Kings Of Leon at BST Hyde Park review – a fun-filled day | Music | Entertainment

July 3, 2024 4,020

In front of tens of thousands of fans at BST music festival, Kings Of Leon drummer – Nathan Followill – donned an England Home Shirt sporting number “9” after England made it to the to the Euro quarter-finals on Sunday, June 30.

While people were already in good spirits in the lead-up to the main act of the night at Hyde Park, London, England’s win resulted in an even more jubilant atmosphere.

Paolo Nutini had been performing at the Great Oak Stage at the time when footballer Harry Kane headed a goal at the 91st minute of the match.

In perfect timing, Nutini’s set had come to a finish when England had secured a spot in the quarter-finals leading to a furore of applauding and then chants of “it’s coming home”, which left the singer evidently bemused.

Time flew by and, within the hour, brothers Nathan, Caleb, and Jared – and their cousin Matthew Followill – from the band Kings Of Leon were on the Great Oak Stage.

Kicking off the show with Ballerina Radio, a song from their new album Can We Please Have Fun, the crowds sang along while lyrics lit up across the stage.

It’s hard to believe that Kings Of Leon have released nine studio albums, but then the American rock band have been around since 1999.

Having been on the music scene for around 25 years – first forming in Nashville, Tennessee – the family of musicians have continued to amass a fan base across the ages.

At the family-friendly event, everybody was enjoying the music; there were even strollers in attendance.

Views were exceptional from the Gold Circle viewing area (available with the Gold VIP HydeAway ticket) giving me unfiltered views of the musicians on stage – without the help of larger screens. Was it still crowded? Sure, but it was a bit of fun as colourful, inflatable balls were bounced around between people at the front of the stage.

Better yet, I could easily weave through the crowds to make my way to the Volvic Gold VIP Hydeaway. The exclusive area, where you can still hear the music, offered a peaceful space with plenty of seating, food trucks, and the bar – and basically no queues.

Taking the opportunity to refill at the bar, I was seen to extremely quickly and the prices for drinks are super reasonable. A half pint of Grolsch beer, for example, was £3.50 while a pint of Grolsch was £6.95.

Making my way back to the Golden Circle, the best experience (I found) was standing further back to witness the whole stage and performance in all its glory.

Plus, having more room to dance and be silly is always a good laugh while singing along to classics such as Use Somebody and Sex On Fire – both from the 2008 album Only By The Night.

American Express presents BST Hyde Park, with the following acts soon to appear: