Mighty Hoopla 2024

Mighty Hoopla:

Mighty Hoopla festival has gained a reputation for being one of the most vibrant celebrations of pop music and LGBTQ+ positivity around, and this weekend's 2024 edition was no different. After a huge Saturday, which saw the likes of Nelly Furtado, En Vogue and Bananarama take to the stage, it was now time for the Sunday crowd to show what it's made of; and we were lucky enough to be there to cover the action. A day that was headlined by the incredibly talented Jessie Ware, Rita Ora and Alison Goldfrapp, was started off by the hilarious Taylor Trash. The Pinkies stage was hosted by Taylor all weekend, providing the perfect mix of music and comedy, with the support of the Gold Rush's finest. The mood for the day had been perfectly set, but could the rest of the day keep up with it? 

Beth McCarthy:

Saying Beth McCarthy is one of the most important upcoming artists on the queer scene right now, would still be an understatement. She is one of the most important artists around, full stop. Her music speaks to so many people, on so many personal Ievels, and the conviction these songs are performed live with takes them to a whole new level.

Beth stormed on the stage with palpable energy, which would have only been raised upon her first look out onto the largest opening crowd the Mighty Hoopla main stage has ever seen. She is joined on stage by her insanely talented drummer Michael Turnbull and her mind-blowing guitarist Jess Ayres. Jess had the chance to take centre stage on a number of occasions, and even managed to hold her own against the power of Beth's air guitar.

A Beth McCarthy live show is a multifaceted experience, as whilst the music is top-tier, there is also time for empowering speeches, and hilarious moments (queue adlib performance of 'Heal The World'). In only a half our set, Beth managed to showcase a number of her biggest and best songs. Viral hits like 'IDK How to Talk to Girls' and 'She's Pretty' garnered the huge crowd reactions you would expect, although Beth seemed genuinely (and rather modestly) taken aback by just how loud the response was. This is testament to how universal Beth's music has become, whilst showcasing her enormous progress as an artist over the last few years.

Beth's newest song 'Good B' provided the perfect close to a set that was as entertaining as it was energetic. This song talks on the issues bisexual people face on a day-to-day basis, and you only had to look around the crowd to see how many people felt positively represented by every word.

It feels very easy to jump the gun when calling people big labels such as a 'generational artist" but after a performance this good it feels impossible not to label Beth McCarthy as such. The performance was entertaining as it was engaging, and you couldn't help but watch with huge smile on your face.

Bambie Thug:

After Eurovision 2024, Bambie Thug really is the talk of the town. Not only did their performance give Ireland it's highest finish in over 20 years, but Bambie's willingness to speak up about the genocide in Palestine earned her plaudits around the world. All of this contributed to the huge excitement around Bambie Thug's late addition to the line-up, and that was reflected in the huge crowd that turned up to watch. Bambie's set was advertised as 5-minutes long, with them only performing their song 'Doomsday Blue'. With a performer as charismatic as Bambie Thug I am sure this still would have been great, however the moment the intro to 'Tsunami (11:11)' started, it was clear we were getting even more, something the audience was extremely grateful for. 

An energetic first performance saw Bambie joined on stage by two dancers, with the trio using a breakdown in the song to fire water into the crowd through bright pink water guns, providing an amazing contrast when compared with the gothic outfits. Bambie Thug's dynamicity as an artist was on fully display during this showcase performance, as they immediately transitioned from the upbeat opener into the gut-wrenching emotion of upcoming release 'Children Should Be Laughing'. This powerful performances saw Bambie stand tall at the front of the stage, pouring her heart into an emotional song about the genocide in Palestine. Lyrics like "Children should be catching bubbles, not letters from the Sky" really cut deep. This song was finished with roaring cry of "Free Palestine!", which received a rapturous ovation from all in attendance

Bambie's set finished with the now iconic 'Doomsday Blue', and it still baffles me how they manage to switch up from the guttural screams to the stunning vocals SO quickly throughout. That isn't even considering the fact Bambie spend much of the song crowd-surfing and moshing with the audience. You couldn't help but marvel at the musicality on display. This is a performance that will live long in my memory, and it was clear by the response from the crowd at the end, that very much agreed with that point.

