Some bands have hits. Then there are bands like Maroon 5, where you don’t realise quite how many songs you know until you’re standing in a crowd of thousands singing every single word.
Returning to London as part of their Love Is Like tour, the six-piece headlined a sold-out night at BST Hyde Park, delivering a set that balanced nostalgia with the reminder that their catalogue has quietly become one of the strongest in modern pop.
Before the band even stepped on stage, Good Vibrations echoed across Hyde Park – a nod to past collaborations with The Beach Boys. Moments later, the unmistakable opening of Harder To Breathe signalled the start of a two-hour celebration of more than two decades of music.
“Hyde Park! Holy shit. This is absolutely incredible.”
Adam Levine barely needed to say another word before the crowd erupted again.
Reflecting on the band’s journey from playing London’s Barfly to headlining one of the capital’s biggest festivals, Adam thanked fans for sticking with them over the years.
“Our first album came out in 2002… when I tell you it just keeps getting better, it’s all because of you guys.”
And that’s exactly what the night felt like. It was just hit after hit.
Animals. One More Night. Sunday Morning. Memories. Girls Like You. Moves Like Jagger.
Every song seemed to spark another singalong, but nowhere was that more obvious than during She Will Be Loved. Thousands of voices took over the chorus before the band challenged Hyde Park to sing even louder.
“Let’s make the rest of London jealous.”
The encore brought two more fan favourites. Payphone began with Adam alone under the lights before the full band joined him, while Sugar provided the perfect finale to a set that rarely allowed the energy to dip.
It wasn’t just Maroon 5 drawing huge crowds across the park.
OneRepublic delivered an effortless run through nearly two decades of hits, with Ryan Tedder mixing the band’s biggest songs alongside a medley celebrating the artists he’s written for, including Beyoncé, Leona Lewis and Adele.
Jess Glynne kept the afternoon firmly in feel-good territory with favourites including I’ll Be There, Rather Be and Hold My Hand, while Ella Eyre reminded everyone why she’s still one of Britain’s strongest live vocalists.
Earlier in the day, Only The Poets got the Great Oak Stage crowd moving, Bradley Simpson brought tracks from his debut solo album to the Rainbow Stage, and Pedro Santos gave fans another taste of his latest music, including Lady In Red and I Don’t Know Me.
One thing BST Hyde Park has always done well is build a full day of music rather than simply waiting for the headliner. Friday’s line-up was another reminder of that.
But when Maroon 5 finally walked off stage after closing with Sugar, there was only one feeling drifting out of Hyde Park.
Sometimes, hearing thousands of people sing the same songs together is all the spectacle you need.
Final tickets are on sale now. Visit www.bst-hydepark.com
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