Underneath the star-studded sky of Leicester, an emotionally overwhelmed Kylie Minogue stood before the colossal crowd of 35,000 spectators, commanding a triumphant close for Radio 2 in the Park with a hit-riddled performance. Post her 65-minute marathon of a 15-song set list, she was filled with nothing but adoration for the electrifying crowd. “You’re spectacular,” she declared.
This vibrant affair marked the rekindling of Radio 2’s yearly live event, after four years of its absence due to the pandemic and event cancellations following the death of Queen Elizabeth II the previous year. The weekend event in Leicester was the inaugural expansion of the festival to a two-day celebration, relocating from London for the first time since its inception in 2011.
Dazzling in a shimmery blue ensemble, Kylie swept onto the stage, accompanied by an array of purple-clad dancers. She plunged into her fan-favorite tracks Spinning Around, In Your Eyes, and On A Night Like This, embraced by the roaring applause. Gratitude warmly filled her as she thanked Rick Astley, her former Stock Aitken Waterman label-mate, for donning a t-shirt featuring her debut album cover during his appearance earlier.
Age is but a number for Kylie; at 55, her unparalleled enthusiasm for performing is still as visible as ever. As the only woman in UK chart history to bag number one albums across five consecutive decades, she could jubilantly celebrate the end of this summer season with her stirring comeback song Padam Padam, now a cultural landmark even echoed in Hansard during a parliamentary debate.
However, the audience breathlessly awaited her summer hit during a set heavily featuring her upcoming album, Tension. The title track, also her current single, stood out with its enthusiastic welcome, along with the debut of dance anthem ‘Hold on to Now’ amplified by an explosion of confetti.
Special guests always add an extra dash of excitement. While her former Neighbours co-star, Jason Donovan’s surprise stage appearance during a 2018 event sparked emotional nostalgia, this year, Jessie Ware stirred a wave of dancing through the crowd with their duet from a 2021 collaboration, Kiss of Life.
The crowd resonated with her nostalgia trip to 1988 single The Loco-motion, as they found themselves stranded due to train cancellations caused by lightning. Kylie then departed after a stirring rendition of Kids, leaving the stage in darkness. Upon her return, the crowd was greeted with the murmuring introduction of Padam Padam as she graced the stage in her fiery red outfit.
The audience revelled in her iconic hits, with Can’t Get You Out of My Head inducing an overpowering sing-along and her wrap-up performance of All The Lovers sending a wave of euphoria. After bidding her goodnights with her red chiffon shawl swirling in the air, Kylie awaits her Las Vegas residency from November 3 at the Venetian Hotel.
The day was filled with unforgettable moments beyond Kylie, with James Blunt crowd-surfing on an inflatable dinghy and Tears for Fears’ opening of Head Over Heals eliciting joyous tears from a Donnie Darko-obsessed teenage girl – just a few high points in the grand spectacle of Radio 2 Party in the Park.
