The Scottish Singer Songwriter is coming to British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park on July 11 and 12 and Eve Rowlands shares what to expect after his performance at Blackweir Fields in Cardiff.
Eve Rowlands Senior Shopping Writer
14:12, 06 Jul 2026
Music fans will know there is just something so special about seeing one of your favourite artists live – and few things beat it. You get a glimpse into their personality; witness the performance of some of your favourite songs with all the emotion and passion they were written for – and have a great time.
It’s even more special when that live concert (and its UK tour) marks the welcome return of an artist who stepped away from the spotlight following his 2023 Glastonbury performance, in which he was unable to finish his set, to work on his mental health and manage Tourette’s Syndrome. He himself wasn’t sure of a return to the music industry – but, boy, his fans are glad he did.
I am, of course, talking about the extremely gifted Lewis Capaldi. Last week, I saw him live at Blackweir Fields in Cardiff, as part of its summer series, and referencing his hiatus at this Cardiff gig on June 30, he thanked his fans for ‘making it possible for me to come back’, stating how returning has just been ‘lovely’ – we think so too, Lewis.
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Now, while I wouldn’t label myself a mega-fan (you won’t see me crossing borders or catching flights for a gig), this is now the third time I have seen him live. And each performance has left me in awe of not only his incredible musical talent (he rarely sings a bum note and looks effortless doing so, with guitar in tow), but also his comedic timing, chatty cheekiness, charisma, endearing honesty and vulnerability, and genuine Scottish charm.
It’s these charms and traits that have led me to get tickets every time he has visited my home city, and each time I’ve not been left disappointed, nor feeling like it wasn’t worth going; he puts on a real show that’s packed with his witty and hilarious commentary before diving into heartbreaking ballads that totally juxtapose this lightheartedness.
Get tickets to Lewis Capaldi’s BST Hyde Park show
There are still tickets available on a range of ticket websites, like Ticketmaster, Seat Unique and resale site viagogo.
I’m genuinely jealous of anyone getting to see him in concert at American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, 2026, where he is headlining with two sold-out shows. The Scottish megastar will be supported by British singer-songwriter Absolutely, Conan Gray and Jacob Alon (the latter of the three also supported him in Cardiff and was brilliant).
Having seen him in a variety of different-sized crowds, too – two of which have been outdoors – his Scottish humour and magnetism command a 35,000-strong space. At the same time, his perfect-every-time vocals captivate people with a single note (‘Grace’ starts with an a cappella vocal line that delivers serious impact).
He played a mixture of 18 new and old songs and chucked in a performance of his famous BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge track, Britney Spears’ Everytime – which was just ethereal – as well as a snippet of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream (she was playing a stones throw away in Cardiff Castle that night, too). His setlist was sandwiched between witty retorts playing off the crowd and making jokey self-deprecating remarks, scattered with a swear word or two. This made the whole performance have a relaxed, chillness to it that made it feel like he was performing to a bunch of mates.
Even more so when he played the wrong starting chord during a song or two – happens to the best of us – followed by an expletive and an endearing giggle before continuing.
For those who don’t know: almost ten years since his first single, Bruises, came out, the 29-year-old has gone on to have six number-one singles on the Official UK Singles Chart and two number-one albums in the UK. Pretty impressive stuff. He even promised a new album was on the horizon, once his summer of gigs was through.
Lewis Capaldi started his set with one of his newer songs, Hollywood, and finished with a stunning rendition of Someone You Loved. One of my favourite moments was when he performed a slightly heavier version of his song Pointless. This tweak not only saw the music behind his melody ramp up with a slightly rockier backing, but also had him and his band play with different time signatures, stretching out the time between verses and choruses and giving the band a chance to shine.
On that note, let’s talk about his tight, flawless and brilliant band. Together, they all seemed like they were having the time of their life – as I gathered from the large screens on which the stage was projected for those of us at the back to be still able to see. He also showed his sentimental side by celebrating his guitarist’s birthday with a cake and a candle and the entire crowd singing him happy birthday.
He also shared his soft side with the audience when he invited a young girl onto the stage after he’d spotted a sign saying she had a bracelet for him.
Performing a range of his best hits and some new releases, his set was – despite being filled with sombre (or as he said ‘sweet, hot, tender’) songs dedicated to heartbreak – an utter joy, and I left the fields with a full cup.
My only disappointment was that he arrived at the concert slightly later at 9:15 pm instead of 8:45 pm. Though he didn’t skip any songs, it did mean the time between songs may have been clipped, leading to less natural comedic chit-chat – which is something I’ve always loved during his concerts.
That said, these moments come together to make one incredible show, and despite his fame, fortune, and 35,000 fans, you can tell he is just an all-around lovely bloke who loves to sing. And is bloomin’ good at it.
I urge anyone who’s on the fence about getting tickets to BST to go ahead and do it. You can thank me later.
Tickets for the BST Hyde Park show are still available on the official websites of Ticketmaster (although it looks like VIP packages are left) and VIP retailer Seat Unique.
Meanwhile, resale tickets can also be purchased from viagogo. Some of these prices start at just £57.
