Stevie Wonder on stage at Hyde Park’s BST Festival [BethanMillerCo]

SINCE 2013, Hyde Park’s BST Festival has been drawing crowds to central London, and as the festival drew to a close for another year, headlined by the incomparable Stevie Wonder, families, couples and friends of all ages came to witness one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

From midday, the park was already packed with people enjoying the sunshine – lounging on picnic blankets and enjoying a bite to eat. Even those without festival tickets were enjoying the music that could be heard clearly from over the fences.

Those lucky enough to have a ticket found queues for the toilets and bars appeared tame compared to the mass of people aiming to stay hydrated lining up patiently for the water fountains. Hydration was key as London hit highs of 28 degrees celsius.

Before Stevie’s headlining set – a myriad of performances were ready to loosen up the crowd – with Ezra Collective taking to the stage to get everyone in the mood. As the London band came on, drummer Femi Koleoso told the crowd how honoured they were to be at the festival, having attended Stevie’s 2018 Hyde Park concert as friends and not performers.

When they got the call-up to perform this year, they said it was something they couldn’t refuse. “I can’t believe we’re actually here,” said Koleoso. The 2023 Mercury Music Prize winners had people getting up from their picnic blankets and bopping to the fused sounds of jazz afrobeats, setting the tone for the main event: Mr Wonder himself.

In the interlude before Stevie started, you could feel the anticipation in the crowd – a sense of electricity as we waited patiently for the star to walk onto the stage.

Led by his children, Stevie wore dark glitter sunglasses and a white shirt with the faces of John Lennon and Marvin Gaye embroidered onto it. “Every single person who is blind should be able to see in their own way,” he told the crowd, to cheers and applause.

At 75 years old, Stevie’s vocal power has not diminished. He started the set off with Love’s in Need of Love Today before leading into a tribute to John Lennon’s Imagine.

As the world may seem pretty bleak at times, Stevie reminded us that an important part of life was love, and family – hitting home with the second point as his children performed with him at points during the gig.

Before the darkness set in at Hyde Park, festival-goers saw an incredible sunset as Stevie sang the melodic You and I, and there was many an embrace as friends, families and couples took in the moment. It wasn’t a Stevie Wonder concert without many of his classic hits, naturally left till last; I Wish, Isn’t She Lovely, a call and response Superstition with the crowd, Sir Duke and of course, Happy Birthday which he dedicated to his daughter Sophia, whose birthday is on July 13.

The performance was absolutely flawless – the band, backing singers and of course Stevie performing on the harmonica and singing was unmissable. For those with Diamond and Gold tickets, you gained access to the front part of the stage, which made the general admission tickets a tad less desirable. Still, Stevie’s sound made everyone feel special no matter where you were standing.

My dad, a diehard Stevie Wonder fan, told me prior to the gig that he’d seen the artist 17 times before. Having never seen him, I was unsure what to expect, but he did not disappoint. If you get the chance to ever see him live, grab it, as it is an experience I will never forget.