Hyde Park, London
5th July 2026
It was party central at BST on Saturday with Scissor Sisters and Duran Duran bringing sunshine, rainbows, dancing, and the occasional howl to a sizzling Hyde Park.
BST is always one of the major highlights of summer in London, and this year is no exception. By the end of this weekend, around 210,000 people will have descended on Hyde Park to see headliners Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons, and now Duran Duran. This year has seen an increase in 75,000 ticket sales across the nine days – something which is evident to anyone trying to get through the gate to the shady VIP HydeAway, suddenly not feeling quite as exclusive this year. It’s a great day out though: excellent organisation, friendly staff, a good variety of food and drink, and a great festival atmosphere.
Today has already seen plenty of dancing, with Nile Rogers & Chic plus DJ sets from Melanie C and Groove Armada. As early evening hits, a giant pair of scissors have appeared on the stage and the irrepressible Scissor Sisters pull up with their sassy New York energy – there’s no messing about, we’re straight into I Don’t Feel Like Dancing and the Park is on its feet again.
Jake Shears, Babydaddy, and Del Marqui proceed to take us through a contagious set of bubbly pop, assisted by Amby and Bridget who do a great job of stepping into the shoes of a sadly-absent Ana Matronic. In his oversized hat and dungarees, Jake seems to be ageing backwards.
We’re treated to 11 hits spread across four albums, plus a convincing cover of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. An extremely svelte Melanie C joins the Sisters for a lively Take Your Mama, showing off an enviable six pack and bringing yet more exuberance, if that’s even possible. Thereafter, the mayhem continues with giant boobs and a fluffy monster, reaching a peak with Filthy/Gorgeous and Music Is The Victim.
Suitably warmed up, somewhat sweltering by this point, the BST crowd is more than ready for today’s headliners. What follows is one of the best Duran Duran shows in recent times. Simon Le Bon’s voice is rich and unfaltering throughout, setting the tone with a transportative Is There Something I Should Know, followed by, arguably, the best Bond song: A View To A Kill. Simon’s voice soars. The boys still have that Jackie-cover glamour, all cheekbones and pouts; they look great and very cool. Nick Rhodes’ keyboards are standout; he has an air of The Great And Powerful Oz, doing magical mystery stuff. Roger Taylor’s understated and powerful alongside John Taylor who’s rocking a punky silhouette. Not a hip or a gut amongst them.
The set is a whirl of nostalgia for this crowd of Duranies: New Moon On Monday, The Reflex, The Wild Boys (sweaty leather chaps and chains replaced with fire-eating), and Lonely In Your Nightmare. Simon howls, a lot, through Hungry Like The Wolf – slightly unnerving – but makes up for it with a glorious Ordinary World that has everyone in the Park pouring out their ‘80s teenage angst.
Nile Rodgers makes a return to the stage for Notorious (tends to be more of a no no no for me) and new song Free To Love, both of which he co-produced.
Planet Earth, Careless Memories, and Girls On Film are here to champion the self-titled debut album. I’m transported straight back to a school trip to Rochester’s Dickens Festival aged 12, my risky decision to use my spending money on a Duran Duran calendar rather than something remotely relevant to what I’d learnt about Dickens – and the inevitable remonstrations and confiscation by my mother. Despite that trauma (I did get it back in the end), these are some of the band’s finest songs. And, while we’re on it, I’d have happily swapped out the covers of Evil Woman and White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) for Night Boat and Anyone Out There.
The Chauffeur makes up for it to some extent – musically at least. Visually, there’s a slightly uncomfortable broad daylight technicolour re-enactment of the original noir video with two girls in suspenders and corsets gyrating at each other in front of Simon in a jaunty cap. You can see what they’re aiming for, but it’s all feeling a bit too Robin Thicke – ick. With closed eyes, as some of the most evocative and atmospheric lyrics of the decade engulf us (What glass splinters lie so deep in your mind?), it’s a fantastic performance of one of the best and most haunting songs of the ‘80s.
It’s almost time to go and they sign off, inevitably, with Save A Prayer and Rio. Without a doubt, tonight the ‘80s pop-glamour boys have reinforced their enduring legacy and lasting impact as one of the most successful acts in history. And, according to this teenager, way better than Dickens.
~
Words and by Naomi Dryden-Smith: Louder Than War |Facebook |Twitter |Instagram |portfolio
All photos copyright, please do not use without permission – contact Naomi at naomi@louderthanwar.com
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