During Mumford & Sons’ spectacular BST Hyde Park 2026 headline show, it was hard to keep track of all the breathtaking moments as the British troubadours treated the packed-out crowd to hit after hit and special guest after special guest.

But while Shania Twain's blockbuster appearance - barely an hour after she left the stage at Wembley Stadium as support for Harry Styles - rightly took the headlines, we wanted to highlight one of the most touching points in Mumford & Sons’ performance.

When bringing out folk trailblazer Hozier for two spellbinding duets of ‘Rubber Band Man’ and ‘Awake My Soul’, the Mumford & Sons frontman, Marcus Mumford, shared his deep-seated appreciation for Hozier's support and friendship over the years.

Marcus began by joking about how Hozier has been enjoying a well-deserved resurgence in popularity in the 2020's, following a lengthy break, “It's not just you, we're all having a Hozier moment at the moment”, before gushing, “This man has shown phenomenal kindness to me as a friend, to us as friends and to us as a band”.

Marcus explained how Hozier has been someone he and his band-mates, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, have always been able to count on, outlining, “He's shown up for us whenever we've played with him, and we didn't even have to plead this time, he was just up for it. He's the kindest man I know in music. Give it up for Hozier”.

Hozier, who was visibly moved at the kind words from Marcus, emphasised that he relishes any opportunity he gets to sing with the ‘Little Lion Man’ hitmakers, fondly stressing, “That's the highest praise, there is no higher praise. It's an honour to be here, and any time we get to sing together, it's such a joy. I'm so proud of you”.

Marcus expressed similar sentiments during the group's performance of ‘Rubber Band Man’ with Hozier on The Graham Norton Show, underlining his immense gratitude to the ‘Take Me to Church’ crooner for taking the time to support their collaboration.

‘Rubber Band Man’, released in October 2025 as the lead single from Mumford & Sons’ brilliant, folk-driven new album, Prizefighter, is quickly establishing itself as a touchstone for the band's post-hiatus revival. It pivots around soaring yet expertly pared-down harmonies, with the addition of Hozier's gentle, undulating vocals in the second verse only accentuating the emotional depth of the song.

Similarly, getting to hear Hozier perform ‘Awake My Soul’ during Mumford & Sons’ BST Hyde Park set - their first in ten years - gave the already-haunting track an extra sense of ethereality, with this serving as one of the most visceral performances in the set.

This sweet tribute from Marcus Mumford - and Hozier's generous words in return - highlights how the modern wave of folk artists are building a reputation for being some of the kinder and less problematic stars of today. The likes of Mumford & Sons, Hozier, Noah Kahan and The Lumineers are all regularly championed as being genuinely thoughtful and conscientious humans in the modern music industry. And when you compare this to how frustratingly easy it is to stumble across an artist that has some kind of ongoing controversy or accusation in adjacent genres, it's undoubtedly refreshing when the artist is as warm-hearted as the art.