London’s seemingly endless run of glorious summer weather continues into Sunday as another sun-soaked crowd descends on Finsbury Park for Wolf Alice’s biggest hometown headline show to date. With temperatures climbing at the start of another heatwave and England’s World Cup clash against Mexico looming at 1am, there is already a festival atmosphere long before the headliners appear. Across the day, rising stars and established favourites lay the groundwork for a celebration of one of Britain’s most adventurous rock bands.
Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park
Early performances from Florence Road and Keo help ease the growing audience into the afternoon before Rachel Chinouriri arrives to a deservedly warm reception. Fresh from a breakthrough few years, the London singer-songwriter’s effortless charm shines through as she mixes favourites including Garden Of Eden and Never Need Me with unreleased material, her soulful vocals floating across the park as the crowd steadily thickens.
Swedish icon Lykke Li follows with perhaps the day’s most striking visual identity. Emerging with her band clad entirely in black hooded rain jackets, her face obscured beneath a mesh veil, she cuts an enigmatic figure against the blazing sunshine. The contrast only heightens the drama as sex money feelings die washes across Finsbury Park before the unmistakable opening of I Follow Rivers prompts one of the afternoon’s biggest singalongs.
By the time The Last Dinner Party arrive, however, the day shifts into another gear entirely.
Opening with the dramatic Agnus Dei, Abigail Morris commands the stage with effortless theatricality, red ribbons flowing from microphone stands as though every detail has been choreographed. If anyone in the crowd has somehow yet to encounter the London quintet, Morris quickly remedies that, introducing each member before the band launch into The Feminine Urge, striding confidently along the runway while Emily Roberts’ guitar lines slice through the warm evening air.
The Last Dinner Party @ Finsbury Park
Their chemistry remains remarkable. Georgia Davies’ driving basslines, Aurora Nishevci’s elegant keyboards and Lizzie Mayland’s harmonies continually elevate the songs beyond straightforward indie rock, while drummer Stella powers everything forward with precision. Second Best quickly has thousands bouncing, Morris collapsing dramatically to her knees atop the central platform before Sinner sees her hand vocal duties entirely to the audience with a simple command: “Sing it!” Forty-five thousand happily oblige.
The clap-along swagger of My Lady Of Mercy gives way to the muscular, hard-rock punch of Big Dog, showcasing just how much broader the band’s sound has become since their debut. Morris pauses afterwards to thank Wolf Alice for the invitation before introducing the haunting The Scythe, one of the standout moments from last autumn’s sophomore record.
Always the consummate performer, Morris is equally adept between songs. Spotting the enormous crowd stretched across Finsbury Park, she smiles. “I have a favour to ask.” With England’s World Cup fixture only hours away, she teaches the audience a football-style chant for brand new single Knocking At The Sky, due for release later that week. The rehearsal proves inspired as thousands immediately join in, transforming an unreleased song into one of the afternoon’s highlights.
Her flair for character acting returns during This Is The Killer Speaking, adopting a wonderfully exaggerated Southern drawl before stopping the performance entirely to teach everyone a choreographed dance. “If I don’t see every one of you doing it… we’re not playing Nothing Matters. I don’t make the rules.” Needless to say, everyone joins in.
Closing with the band’s breakthrough anthem, Morris leaves the stage grinning. “Just remember… nothing matters.” Judging by the reaction, plenty of today’s audience would happily watch them headline this park themselves in years to come.
As dusk begins settling over North London, anticipation reaches fever pitch.
Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park
White ticker tape explodes skywards as confetti cannons erupt and Wolf Alice burst onto the stage with Bloom Baby Bloom, immediately demonstrating the confidence that has made them one of Britain’s defining modern rock bands. Ellie Rowsell may stand front and centre, but this remains a quartet where every member commands attention. Theo Ellis repeatedly throws his arms skywards to whip up the crowd, while Joff Oddie’s unmistakable guitar work drives the opening assault, repeatedly tossing his instrument high above his head before catching it at the last possible second—a wonderfully reckless piece of rock ‘n’ roll theatre that somehow never goes wrong.
Looking out across the vast crowd, Rowsell can scarcely believe what she sees. “Oh my God!… Hello Finsbury Park! I hope you’ve had the best day ever.”
