Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park
Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park is a British music festival that has taken place annually since 2011 in Hyde Park in London. The idea behind the event was for music fans who enjoy live music but are not comfortable with the idea of a full multi-day festival to be able to experience the variety of artists and the atmosphere that such a festival would offer, without the associated necessities such as camping. The festival is designed to appeal to the over 35 demographic that makes up the majority of BBC Radio 2 listeners, although the event attracts fans of all ages. The line-up is compiled of the various adult contemporary music and specialist genres featured on Radio 2, including folk, country, soul, rock and jazz. The festival was hosted by Chris Evans and later Jo Whiley alongside other Radio 2 presenters and is broadcast live on the station and streamed on the BBC Red Button.
About the festival
- Gary Barlow was the first artist to headline the festival twice: at the inaugural event in 2011 and as part of Take That in 2017.
- Kylie Minogue was the first female headliner, performing in 2018
- James Blunt and Status Quo are the only artists to perform at the festival three times.
- Jessie J was the only artist to appear at the festival over consecutive years.
- Other artists who have appeared multiple times are Bellowhead, Paloma Faith, Will Young, Gregory Porter, Blondie, Lenny Kravitz, The Shires, Manic Street Preachers, Mick Hucknall and Beverley Knight.
Hosts
- Chris Evans
- Jo Whiley
- Michael Ball
- Simon Mayo
- Ken Bruce
- Johnnie Walker
- Zoe Ball
- Claudia Winkleman
- Jeremy Vine
- Trevor Nelson
- Vanessa Feltz
- Clare Balding
- Tony Blackburn
- Bob Harris
- Sara Cox
- Mark Radcliffe
- Clare Teal
- Angela Scanlon
- OJ Borg
- Dermot O'Leary
- Suzi Perry
- Anneka Rice
- Gary Davies
- Ricky Wilson
- Richie Anderson
Performers
Live in Hyde Park 2011
The inaugural festival in a day was held on 11 September 2011. Lionel Richie was originally set to headline the event but was forced to cancel due to ill health.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Gary Barlow | Pop, Adult Contemporary | Sing |
| Chic | Disco, Funk | N/A |
| The Pierces | Psychedelic Folk, Pop Rock | You & I |
| James Blunt | Pop Rock, Folk Rock | Some Kind of Trouble |
| Imelda May | Rockabilly, Rock and Roll | Mayhem |
| Lenny Kravitz | Rock, Funk Rock | Black and White America |
| Jonathan Jeremiah | Soul | A Solitary Man |
| Will Young | Adult Contemporary, Synth-pop, Disco | Echoes |
| Caro Emerald | Jazz Pop, Electro Swing | Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor |
| Beverley Knight | Soul, R&B, Neo Soul | Soul UK |
| Bellowhead | Folk, Folk Rock, Folk Jazz | Hedonism |
| Jools Holland and his Orchestra | Rhythm and Blues, Jump Blues, Swing | Finding The Keys |
Live in Hyde Park 2012
The 2012 festival in a day was held on 9 September.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Tom Jones | Pop rock | N/A |
| Status Quo | Hard Rock, Blues Rock | Quid Pro Quo |
| Emeli Sandé | R&B, Soul | Our Version of Events |
| Jessie J | Pop, R&B, Dance | Who You Are |
| Paloma Faith | Pop, Soul, R&B, Jazz Pop | Fall to Grace |
| Rebecca Ferguson | R&B, Blue-eyed Soul | Heaven |
| Average White Band | Pop Rock, Funk | N/A |
| Mick Hucknall | Pop, Blue-eyed Soul | American Soul |
| The Band Perry | Country | Pioneer |
| Katzenjammer | Balkan, Country Rock | A Kiss Before You Go |
| Angela Barnes | Comedy | N/A |
Live in Hyde Park 2013
The 2013 festival in a day was held on 8 September.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Smokey Robinson | Blue-eyed Soul, Jazz | Smokey & Friends |
| Jessie J | Pop, R&B, Dance | Alive |
| James Blunt | Pop Rock, Folk Rock | Moon Landing |
| Josh Groban | Adult Contemporary, Operatic Pop | All That Echoes |
| Manic Street Preachers | Punk Rock, Alternative Rock | Rewind the Film |
| Jack Johnson | Folk Rock, Surf Rock, Soft Rock | From Here to Now to You |
| Texas | Alternative Rock, Britpop | The Conversation |
| Jamie Cullum | Jazz, Swing, Jazz Pop | Momentum |
| Simple Minds | Rock, New Wave, Post-punk | Big Music |
| Treacherous Orchestra | Celtic Fusion, Folk Rock | Origins |
Live in Hyde Park 2014
The 2014 festival in a day was held on 14 September.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Jeff Lynne's ELO | Symphonic Pop, Art Rock | Alone in the Universe |
| Blondie | New Wave, Pop Rock | Ghosts of Download |
| Billy Ocean | Rhythm and Blues, Soul | Here You Are |
| Paloma Faith | Blue-eyed Soul, R&B, Pop | A Perfect Contradiction |
| Gregory Porter | Jazz, Soul | Liquid Spirit |
| Kacey Musgraves | Country, Americana | Same Trailer Different Park |
| Bellowhead | Folk, Folk Rock, Folk Jazz | Revival |
| Chrissie Hynde | Rock, Punk rock, New Wave | Stockholm |
Live in Hyde Park 2015
The 2015 festival in a day was held on 13 September.The line-up was revealed by Chris Evans between 8 and 12 June.
| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Rod Stewart | Pop Rock, Blue-eyed Soul, Blues Rock | Another Country |
| Giorgio Moroder | Electronic, Synth-pop, Disco | Deja Vu |
| Bryan Adams | Rock | Get Up |
| The Corrs | Alternative Rock, Celtic Fusion, Pop Rock | White Light |
| Leona Lewis | R&B, Soul, Pop, Adult Contemporary | I Am |
| Kate Rusby | Folk | The Frost Is All Over |
| Will Young | Pop, Synth-pop, Soul, Adult Contemporary | 85% Proof |
| Shaun Escoffery | R&B | In The Red Room |
| Ward Thomas and The Shires | Country, Country Pop | From Where We Stand and Brave |
Live in Hyde Park 2016
The 2016 festival in a day was be held on 11 September. It also featured a DJ set by Craig Charles and a special edition of PopMaster with Ken Bruce.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Elton John | Pop Rock, Rhythm and Blues | Wonderful Crazy Night |
| Madness | Ska, New Wave, 2 Tone | Can't Touch Us Now |
| Status Quo | Folk Rock, Acoustic | |
| Gregory Porter | Soul, Jazz, Blues | Take Me to the Alley |
| LeAnn Rimes | Country Pop, Pop | Remnants |
| Jamie Lawson | Folk-Pop, Acoustic | Jamie Lawson |
| Andreya Triana | Soul, Jazz, R&B | Giants |
| Travis | Soft Rock, Post-Britpop | Everything at Once |
Live in Hyde Park 2017
The 2017 festival in a day was held on 10 September. The line-up was announced on 6 June by Chris Evans, with tickets for the event going on sale on 8 June. Between the main acts, the festival also featured a special edition of PopMaster with Ken Bruce, Claudia Winkleman and Zoe Ball, Sounds of the 80s with Sara Cox, A Question of Radio 2 with Clare Balding, Jeremy Vine, Fearne Cotton, Jon Culshaw and Rev. Kate Bottley plus live DJ sets from Craig Charles and Ana Matronic.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Take That | Pop, Adult Contemporary | Wonderland |
| Blondie | New Wave, Pop Rock | Pollinator |
| Shania Twain | Country Pop | Now |
| James Blunt | Pop Rock, Folk Rock | The Afterlove |
| Emeli Sandé | R&B, Soul, Neo Soul | Long Live the Angels |
| Rick Astley | Dance Pop, Adult Contemporary | 50 |
| Seth Lakeman and Wildwood Kin | Folk, Americana | Ballads of the Broken Few and Turning Tide |
| Stereophonics | Alternative Rock | Scream Above the Sounds |
Live in Hyde Park 2018
The 2018 festival in a day was held on 9 September. Carrie Underwood was originally scheduled to perform but had to pull out due to illness and was replaced by The Shires. The festival featured a special edition of PopMaster with Ken Bruce and Sara Cox and Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies plus a DJ set from Craig Charles. During the headline set, Rick Astley and Jason Donovan appeared as special guests.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Kylie Minogue | Pop, Dance, Disco | Golden |
| Manic Street Preachers | Alternative Rock | Resistance Is Futile |
| Boyzone | Adult Contemporary | Thank You & Goodnight |
| The Shires | Country Pop | Accidentally on Purpose |
| All Saints | R&B, Pop | Testament |
| The Band of Love | Folk, Disco | Folk Fever |
| Rita Ora | Pop, R&B | Phoenix |
| Lenny Kravitz | Rock, Funk Rock | Raise Vibration |
Live in Hyde Park 2019
The 2019 festival in a day was held on 15 September. Two acts were announced each day by Zoe Ball starting on Monday 3 June 2019, with the headliners being revealed on Thursday 6 June. Emeli Sandé was originally scheduled to perform but cancelled on the day due to having lost her voice. Her set was replaced by a Craig Charles DJ set. There was also a DJ set from Gary Davies. During the headlining set, Olly Alexander and Beverley Knight appeared as special guests.| Artist | Genre | Promoting |
| Pet Shop Boys | Electronic, Synth Pop, New Wave | Dreamland |
| Westlife | Adult Contemporary | Spectrum |
| Status Quo | Rock | Backbone |
| Clean Bandit | Electronic, Classical Crossover, Dance Pop | What Is Love? |
| Bananarama | Dance Pop, New Wave, Disco | In Stereo |
| Kelsea Ballerini | Country Pop | Unapologetically |
| Simply Red | Funk, Soul, Sophisti-pop, Blue-eyed Soul | Blue Eyed Soul |