Since 2013, BST Hyde Park has brought major headliners ranging from The Rolling Stones to Sabrina Carpenter to the historic London park first established by Henry VIII more than 500 years ago. <\/strong><\/p>\n For the opening night of the 2026 edition, American country icon Garth Brooks made his long-awaited return to the UK, creating such phenomenal demand that extra tickets had to be released. The result was the most attended event in BST Hyde Park\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Support across the day came from a strong country-leaning bill, including Ashley McBryde, who marked her ninth consecutive BST appearance, and Jackson Dean, whose set included \u201cDon\u2019t Come Lookin\u2019,\u201d familiar to many from Yellowstone<\/em>.<\/p>\n Main support came from Zac Brown Band. Given the band\u2019s Georgia roots and country-rock pedigree, a cover of The Charlie Daniels Band\u2019s \u201cThe Devil Went Down to Georgia\u201d felt inevitable. Yet it was their own material that left the strongest impression, from the emotional pull of \u201cHard Run\u201d to the instant, easygoing singalong of \u201cChicken Fried,\u201d a song about simple pleasures and enjoying a beer on a Friday night. It may not have been Friday, but Hyde Park was more than ready to oblige.<\/p>\n Having not played in the UK for almost 30 years, Brooks was always going to receive a huge ovation when he finally took to the stage. He immediately set the tone by promising a night built around hits and classic covers rather than new material. For an artist who has sold more than 170 million records and has multiple Diamond-certified albums to his name, the challenge was never what to play, but what to leave out.<\/p>\n Despite his long absence from the UK, Brooks connected with the Hyde Park crowd instantly. During \u201cTwo Pi\u00f1a Coladas,\u201d he worked London into the lyrics, making the capital feel \u201cmore and more like home.\u201d By the time \u201cThe Thunder Rolls\u201d arrived midway through the set, Brooks had fully settled into the British mood, even mentioning the weather, which felt appropriate after the early threat of sea-spray-like drizzle had finally passed.<\/p>\n Brooks\u2019 greatest strength was his ability to shift between spectacle and intimacy. One moment he had the crowd on their feet; the next, he held Hyde Park with only an acoustic guitar and the reflective sentiment of \u201cUnanswered Prayers,\u201d including the line, \u201csome of God\u2019s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n He was equally effective when sharing the spotlight with his band. Several of his musicians, affectionately referred to as his \u201cG-Men,\u201d have recorded and toured with him since 1988, and Brooks\u2019 trust in them was evident. Guitarist Gordon Kennedy was given his own moment to perform \u201cChange the World,\u201d the Eric Clapton hit he co-wrote, adding another layer of warmth and musicianship to the evening.<\/p>\n With 16 studio albums behind him, the inclusion of several covers might have suggested a lack of faith in his own catalogue. In practice, it did nothing of the sort. Billy Joel has long been a key influence on Brooks, making \u201cShameless\u201d and \u201cPiano Man\u201d both fitting and warmly received. Elsewhere, his interpretation of songs such as Dewayne Blackwell\u2019s \u201cFriends in Low Places\u201d proved how fully he has made them his own. As a closing number, it felt inevitable.<\/p>\n Brooks did not hide from his age, nor did he let it slow him down. As promised, he came to \u201craise hell,\u201d and the former Oklahoma State University javelin competitor\u2019s stamina remained impressive throughout. Yet the most touching aspect of the night was not simply the record-breaking attendance or the scale of his return, but the sense that Brooks has achieved all of this while remaining entirely himself.<\/p>\n At Hyde Park, he delivered a generous, heartfelt and hugely entertaining show that opened BST 2026 in spectacular style.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"garth](\"https:\/\/www.xsnoize.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/credit-trevorgeorge03-1.jpg\" "\\"LIVE")
![\"garth](\"https:\/\/www.xsnoize.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/garth-brooks.jpg\" "\\"LIVE")