy hats, as credits rolled on the main screens.

While that felt like the end, there was one left…Espresso. Carpenter, obviously, returned for one last dance, and what a moment it was. Words can’t describe how much of a global success Espresso is, not just for her but pop music history. 65,000 echoed back every word and fireworks exploded as the night drew to an almighty finish.

Sabrina Carpenter at BST Hyde Park was everything we wanted and more. She may have enchanted millions with Short And Sweet, but there’s proof that she has much more to give. When it comes to giving a masterclass in pop, you can’t look further than Carpenter in 2025.