Lido Festival ends on a high with London Grammar, Celeste and Róisín Murphy
The final day of Lido Festival at Victoria Park was blessed with truly delightful summer sunshine. From early afternoon, Clementine Douglas, Wasia Project and Róisín Murphy – among others – alternated between the big blue tent and the main stage. As the sky gradually deepens to darker shades of blue, it’s time for Celeste. Her rich, velvety voice resounds with virtuoso intensity on On with the Show. She duets with the drums on Lately, and the pace slows significantly for Both Sides of the Moon. Half of the set becomes a masterful showcase of intensely soulful vocals; while the format may feel a little familiar to some in the crowd, it remains a winning formula for the singer. Her newest material, however – from which Everyday emerges – offers something more exploratory: an intriguing glimpse into genre-blending potential.
Another burst of energy – though from a completely different register – comes from Maverick Sabre, the final act in the blue tent, who delivers an extravagant party of sounds. The set kicks off with Why Don’t You Keep Up, shaped by reggae beats and electronic frequencies, and later proves just how effortlessly he can glide into pop and guitar-led territory.
There’s just enough time for festival-goers to cross Victoria Park and gather in front of the main stage for the night’s headliners: London Grammar, making a long-awaited return to the city’s festival scene. Hannah Reid’s ethereal voice floats effortlessly through Hey Now, hovering in the evening air. Her vocals – no secret here – have always been the cornerstone of the band’s sound, a signature element that weaves everything else into a mesmerising flow. And live, they still give you shivers.
The electric vertigo that occasionally pulses through their recordings is echoed in this live performance by a buzzing drone, projecting a rotating feed onto the side screens. Despite many years of touring both nationally and internationally, the frontwoman still seems to lack a fully developed stage persona – a certain confidence in owning the stage that her voice naturally demands.
On How Does It Feel – one of their most danceable tracks – there’s a clear attempt to soar in the chorus, to shape the hook into something more elusive and veiled. From the field, a crowd of all ages – from late 20s to over 50s – joins in with slow movements and heartfelt singing. The technique is top-notch, paired with a mellow groove. House, from the 2024 album, introduces heavier synths, visually punctuated by bursts of colourful lasers. During Hell to the Liars, Dot Major switches between keyboard and drums mid-song – a transition he repeats later, effortlessly, always in full control of percussion that doesn’t overpower Reid’s vocals but instead supports and elevates them. The song’s tonal shift is invigorating: its melancholic opening swells into a steady, hymnal rhythm that washes over the crowd like a smooth, robust wave.
Unlike many of her male counterparts, Hannah remarks that she doesn’t want to give a long speech – this isn’t the moment to be preachy, she says. Still, she takes a moment to acknowledge the chaotic, often heartbreaking state of the world, and the privilege of being able to share and enjoy music in a setting like this. Metal & Dust delivers tight, focused beats – a track that would have made for a perfect closer. But it’s Lose Your Head, at the end of the encore, that stretches out, doubling in length and morphing into a rave-style remix that jars slightly against the near-reverent precision of the rest of the set.
Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events visit London Grammar’s website here.
Watch the video for Hey Now here:
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