Brian Kelley Brings the Florida Heat to the O2 Arena with C2C Festival 2024 Performance

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

Photo by Kendall Wilson

After an incredible first day at C2C Festival 2024, it's safe to say the expectations were high as the main arena performances kicked off on Day 2 of the UK country extravaganza.

Brian Kelley ensured the momentum from Friday rolled straight into Saturday, with the bearded crooner charging onto the stage with the hunger and ferocity of a man that has something to prove.

Of course, as the former Floridian half of chart-topping, Diamond-selling duo, Florida Georgia Line, BK has already secured virtually every accolade there is in the genre - but now that he's doing it solo, there's an additional sense of vigour and determination as he strides across the o2 stage.

Since his set at Jags Country UK in September, Brian Kelley has shifted further away from the sun-soaked, beachside ambience that pervaded his much-loved debut solo album, Sunshine State of Mind. He continues to showcase another side to his artistry, with the ‘Don't Take Much’ singer-songwriter offering C2C Festival 2024 attendees a preview of his sophomore record, Tennessee Truth, which arrives on May 10.

Adorned in triple-denim, Brian Kelley opened his set with the raucous, electrifying anthem, ‘How We've Livin’, before rattling through two unreleased tracks, ‘Acres’ and ‘King Ranch’, both of which serve as heartwarming tributes to BK's wife, Brittney.

The fact that the duo's endearing, rose-tinted romance remains a pivotal muse throughout Brian Kelley's set highlights how, even though he's no longer restricting himself to the ‘Beach Cowboy’ persona of Sunshine State of Mind, this new music is still authentic to him. Epitomising the personal nature of the performance was the blazing middle-finger anthem, ‘Kiss My Boots’, which documents a betrayal.

Nonetheless, the atmosphere Brian Kelley instilled throughout the o2 Arena was unquestionably one of jubilance and joy, with BK lacing a mood of celebration into his setlist.

Whether he was toasting the simple life on ‘Dirt Cheap’, paying tribute to his real-life love story on ‘Boat Names’ or huddling round a sandy bonfire with his buddies on ‘Party On The Beach’, Brian Kelley took the audience on a soothing, scenic drive through the sticks, before offering them a glimpse at the crystal clear blue of the ocean.

‘Beach Cowboy’, Brian Kelley's light-hearted theme-tune, was certainly one of the stand-out moments in a set filled with arena-sized hooks and infused with BK's amiable charm.

As he exited the stage to the outro of his recent single, ‘See You Next Summer’, Brian Kelley's UK fans were left hoping they'll get to see him again a lot sooner than the song suggests.

For more on C2C Festival 2024, see below:

Brian Kelley

Artist