Lido Festival day 5 - London Grammar takes over Lido Festival: a sun kissed day

Lido Festival wrapped up on Sunday, 15th June, after a five-day run. Following a hedonistic, full-to-the-brim Saturday night, where Charli XCX truly partied 4 us, the London Grammar-curated lineup was the perfect ‘hangover cure’ on a cozy, sunny Sunday.

The sibling duo Wasia Project, fronted by William Gao and Olivia Hardy, brought the perfect amount of indie-pop/jazz fusion to kick off the day. With the kind of chemistry only possible between those who have known each other their whole lives, the pair, formed in 2019 but already sonically mature beyond their years, was aided by a talented, solid band (a special mention goes to the strings and saxophone players).

In a 2023 interview for Rolling Stone, the band explained that their classical background is dotted throughout and deeply entrenched in Wasia Project’s sound. This is evident, for instance, in tracks such as ‘My Lover is Sleeping’ which was one of the highlights of the set, or the much-beloved ‘ur so pretty’. The band also debuted a new song ‘Letters From the Day’  and as a fun send-off, Olivia playfully asked the crowd to crouch, then jump up on the count of four to the sound of ‘Impossible’. As one of the most refreshing british acts at the moment, and so early in their careers, you can only imagine the heights they’ll reach next.

As the day unfolded, Pip Millett took to the secondary stage and brought beautiful soul and R&B vocals to the next level. The Manchester-born singer, who released the EP ‘Jimmy I’m Fine’ last year, delivered a fun and confident set that got everyone swaying up and down. For fans of a good bassline, this was the set.

Meanwhile, Canadian-born newcomer Olivia Lunny brought synth-heaven to the Club stage, showcasing her newly released album Velvet & Denim. With honest storytelling, an infectious stage presence, and the crowd’s eagerness to move, Lunny was undoubtedly one of the most pleasant surprises of the day.

One of the most emotive highlights of the day was Celeste, who performed a showstopping set during the middle slot on the main stage. Celeste’s vocal poise demands attention, and although she was performing for thousands, her innate melancholic vocals transported the audience to a past era they hadn’t lived in. Celeste’s sets always feel intimate and nostalgic, and, although rooms have grown bigger, she hasn’t lost the ability to make the audience feel up close, as if we were sitting in the front row at an intimate jazz night set. The moody and Oscar-nominated song ‘Hear My Voice’ from the film ‘Trial of the Chicago 7’ showcased how in sync the ‘Strange’ singer and her band are, but also the ease with which Celeste uses her instrument, to the awe of anyone who has the pleasure to listen. Gearing up for a new album, a few new songs were played to the excitement of her dedicated front-row fanbase. One of these was ‘Woman of Faces’, which is also the title of her upcoming second studio album. The song touches upon the ever-changing nature of womanhood and the unattainable standards women are expected to adhere to, which Celeste mentioned to be “very important to sing about.”

To close the evening on a high note, headliners London Grammar took to the stage. The trio, Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic Major, mentioned they hadn’t played a festival in a long time, so it felt only natural to bring the festival vibes back to their hometown. London Grammar remain one of the most beloved acts in the UK music scene, and seeing their evolution from three best friends who met at Nottingham University and released one of the most poignant albums of the decade, ‘If You Wait’, to playing the headline slot at a major festival is quite the feat and an emotional journey for those who have followed them over the years. The band’s stage presence has evolved exponentially, and Reid, who has long spoken about her struggles with stage anxiety, has grown visibly bolder and more daring as time goes on.

As the set unfolded, it was clear how emotionally connected the crowd was to the sound and the lyrics, with ‘Wasting My Young Years’ being a standout. The band has amassed a large number of fans who sing every word passionately — when Reid forgot a line, she jokingly even asked someone in the front row to mouth the words. With the regressing and authoritarian political climate in the backdrop of everyone’s mind, Reid mentioned how sometimes being an artist and playing shows feels “self-indulgent”, when so much is going on in the world. She called for music to be a unifier, but jokingly mentioned she had heard many men in the past give similar long-winded speeches on stage and promised to never do it herself, though there she was, and rightfully so.

The latter is particularly poignant, given the still systemic depriorisitation of women and non-binary acts in UK festivals. It is worth noting that in a recent analysis by A22D, it was found that UK music festivals are still lacking on women and non-binary representation, with only just 21% of solo artists or bands being identifying as women or non-binary. Non-binary acts are even less represented with larger festivals tending to have lower proportions of non-binary acts, according to a CDM report. As such, seeing a 90% women and non-binary led lineup at a major summer festival felt refreshing, though there is still a long way to go.

One of the highlights of the evening was a newly added acoustic section, which the band playfully described as akin to their early days rehearsing in a garage. In a recent interview for DIY Magazine, the band mentioned that during their headline tour last year, they felt far apart from each other and wanted to feel closer together spatially again. This certainly did the trick, and with intimate stripped-back versions of ‘Fakest Bitch’ and the classic ‘Darling Are You Gonna Leave’, London Grammar showed us their most truthful sonic version, cementing that Hannah Reid’s expansive vocals should be listened to in a field, with your eyes closed, as the sun comes down.

Lido Festival’s first edition in London has rooted itself as a daring and fun new edition to the UK summer festival landscape. Giving headlining artists the space, opportunity, and time to curate cohesive and genre-aligned lineups shows that when the status quo is shaken up, magic happens - until next year!

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WORDS BEA VASQUES

PHOTOS SOFIA SALAZAR