Though clouds still loomed and the ground remained squelchy underfoot, Olivia Dean brought a welcome calm and undeniable warmth to BST Hyde Park’s Great Oak Stage on Sunday afternoon. Following a weather-disrupted opening set by Amber Mark — whose performance was cut short by a torrential downpour — Dean arrived as the skies cleared, bringing poise, polish, and powerful vocals to a crowd that refused to let a bit of British summer rain dampen their spirits.
Olivia Dean @ BST Hyde Park 2025
Emerging to cheers from waterproofed but undeterred festival-goers, the London-born singer-songwriter wasted no time in connecting. “Thank you for sticking it out,” she smiled, referencing the earlier deluge with sincerity. “You lot are amazing.” Her set proved the perfect palette cleanser — and mood restorer — after the storm.
Dean opened with the smooth, groove-laden Nice To Each Other, the track’s warmth and lyrical openness immediately resonating as she set the tone for a set rooted in kindness, vulnerability, and self-assured soul. With her signature blend of classic R&B and modern pop, Olivia made the sprawling park stage feel almost intimate.
Standouts followed in quick succession — the crisp storytelling of OK Love You Bye, the gently simmering emotion of Time, and the ever-relatable Be My Own Boyfriend, each one a testament to her sharp songwriting and understated charisma. Backed by a tight, jazzy live band, Dean’s vocals floated effortlessly above lush instrumentation that gave tracks room to breathe and bloom.
Fresh from a breakout year that included a Mercury Prize nomination for debut album Messy, Dean also previewed what’s to come. The unreleased Lady Lady was a sultry mid-tempo number with retro soul influences — a possible indicator of a richer sonic evolution on the horizon. “This one isn’t out yet, but I wanted to play it for you,” she offered modestly, though the audience’s enthusiastic reaction said it all.
Later in the set, Touching Toes and Echo showed the range of Dean’s emotional palette — the former teasing sensuality and the latter diving deep into longing and memory. Throughout, her vocals remained pristine yet expressive, offering rawness without ever tipping into melodrama.
The 26-year-old’s strength lies in her ability to make big stages feel like safe spaces. Tracks like Ladies Room, a tribute to fleeting female camaraderie, and It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be, a soft reflection on embracing imperfection, felt particularly poignant in the context of a post-downpour crowd still drying out — together, and smiling again.
As the clouds gave way to streaks of sunlight, Dean closed her 14-song set with a trio of favourites: The Hardest Part, her breakthrough hit; Carmen, a touching tribute to her grandmother; and finally Dive, which soared with quiet power and left the crowd in a hushed kind of awe.
Sitting perfectly between the genre-hopping flair of Amber Mark and the dreamy introspection of Clairo, Olivia Dean delivered a set that felt both grounded and elevating. She didn’t need spectacle — just songs, sincerity, and a stunning voice. It might not have been a rain-soaked performance, but Olivia Dean certainly brought the sunshine.
Live review & photography of Olivia Dean @ BST Hyde Park 2025, London by Kalpesh Patel on 6th July 2025.
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