A sea of cowboy hats, an electric atmosphere, and an absolute masterclass in country music history: American Express presents BST Hyde Park got off to a blistering, record-breaking start on Saturday (27 June). US superstar Garth Brooks took to the stage before a monumental sell-out crowd, officially kicking off London’s greatest summer festival with a night that will be talked about for decades.
Making history before he even played his first note, Brooks became the first artist to perform under Hyde Park’s newly expanded 69,999 capacity, marking the biggest single-day crowd in the entire history of BST Hyde Park.
From the second he stepped out, the adoration from the UK and Irish fans, many of whom had travelled across the sea for this moment, was palpable. A visibly emotional Brooks took a moment to absorb the thunderous roar of the crowd, telling them: “Normally the magic comes from the stage, but today it came from the audience.”
The King of Country Brings the Party
Launching straight into ‘Rodeo’, Brooks ignited an instant party, transforming the vast green grass of Hyde Park into the world’s biggest honky-tonk. He quickly followed up with Dennis Robbins’s ‘Two of a Kind, Workin’ On a Full House’, setting the tone for a hit-packed set list seamlessly woven with iconic classics and unexpected covers.
“We’re gonna play a lot of cowboy songs tonight,” Brooks promised the crowd. “That’s just what we do when we roll in. Here’s one I hope you remember… It’s called ‘The Beaches of Cheyenne’.”
The true magic of a Garth Brooks show lies in his spontaneity. Spotting a sign in the crowd held by a fan named Kelly, Brooks pivoted on a dime for an impromptu, acoustic-driven rendition of Bob Seger’s ‘Night Moves’. Joking with the crowd, he laughed: “It’s nice to meet you. Kelly, do you understand that this is a show that cannot be changed on a dime? We got dance moves, we got it all going on right here, right?” before delivering a flawless performance.
The massive crowd proved they knew every single word, offering up a stunning, spine-tingling singalong to ‘The River’ (drawing an amazed “woah, listen to you” from Brooks) and dancing wildly to ‘Two Pina Coladas’.
Paying homage to another legendary BST Hyde Park alumnus, Brooks drew massive cheers with a stellar take on Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’, having earlier covered Joel’s ‘Shameless’. But the true pinnacle arrived with the inevitable, earth-shaking anthem ‘Friends In Low Places’.
Before closing out the historic night, Brooks left the adoring crowd with a promise: “I am shocked at the love that was sent this way tonight… I’m not sure what the future is, but you can bet your ass. I’m coming back here.”
A Stellar Undercard: Country Rock and Pop Sensations
Long before Brooks took the stage, the entire day was a masterclass in stellar curation across BST’s multiple stages.
The Zac Brown Band delivered pure sunshine on the Great Oak Stage, getting feet tapping early on with their hit ‘Toes’. “We couldn’t be more happy than being out with you today,” Zac told the crowd. “Thanks so much. Thank you to the big man, to Garth, for having us here.” They then ripped into a riotous, lightning-fast rendition of ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’ before treating fans to ‘Hard Run’ from their new album Love & Fear.
Earlier on the main stage, Ashley McBryde brought serious rock’n’roll attitude to country rock. Looking out at the vast sea of faces before launching into her smash hit ‘One Night Standards’, she marvelled: “My goodness, look at you. I’m looking at more people than the populations of everybody in this band’s hometowns combined!” UK country pioneers The Shires had the honour of opening the Great Oak Stage. Reflecting on the genre’s massive global explosion, Ben Earle told the crowd: “We’re so proud to be from the UK making country music and to see how far country music has come here.”
Over on the Rainbow Stage, rising talent Jackson Dean received a rapturous welcome with tracks from his recent album Magnolia Sage. Mae Estes also charmed the crowd, kicking into ‘Guitar With A Twang’ after asking the London audience if the rumours were true that they liked their guitars with a bit of twang (the crowd’s roar confirmed they absolutely do!).
Meanwhile, Alexandra Kay blew the audience away with her powerhouse vocals on ‘Everleave’ and ‘Straight For The Heart’, cementing her status as an absolute fan-favourite with a brilliant, crowd-pleasing cover of Chappell Roan’s hit ‘Pink Pony Club’. Opening the stage, the Crowe Boys got an early singalong moving with a nostalgic cover of Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’.
The talent was equally undeniable over at the Birdcage Stage, where Irish singer-songwriter McGrath kicked off the day, followed by a heartfelt, soulful set from Leah Blevins. Pop-country star Chanel Yates drew a massive crowd, tearing through her own original material alongside a brilliant, reinvented cover of Christina Aguilera’s ‘Genie In A Bottle’.
The Summer Has Just Begun!
Day 1 of BST Hyde Park 2026 has set an impossibly high bar, but the festival is just getting started. Pop Scoop! will be on the ground across the entire run. Stay tuned for our upcoming Day 2 coverage featuring K-pop superstars ATEEZ (performing Sunday 28 June)!
The massive BST Hyde Park 2026 lineup continues over the coming weeks with headliners Maroon 5 (3 July), Mumford & Sons (4 July), Duran Duran (5 July), Pitbull (10 July), and a highly anticipated double-header from Lewis Capaldi (11 & 12 July).
Tickets for remaining dates are on sale now at www.bst-hydepark.com. Follow @bsthydepark for updates.
Garth Brooks at BST Hyde Park (Saturday 27th June 2026) Full Setlist:
- Rodeo
- Two of a Kind, Workin’ On A Full House (Dennis Robbins cover)
- The Beaches of Cheyenne
- Two Pina Coladas
- Night Moves (Impromptu Bob Seger cover)
- The River
- Papa Loved Mama
- The Thunder Rolls
- Unanswered Prayers (Acoustic)
- That Summer
- Callin’ Baton Rouge (The Oak Ridge Boys cover)
- Ain’t Going Down (‘til The Sun Comes Up)
- Shameless (Billy Joel cover)
- Change The World (Gordon Kennedy impromptu performance)
- Shout (Robert Bailey impromptu Isley Brothers cover)
- The Dance (Tony Arata cover)
- Piano Man (Billy Joel cover)
- Friends in Low Places (Dewayne Blackwell cover)
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