Solace, Stardom & Stand-Up: Noah Kahan Confirms His Status as the New King of Folk with Phenomenal BST Hyde Park 2025 Set

Nowadays, it's common to see fans commenting on celebrities’ posts, gushing, “We made the right person famous”, whenever they do something remotely sweet or generous.

Sometimes, this can feel forced or even hyperbolic. In the case of folk megastar Noah Kahan, though, there's no shadow of a doubt that he deserves every inch of his spotlight.

Noah Kahan's BST Hyde Park 2025 set was a spectacle in the truest sense. There were moments of sheer elation, hilarity and euphoria nimbly interwoven with heavy, emotional portions of the set that had 65,000 fans clinging onto their loved ones.

One of the dizzying highs came early in the set, when Noah Kahan brought out Gracie Abrams for ‘Everywhere, Everything’. With Abrams opening for Kahan, this duet was somewhat expected, but still sent a ripple of excitement fizzling through the crowd.

Later, when Noah Kahan emerged on-stage in a Chelsea FC shirt and proceeded to do Cole Pamer signature shivering celebration to a chorus of light-hearted boos, you couldn't help but laugh. Kahan has become uniquely adept at balancing the depth and vulnerability of his music with refreshing doses of levity and comedy throughout his set - such as the now-iconic moment when Kahan tells the crowd, “Put your hands in the air!” before quipping, “Now give me all your money!” Or when he introduces his newer, less familiar material by joking that now is the perfect time to go to the loo or take a break from his show.

Partway through his encore rendition of ‘Northern Attitude’, the lights dimmed, before returning to display another figure donning a Chelsea shirt and a Noah Kahan wig...Lewis Capaldi!

After Capaldi's heartwarming return to the stage at Glastonbury last week, Hyde Park greeted his unexpected ‘Northern Attitude’ cameo - complete with a soul-stirring rendition of Hozier's yell - with a jubilant, celebratory chorus of screams and cheers.

Kahan watched on with pride, underlining after Capaldi had left the stage just how delighted he was to see his friend making his way back to music after a difficult few years.

And it was this spirit, more so than the infectious, soaring choruses, the evocative lyrics and the dazzling guest-list, that underlines why Noah Kahan is the modern-day star we needed. The Vermont native has become an inspiring force for good and a beacon of light, particularly for those struggling with their mental health.

A stone's throw from BST Hyde Park's Great Oak Stage, Noah Kahan had his ever-present Busyhead Project Action Village stall, which invites attendees to write messages of affirmation to one another, as well as offering information on mental health initiatives.

Kahan founded the Busyhead Project in 2023, and during his We'll All Be Here Forever Tour, he raised more than $2.5 million to help provide better mental health care.

It's evident this isn't a mere PR-orchestrated or image-oriented move, because Kahan has placed mental health at the heart of his music and his brand ever since his 2019 debut, Busyhead. It's a core theme that can be found at various points in his setlist, but none more visceral than his stirring duet of ‘Call Your Mom‘ with Gigi Perez.

Penned as a letter to a friend considering taking their life, Gigi Perez felt like the perfect duet partner for this song, with the ‘Sailor Song’ hitmaker delving into the issue of heartbreak and the grief of suddenly losing her sister throughout her music. As they performed it, you could see the look of care and encouragement etched across Noah Kahan's face as he watched Perez deliver this moving tribute.

He heartwarmingly introduced ‘Call Your Mom’ with an homage to his mother, who was in the crowd and was subsequently cheered by the audience, “My mum is here today. My mum used to drive me all around where we grew up to play to absolutely nobody. She got me through everything in life and my career. She would reassure me that one day I would have my chance… This song is for your mum, from me”.

While Kahan somewhat playfully promised at the start of the show to make everyone feel “unhappy” over the course of his set, this was an evening that exuded warmth, comfort and camaraderie - from the undulating, sing-a-long choruses of ‘She Calls Me Back’, ‘Dial Drunk’, ‘All My Love’ and - of course - ‘Stick Season’, to the cosy, ethereal folk balladry of ’Orange Juice’ and ‘Strawberry Wine’.

Some ticket-holders had expressed their worries ahead of the show, after Kahan had dropped early fan-favourites such as ‘Maine’ and ‘False Confidence’ from his recent setlists.

Thankfully, it turns out Kahan was just saving them both for this momentous occasion, with each drawing a fervent response from the crowd, as did his impromptu rendition of ‘Strawberry Wine’ - another haunting deep-cut - from the B-stage.

Somehow, amidst these crowd-pleasing throwbacks and his array of surprise guests, Noah Kahan also found room in his setlist to perform a trio of unreleased gems, ‘Deny’, ’Pain is Cold Water’ and ‘The Great Divide’. The fact that most of the audience already knew the words to the latter, which Kahan has been playing in recent months, demonstrates the powerful bond he has formed with his listeners.

As we watched Noah Kahan gaze disbelievingly out at his legions of adoring fans at BST Hyde Park, it felt like seeing an old school-friend you grew up with achieving their dreams.

There's a familiarity Kahan enjoys with his fans, which he consolidates through his amusingly tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating social media presence. It can be trite to say, but in this instance, it couldn't be more accurate - he feels like one of us.

Reflecting on his journey from playing the OMEARA in 2018 to now headlining one of the UK's premier festivals, Kahan endearingly addressed the crowd, “This is gonna be the most f***ing amazing night ever, huh? Hi, my name is Noah Kahan and this is the biggest show I've ever played in my life. I'm from Strafford, Vermont. I came to London and I played a show for 77 people, and it was the greatest day of my life. There's a lot more here tonight. I love this city so much, I love you all!”

Needless the say, the feeling was mutual. And so, as Kahan gleefully skipped off the stage, with the crowd still cheering and whooping deliriously following this once-in-a-lifetime set, there was no question as to what we had just witnessed: the new King of Folk ascending the throne, and accepting his crown with a smile and a wink.

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Featured photo by @sophiajcarey-85