Singing sensation Sabrina Carpenter takes centre stage at BST Hyde Park, performing two sold-out headline shows on July 5th and July 6th 2025. The pop prodigy has made her mark in the music and entertainment sphere for over a decade, and her headlining weekend epitomises her growth as a performer.
House of Solo recently reviewed Olivia Rodrigo at BST Hyde Park, and now we’re back watching another megastar dominating the pop world. Watching the second night of her BST reign, Sabrina Carpenter was joined by performers such as Clairo, Olivia Dean, Miso Extra, IDER, Amber Mark and many more. Tantalising your musical palette, there is something for everyone that will please your wants and needs. The day isn’t short n’ sweet, the jam-packed, fun-filled day features a plethora of entertainment, spanning across stages such as the Great Oak Stage, Birdcage Stage and the Rainbow Stage.
Compared to the summery sun-soaked weather that brightened the skies on the day of the Olivia Rodrigo performance, the weather on the day of Sabrina Carpenter’s performance was quite the opposite. Experiencing the duality and unpredictability of British weather, Hyde Park was submerged in torrential rain, leaving festival goers running for the nearest form of cover. Luckily, the passing raincloud dispersed out of range, allowing fans to enjoy the rest of the performances.
Exploring far and wide across the breadth of the BST site, there are a variety of food stalls, as well as pop-ups from Lidl, Superdrug and American Express. If you’d like to boost your adrenaline, there’s an amusement park ride, or if you’re looking to have a relaxed time, you can also sip a cocktail at The House of Peroni bar. Taking in the atmosphere, it was nice walking around to different parts of the festival. I could hear excitement ooze from artist Miso Extra in the distance, whilst at The American Express experience. It’s very easy to serendipitously discover new talent and songs as you wander through different parts of the festival. It can often stop you in your tracks as you gravitate towards the music playing from the various stages.
A notable and stand-out performance of the day goes to rising star Olivia Dean, who gave an impressive performance. Singing in front of a pink fabric backdrop, she provided a mesmerising set. Her confidence shone from within, and she delivered her dreamy vocals and was joined by a live band, capturing the essence of the tracks. Giving a glimpse into the next stage of her artistry she sang ‘Lady Lady’, the song is set to release on Thursday 10th July, and her forthcoming album ‘The Art of Loving’ will drop in its entirety on 26th September 2025. She also sang her popular and catchy song ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’ from the film ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’, which was released earlier this year. The next few months will be an exciting time for Olivia Dean, as she has a promising career ahead.
Securing a spot in the middle of the crowd, positioned towards the centre of the stage, I watched as the anticipation built in the moments before Sabrina Carpenter graced the stage. Her set was large and consisted of multiple levels with a winding staircase connecting the levels. Gaining the attention of the audience, she pre-recorded visuals on the screen and spoke to the audience as if she were a newsreader. After projecting some more graphics of a logo saying SC News, music began to play, dancers arrived on stage and shortly after, Sabrina opened with ‘Busy Woman’. Sparkling in white, she wore a playsuit with ‘Sabrina’ written in pink in a style mimicking the distinctive writing of the Barbie logo. Standing on the top level, in the middle of the stage, the intro of ‘Taste’ played and fans proceeded to sing along to the well-known opening lyrics ‘Oh. I leave quite an impression, Five feet to be exact’.
Her headline set felt theatrical; there was an incredible attention to detail when it came to the stage setup. During the performance, the graphics on the screen mimicked the style of 1950s/1960s advertisements. There was even a Sabrina spray advertised as Manchild Spray Away that magically erased chores such as laundry and even men. It felt like we were transported into the past, it also stylistically reminded me of the musical Hairspray, mixed with the modern glam and disco elements of the Barbie movie. Her headlining spot felt immersive and during the show, she also went on a platform that could glide above the stage and she could be at the heart of the crowd.
Continuing to sing into the night, she brought out a special guest, Duran Duran, who sang with her, and they performed their popular hit ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’. Two parts of the pop hemispheres had collided, bridging generations together. Performing at BST Hyde Park is a poignant moment for Sabrina Carpenter. Over the last few years, she has managed to grow from performing to a smaller crowd of 5,000 people to performing a two-night sold-out headline slot. Connecting with fans during the show, she spoke to the audience about this and said: ‘I believe two years ago I was playing a show here for about 5,000 people. And before that, I was opening for many different talented artists and I was dreaming of this day and this moment’.
Concluding the second night of her BST Hyde Park headline slot, Sabrina Carpenter has an undeniable star quality. From performing huge singles such as ‘Espresso’, singles such as ‘because I liked a boy’ and ‘Nonsense’, to the iconic choreography to her single ‘Bed Chem’, she brings a lot of variety to her set. She also performed her newly released single ‘Manchild’, taken from her upcoming album ‘Man’s Best Friend’, set to release on 29th August 2025. Her BST Hyde Park performance felt like a pivotal moment for her. It celebrated her success and how far she has come over the last few years to reach global stardom.