There is little time for conversation before White Horses arrives, Joel Amey seamlessly balancing drumming duties with soaring vocals, fittingly singing “I can see England waving, white horses carry me” on the very night the national team prepares for another World Cup test.
Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park
The heavier edge of Formidable Cool follows, Rowsell stalking the runway before dramatically dropping to her knees as Oddie stretches and reshapes his guitar parts, adding fresh urgency to familiar material. Moments later, Lisbon provides one of the evening’s sunniest singalongs, perfectly matching the golden light still hanging above Finsbury Park.
Material from new album The Clearing slots effortlessly alongside older favourites, suggesting the record is already finding its place in the band’s catalogue. Before introducing Just Two Girls, Rowsell jokes, “I dedicate this song to whoever catches me at 1am tonight,” another nod to England’s late-night kick-off, before marvelling at the enormous mirrorball descending above the stage. “Give it up for the big ball!” she laughs. The audience happily does exactly that.
Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park
The pace softens beautifully through the acoustic intimacy of Leaning Against The Wall before Ellis takes command. “The fucking time is now… tell each other you absolutely love each other.” It is all the encouragement the audience needs before Bros becomes one enormous communal celebration, its opening delivered almost entirely by the crowd.
Rowsell then disappears completely. Moments later she reappears seated inside a glowing suspended star high above the stage backdrop, accompanied only by Ryan Malcolm’s upright piano for the gorgeous Gospel Oak. It is one of several production flourishes that never overwhelm the music, instead enhancing the intimacy.
“This song is about love,” she tells the audience. “If you’ve got a crush… tell them. If you want to start a band… start one.” The tour debut of White Leather follows, its slow-burning atmosphere allowing the newer material room to breathe before How Can I Make It OK? and the swaggering groove of The Sofa reignite the crowd. As Rowsell sings about being “stuck in Seven Sisters, North London,” she pauses, allowing thousands to scream their current location back at her.
Standing among the audience are members of The Last Dinner Party themselves, still dressed in their stage outfits and singing every word—a lovely reminder of the mutual admiration running throughout today’s line-up.
A quick costume change sees Rowsell emerge dressed entirely in black, emptying a bottle of water over herself before the evening’s final act begins in earnest. Sirens blare, megaphone in hand, as she launches into the ferocious Yuk Foo. The punk explosion instantly transforms the atmosphere, flowing directly into the relentless Play The Greatest Hits and the fuzzed-out swagger of Smile. Oddie remains captivating throughout, forever moving, posing and once again hurling his guitar skywards before snatching it safely back from disaster, while Ellis prowls the stage with relentless energy.
Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park
The emotional closing stretch is masterfully judged. Lipstick On The Glass grows from delicate beauty into towering intensity before the sprawling Visions Of A Life demonstrates the band’s willingness to embrace ambition over easy crowd-pleasing. The Last Man On Earth provides a moment of collective reflection before Don’t Delete The Kisses becomes the night’s defining singalong.
Rowsell cannot resist one final salute to the now-famous mirrorball. “Another round of applause for the big ball… that’s just fucking mental.” Laughter ripples across the field as she reveals its creator is genuinely called “Mirrorball Paul.”
The encore wastes little time. Moaning Lisa Smile reminds everyone just how ferocious Wolf Alice remain before Rowsell straps on a white Flying V and unexpectedly tears into the opening verse and chorus of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. It’s and abbreviated rendition, but injects one final surge of adrenaline before the colossal Giant Peach brings the evening crashing to its thrilling conclusion.
As Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline echoes across the PA—a fitting soundtrack ahead of England’s midnight football date—45,000 fans drift into the warm North London night having witnessed a band operating at the absolute peak of their powers.
Wolf Alice have never been easy to define. They move effortlessly between folk, grunge, indie, shoegaze and outright punk, often within the same set, yet every stylistic turn feels entirely natural. Tonight’s Finsbury Park headline show doesn’t simply celebrate the arrival of The Clearing; it confirms that Wolf Alice continue to evolve without ever losing the fearless creativity that made them one of Britain’s most vital bands in the first place.
Live review and photography of Wolf Alice @ Finsbury Park, London by Kalpesh Patel on 4th July 2026.
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