British Summer Time at Hyde Park has long been a festival that rewards discovery as much as it celebrates established stars. This year’s line-up proved precisely that, delivering a wonderful mix of emerging talent, global pop stars and K-pop royalty.
From the fresh-faced harmonies of American-Australian boy group Midnight Til Morning, the superb British R&B trio FLO, and the American singer-songwriter Bazzi, to the K-pop icon Taemin and one of the world’s most engaging groups, ATEEZ, BST once again proved that a British music festival can successfully present the very best talent from across the globe.
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Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came from Midnight Til Morning, the American-Australian four-piece who first found recognition through Netflix’s Building the Band. Consisting of Americans Shane Appell and Zach Newbould alongside Australians Conor Smith and Mason Watts, as contemporary pop increasingly moves away from vocal-first performance, Midnight Til Morning are bringing it back with so much confidence. Their BST set showed that the boy group revival we did not know we needed may already be here.
It did not take long for Midnight Til Morning to win over the Hyde Park crowd. Their vocal harmonies were exceptional throughout, delivered with a level of perfection rarely heard from new pop groups. Their performance felt real; just four talented vocalists singing live and doing it brilliantly.
Walk Away did its job, but Math was the one that stayed with me the longest. The song instantly brought back memories of the great pop groups of the late 1990s and early 2000s – the golden era of Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and early Westlife. It nods to the classics without ever feeling stuck in them. The harmonies were tight, every line landing exactly where it should.
Perfection is a dangerous word in music criticism, but Midnight Til Morning came very close.
If Midnight Til Morning brought back classic boy-group energy, FLO showed why British girl groups still matter. Since entering the music scene with the viral success of Cardboard Box in 2022, the London trio – Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer – have become an important part of R&B. Their performance was simple but beautiful, with in-tune vocals and strong harmonies. Fly Girl and Summertime were slick, polished and immensely enjoyable without sacrificing vocal quality. FLO understand that choreography should complement vocals, not compete with them.
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American singer-songwriter Bazzi occupies a fascinating position within R&B and pop music. Since Mine became a global phenomenon in 2018, he has consistently climbed the musical ladder. His BST set demonstrated precisely why audiences continue to connect with him. Mine remains irresistible live; meanwhile, Myself was one of those songs you just wanted to sing along to. Vocally, it was impeccable!
No discussion of BST would be complete without acknowledging the contribution of Korean artists to the day’s set. Taemin once again showed why he is one of K-pop’s most respected performers. His stage presence is extraordinary and utterly mesmerising. Even in a relatively short festival appearance, he delivered an incredible performance.
ATEEZ, meanwhile, brought exactly the explosive energy for which they have become internationally well-known. Their 90-minute set was intense, with great staging, a live band and dancers – what more could you want from a live show? They delivered a great show.
BST Hyde Park has started strongly, and there’s plenty more to come over the next two weeks. If this is the standard already, it’s exciting to think what’s still ahead.
Written by Maggie Gogler
Featured image © 2026 Sienna Lorraine Gray
View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.
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