Raye to Headline BST Hyde Park With Sienna Spiro as Opener

By Daniel Okafor

BST Hyde Park announced that Raye will headline its London festival on Saturday, July 10, with Sienna Spiro as the first announced opener. Tickets for the summer festival go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on Nov. 10, according to the festival.

Raye is the second headliner announced for BST Hyde Park. Bon Jovi will headline on Thursday, June 24. The festival takes place over several weeks this summer, and more openers for Raye’s July 10 show will follow.

What does Raye bring to BST Hyde Park?

BST Hyde Park’s announcement calls the booking a “major homecoming moment” for London-born Raye. She started her career as a songwriter before releasing her acclaimed debut album, “My 21st Century Blues,” in 2023.

Her second album, “This Music May Contain Hope,” arrived earlier this year. It won Raye the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize and delivered the hit single “Where Is My Husband!” The booking combines a major prize win with a return to her home city.

The BST Hyde Park announcement also records:

• Six BRIT Awards, including album of the year and songwriter of the year.
• The Ivor Novello songwriter of the year prize.
• Three Grammy nominations.

For a singer whose career began as a songwriter, the move to BST Hyde Park’s main stage makes the homecoming formal as well as geographic. The résumé is unusually dense; on paper, at least, the headline has little left to prove.

How does Sienna Spiro fit the bill?

BST Hyde Park’s announcement presents 21-year-old Spiro as a “rising star” with a powerful voice and songwriting wise beyond her years. Her first album, “Visitor,” was the biggest debut album of the year in the U.K. It has also received gold certification from the RIAA (the recording-industry certification body).

Raye brings the trophy; Spiro brings the record. At 21, Spiro arrives with the sales evidence to justify a Hyde Park slot, even though the festival has placed her in the opening role. The announcement names her as a special guest and the first opener.

BST Hyde Park also identifies Spiro as a frontrunner for the best new artist Grammy. She is currently embarking on her worldwide “My House” tour before taking the stage at BST Hyde Park. That gives the opening slot weight before the remaining lineup is complete.

When do tickets go on sale?

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on Nov. 10. BST Hyde Park directs prospective buyers to its website for more ticket and presale information. The festival did not publish ticket prices in the announcement.

That is the practical next step for fans, but the more consequential one is organizational: the festival still has more of its summer bill to announce. Spiro sets the standard for the remaining openers. The booking needs to match it.