The day also saw performances from 070 Shake, The Japanese House and more
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY HENRY REDCLIFFE
Taking place in the iconic Victoria Park, LIDO Festival day four (14 June) saw acts like 070 Shake, The Japanese House and Charli XCX crank up the heat on an already incredibly sweaty day. Other acts included party girl Rose Gray, American singer The Dare and powerhouse Yseult. With thumping basslines acting as the soundtrack of the day, something was very apparent: Charli XCX’s highly anticipated LIDO Festival day was for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Before you even reached the venue, the sound of carabiners flowing the wind, jorts rustling and lighters clicking acted like birdsong in Hackney. Almost everywhere you looked, sapphics were snogging sapphics, resplendent in neon green. You couldn’t walk without bumping into a gay icon like I Kissed A Girl’s Amy Spalding or catching a glimpse of supermodel Alex Consani having the time of her life in the VIP pit.
Under a blazing sun, queer icon 070 Shake got the crowd jumping almost instantly with her effortless swagger and cool persona. The rapper had the kind of stage presence that made it impossible not to listen, even when she was telling you to mosh at four in the afternoon. With a mix of bangers and slower songs, the set was everything the festival needed to kick the day into action.
From the main stage to The Club tent, LIDO transformed into a sweaty ball of delight for Rose Gray’s highly anticipated set. With red lighting and a whole lot of excited bodies pushed together, the crowd moved as one as the electropop princess commanded the stage. In the suffocating heat, it was easy to become entranced with the catchy beats and headbanging tracks.
As the sky turned dark, there was a palpable buzz in the air. It tingled in neon green around the park. On the main stage, the BRAT curtain blew in the summer breeze and carnage broke loose as queer icon and ally Charli XCX came on stage.
It’s an impressive feat for any performer to command a main stage alone. It’s a more impressive feat to make it look as effortless as Charli did. Moving through her acclaimed BRAT album with a ferocious pace, the crowd could barely catch their breath as she danced, twerked and jumped around the stage. At one point, she even went down to the crowd to perform her hit song Von Dutch.
For so many queer people, Charli’s music has been a place to escape. She’s been the sound of our club venues, our house parties, our walks home. Her work with trans trailblazer and icon SOPHIE transformed hyperpop. As Charli moved through tracks like 360 to her hit song from the Barbie movie Speed Drive, it was impossible to not jump along and dance like no one was watching. That is just how Charli makes people feel.
Closing the night, Charli blasted her beloved track I Love It, the perfect crescendo for a top-tier performance. Maybe Brat summer really is forever.
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