Olivia Rodrigo Brings Out Surprise Guest Ed Sheeran at BST Hyde Park 2025
All-American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo dazzled 65,000 fans with a spectacular 19-song set as she made her debut at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2025 on Friday night. The evening began with supporting acts building excitement throughout the day before culminating in Rodrigo’s masterful headline performance.
Opening Acts Set the Stage
The day kicked off with British singer-songwriter Ruti, who was thrilled to be joining the lineup supporting Olivia Rodrigo. The Voice UK winner shared a selection of new songs they had written on a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee, announcing they had invested in a brand new guitar especially for the show.
Irish four-piece Florence Road, Brit singer-songwriter Aziya, and Kent-born footballer-turned-musician Déyyess also graced the stages during the afternoon, contributing to a day packed with brilliant music.
BETWEEN FRIENDS, the US alt-pop sensation from California, served as the first act on the Great Oak Stage. The sibling duo was thrilled with the mass turnout, telling the crowd: ‘You guys have given us such a warm welcome in London. This is the biggest show we’ve ever played!’
flowerovlove, the British-Ivorian singer-songwriter dressed in a red t-shirt with Harry Styles emblazoned across the front, stole hearts by unexpectedly emerging from a giant white stiletto shoe before launching into a stellar set. The New Friends singer, signed to Capitol Records, took everyone by surprise with this theatrical entrance.
girl in red (Marie Ulven Ringheim), the 26-year-old Norwegian musician, dazzled the growing audience wearing her trademark smart black jacket with white t-shirt and black trousers, holding her prized guitar. She performed fan favourites including “bad idea!”, “4am” and “I Call You Mine.” The artist opened up about her mental health struggles, sharing her recent battle through rehab: “I wasn’t going to live anymore,” she said with honesty before launching into her thoughtful new song “Hemingway.”
Scottish TikTok sensation Katie Gregson-MacLeod embraced the 26-degree Celsius London heat, introducing herself as seriously hot and sweaty. She showcased tracks “Body” and “Guest List,” mentioning that the subject of the latter song was in the crowd that day.
Caity Baser headlined The Rainbow Stage as the phenomenal performer got the crowd singing along immediately. The Kiss You singer played an array of both old and new songs, including “2020s,” “X&Y,” “Pretty Boys,” and the new track “Watch That Girl.”
The Last Dinner Party, the London-based all-woman band, took the stage among replica Roman pillars. “It’s so nice to be back playing BST Hyde Park because this was one of our early shows,” announced Abigail. They performed fan favourites including “Mirror,” “Gjuha,” “On Your Side,” “Portrait of a Dead Girl,” and completed their set with “Nothing Matters.” Lizzie Maynard joyfully noted that this BST Hyde Park show was the first time her grandfather had seen her perform.
Rodrigo’s Spectacular Headline Performance
As the sun began to set, the 22-year-old Olivia Rodrigo took to the stage in a glistening silver-sequin-tasselled outfit to see a sea of purple cowboy hats before her. ‘Oh my God, there are so many people here I can’t believe my eyes!’ she beamed. ‘You guys, I have a really special feeling about tonight. Are we ready to have a good fucking time?’
The star paid homage to the British capital: “London, did you know you guys are my favourite city? I’ve had so many special moments in London and so many special moments in this park actually – this is like my dream gig! It’s such a magical night, and we get to watch the sunset together – it’s so romantic.”
Rodrigo opened her set with an intro interlude from GUTS: spilled! before launching into “bad idea right?” (2023, from GUTS), immediately getting the crowd singing along. The energy continued with “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “vampire” (2023, from GUTS), with pyrotechnics enhancing the spectacular production.
The singer then took the audience on an emotional journey with “drivers license” (2021, from SOUR) and “traitor” (2021, from SOUR), two of her biggest hits that had fans singing every single word. Among the crowd was James Corden, who also seemed to know every lyric.
The performance continued with “obsessed,” “love is embarrassing,” and an acoustic version of “pretty isn’t pretty,” showcasing Rodrigo’s versatility as a performer. She then delivered emotional renditions of “happier” and “enough for you,” before bringing the energy back up with “so American.”
The middle section of the show featured “jealousy, jealousy” and “favourite crime,” building anticipation for what would become the evening’s most memorable moment.
The Ed Sheeran Surprise
The highlight of the evening came when Rodrigo declared: ‘I want to introduce one of my favourite Brits and one of the best songwriters of all time.’ Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage in a white t-shirt and jeans to a frenzy of screams. The pair walked together to the front of the Great Oak Stage’s long runway, giving every fan a clear view of their duet of “The A Team,” Sheeran’s 2011 classic.
Following this magical collaboration, Rodrigo continued with “deja vu,” maintaining the high energy before building toward her explosive encore.
Grand Finale
After 90 minutes of straight music, Rodrigo’s mind-blowing set came to a climax with an epic encore. She returned to the stage for “brutal,” followed by “all-american bitch,” “good 4 u,” and concluded the night with “get him back!”
This magical evening at BST Hyde Park 2025 showcased why Olivia Rodrigo has become one of the world’s biggest pop stars, delivering a true masterclass performance that left 65,000 fans completely mesmerised. The combination of her powerful vocals, theatrical production, and the surprise Ed Sheeran collaboration created an unforgettable night that will be talked about for years to come.
