Just a year on from their 2025 album Rushmere, Mumford & Sons returned with their sixth studio album Prizefighter in February, featuring songs written in the gap since Winston Marshall’s departure five years ago. Including four collaborations with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Marcus, Ben and Ted are back on tour and were delighted to return home to London for BST Hyde Park last night.
Licking up the sunshine, the trio took to the stage with their backing band, complete with brass section, and kicked off around 8:30pm with Begin Again from their new record. Sporting large sunnies and beaming, Marcus was clearly delighted to be there and after the first track declared, “After all this time, in our hometown, we didn’t come to f*** around…” before launching into fan favourite I Will Wait, causing mass jig dancing across the mammoth crowd.
A few songs in and Marcus welcomed on “the kindest man in music”, Hozier, to sing his duet from Prizefighter, Rubber Band Man and follow up with Awake. The energy kept up throughout, with Little Lion Man unsurprisingly going down a storm, before a five-track encore began with Rushmere and an incredible surprise cameo from Shania Twain, fresh from literally opening for Harry Styles at Wembley an hour prior.
The age-defying 60-year-old looked thrilled to perform the country-inspired Here and her iconic Man I Feel Like a Woman with help from Marcus. Concluding with what else but a trumpet and banjo-infused The Cave, an epic firework display took off behind the stage, making up for a disappointingly bare set made up of belt buckle-like imprints inspired by the lighter on Prizefighter’s cover. A delightful night at the Great Oak Stage.