Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Stevie Wonder Brings BST Hyde Park To Triumphant Close With Soulful Set

Forbes

4 hours ago

BST25 Stevie Wonder @ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY @ISHASHAHPHOTOGRAPHY
Stevie Wonder closed the British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park festival on Saturday night with an unforgettable night of song which spread a much-needed feeling of pure joy through the 65,000 strong crowd.
Wonder's memorable performance at BST Hyde Park was part of his Love, Light and Song UK tour, and he set the tone of love and peace by telling the crowd: 'We've been through the hate; love is far bigger.'
'I want to give you some sense of why I decided to call this tour Love, Light and Song. You know I've had the pleasure of living through various discoveries, including Braille. I hope that those creators will continue to do it. Because every single person who is blind should be able to see in their own way.' Stevie Wonder
BST STEVIE WONDER @BETHANMILLERCO @BETHANMILLERCO
Style and Soul: Wonder's Iconic Look and Playful Wit
Timelessly stylish with a Rock n'Roll edge, Wonder rocked a black beret, bejewelled sunglasses and a bespoke white tunic embroidered with portraits of iconic musicians John Lennon and Marvin Gaye.
Apart from captivating the crowd with his exquisite voice, Wonder revealed his sharp wit, welcoming the crowd with a London-accented 'hello' and cracking jokes in a mock Cockney accent in the style of Dick Van Dyke in My Fair Lady . Wonder gestured at the embroidered faces on his tunic, saying the musicians' names but inadvertently pointing to the wrong face, before joking: 'Sorry y'all, I'm blind you know.'
Setting the Tone: A Message of Peace and Positivity
Kicking off with Love's In Need of Love Today , Wonder attributed the song to the fragility of the world today, saying: 'We've been through the hate, (but) love is far bigger. We need–in a time when this planet is too angry–light. So, I want to start off with a song off that you would by now know.'
Wonder's poignant words led to an unexpected cover of John Lennon's Imagine , setting the precedent for an uplifting and emotional night celebrating music, family and joy. Wonder added: 'It's not about your religion, it's about your relationship. Love you too!'
Wonder's performance–his first UK performance since playing BST in 2019–turned out to be the closing night of the three-week long American Express presents BST Hyde Park festival after ELO's Jeff Lynne announced he could not perform on Sunday evening.
BST STEVIE WONDER @BETHANMILLERCO @BETHANMILLERCO
A Family Affair: Children Share the Stage and the Spotlight
The show was a family affair and Wonder was brought out on stage by two of his children–son Kayland and daughter Aisha (for whom Isn't She Lovely is written)–before performing an epic two-hour set full of hit songs. Stevie's son and daughter both stepped into the limelight during the set to perform stunning solos, with Wonder's son Kailand Morris performing I Can Only Be Me after lamenting the negative impact of social media on today's young generation, and daughter Aisha singing a cover of Nancy Wilson's Save Your Love for Me .
Much to the delight of the crowd, Wonder sang his iconic hit Happy Birthday to his 13-year-old daughter Zaiah Morris, which prompted a mass singalong, creating a moment of pure joy in Hyde Park.
One of the best-selling and most-awarded artists of all time, Wonder has sold over 100 million records and won 25 Grammy Awards (more than any other artist), including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. Wonder was a child prodigy and signed to Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first number one hit single–Fingertips–at the age of 13 and went on to amass 49 Top Forty singles and 32 number one singles.
The word legend is overused but is totally apt when applied to Stevie Wonder, a true musical icon whose pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, R&B, soul and pop makes him one of the most influential musicians of the 20thCentury. At the age of 75 years, Wonder shows no signs of slowing down, and his voice–projected across Hyde Park to the mesmerised crowd–was as honey-toned and powerful as ever.
He delivered a heart-warming set featuring hit after hit from his six-decade archive of music, and the set was interspersed with witty one-liners from Wonder, such as 'So Just 'Chillax as they would say in America. Just chill. Lose your dollar bill.'
Legends Remembered: Tribute to Sly Stone with Corinne Bailey Rae
Highlights of the epic two-hour set–which kicked off Love's In Need of Love Today followed I Wish and Isn't She Lovely featuring a harmonica solo–included a cameo from British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae who joined Wonder in a heartfelt duet of Everybody Is A Star, in tribute to the late funk legend Sly Stone who passed away in June.
BST STEVIE WONDER & CORINNE BAILEY RAE @BETHANMILLERCO @BETHANMILLERCO
'Unfortunately we've lost so many great talents. And so much great music has come from those people. Tonight we want to acknowledge and remember the life of Sly Stone. So Corinne, myself and some of my people are gonna do a song tonight.' Stevie Wonder
Rae performed earlier on the Great Oak stage and has been supporting Wonder on his UK tour.
Against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset descending on Hyde Park during a summer heatwave, Wonder launched into Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely and I Just Called To Say I Love You, before a rousing incredible finale of Superstition followed by Always and Another Star .
Wonder introduced his penultimate song Superstition with the words 'We've got to do this one', and the funky riff was so contagious it penetrated the crowd like a Tsumani and everybody danced under the warm summer sky.
Culminating with Another Star– joined by his guest singers at front of stage–the energetic 75-year-old was the ultimate Showman, not wanting the gig to stop he said: 'I know we've got to go but we're gonna keep this party going.'
BST Ezra Collective @photosbychloeh Chloe Hashemi @photosbychloeh Chloe Hashemi
The Perfect Warm-Up: Ezra Collective Brings the Fire
Brit Award and Mercury Prize winning British band Ezra Collective set the stage for Stevie Wonder with an energy-filled, all guns blazing performance full of magical keys, sublime saxophone and dazzling drumming. The London jazz quartet delivered their unique blend of jazz and afrobeat.
Ezra Collective frontman Femi Koleoso, told the crowd how special it was to open up for Wonder, and delivered a message of love and hope which set a precedent for Wonder's hope-filled set.
'In 2018 I bought tickets for Stevie Wonder. I was with all my best mates and we danced to Stevie Wonder all night, and it was the best gig I've seen — to this day — in my life. It would be an honour to contribute to the dancefloor for one of the greatest musicians of all time… And to be doing it in London.' Femi Koleoso
BST EZRA COLLECTIVE @BETHANMILLERCO @BETHANMILLERCO
Ezra Collective got the crowd on their feet with uplifting tunes Shaking Body , Wish I Didn't Miss You and Femi Kuti Tune culminating in their dancefloor hit God Gave Me Feet .
'Signed, Sealed, Delivered': A Soul-Stirring Close to BST 2025
Wonder's memorable performance was the perfect ending to two weeks of sellout concerts at BST Hyde Park–ranging from young pop stars Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter to living legends Neil Young and Yusuf Cat Stevens–proving that nothing beats live music for an experience that unites generations and crosses cultural divides.
It sounds like a cliché, but Wonder really does possess an other-worldly gift from a higher being that enables him to spread so much love and joy at a time when the world is so full of pain.
Music That Heals: Why Stevie Wonder Still Matters
This truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime gig and Wonder was the ultimate performer, delivering a set that took the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from soulful ballads like Isn't She Lovely , to rousing dance tracks Superstition and Master Blaster (Jammin') . A flawless performance from his band–comprised of four backing singer, four horns, two drummers, two keys players and two guitarists–added to the groove and musicianship, making this a night to remember.
During more than two hours of musical magic and Wonder, Signed, Sealed and Delivered. Wonder's words summed it up: 'Are we good? Are we all having a good time? You damn well better be.'