The Veronicas:

It has been nearly 10 years since The Veronicas last visit to the UK, but given the size of the crowd, and how loudly every single word was sung back to them, you would have thought they has been born in Brixton itself. The Aussie-pop duo are nothing short of icons within the gay-pop world, and they wear this title with pride.

Lisa and Jessica, who are identical twins, took to the stage like absolute megastars, and from start to finished the crowd treated them as just that, and rightly so. In just half an hour the duo manage to curate the perfect career-spanning setlist, playing songs from their 2005 debut album 'Hook Me Up', all the way up their most recent release 'Gothic Summer'. The response to songs from 'Gothic Summer' was incredible, a real testament to the quality of The Veronicas music and the dedication of their fan base.

Despite playing with no live band, there was no energy missing, as the sisters danced, sang, and screamed their way through a set which seemed to draw as much inspiration from a rock concert as it did a pop one. The majority of the songs played were heavier than their recorded counterparts, and that just added to another special aspect of the live performance.

Ahead of their final song 'Untouched', The Veronicas asked the crowd to "All Rise For The National Anthem", which received a huge ovation. This was then followed by the crowd matching the duo line-for-line, singing along to the entirety of the song in loud voice. There was pyro a-plenty as the crowd entered a frenzy screaming the chorus. This brough one of the finest festival sets I have ever seen to an end, and firmly cements The Veronicas' deep in the ever-growing history of Mighty Hoopla

This really was live music at it's very best. Combining this set with the brilliance that is 'Gothic Summer', clearly shows that nearly two decades into their career, The Veronicas are still at the very forefront of the pop industry.. And this could not be more deserved

JoJo Siwa:

Much has been said about JoJo Siwa in recent months, and in all honesty that is probably something you could have said for the last 10 years, and it would still hold true. This shows just how crazy life in the public eye can be for a child star, but with her set at Mighty Hoopla JoJo Siwa showed how well she has taken it in her stride and used it to become the world- famous performer she is today.

JoJo drew one of the biggest crowds of the entire weekend, meaning the moment opening song 'Karma' began, Brockwell park was electric. Whilst a lot of the performance relied on pre-recorded vocal tracks, this did provide Siwa with a chance to showcase her signature dance moves, something that was well received by all in attendance. JoJo also used this performance as an opportunity to talk passionately about the constant fight for equal rights the LGBTQ+ community faces on a daily basis, as well as the importance of fighting back against online hate. This performance really highlighted JoJo Siwa's self-awareness, maturity, and her quick-witted hilarity

Cat Burns:

The most impressive thing about Mighty Hoopla's booking this year is there are probably 5 or so, acts on the line-up who legitimately could have headlined the whole thing; Cat Burns is definitely one of these. She was the biggest-selling British female artist of 2022 and has already received three Brit award nominations before the age of 23. The magnitude of an artist like Cat Burns playing was not lost on the Hoopla crowd, who turned up in their masses to see this future headliner storm the main stage

Cat Burns looked genuinely taken aback by just how many people were there to watch her, but the second the music hit she was fully in performance mode, delivering an absolute barn burner of a set. She was as charismatic as she is talented, I have no doubt Cat Burns is destined to be playing to audiences this size week-in, week-out. Modern classics like 'go' and 'people pleaser' somehow sounded even
better live, a common theme throughout Cat Burns' entire set

Arkuen:

The first live musical act of the day was the multi-talented Arkuen, who earned his spot at this year's Might Hoopla by winning the Lambeth Sounds Competition. Arkuen creates music that transcends genre, taking inspiration from all over, with notable themes of reggae and R'`n'B. His vocal work throughout the sat was incredible, complimented nicely by his live bandmates, Neil, Jay, and Kiry. The opening few songs were already enough to get the crowd under Queertopia's canopy up and moving, however the moment Arkuen's dancers joined him on stage, the energy skyrocketed.

This entire set was a masterpiece of artistic expression, with every line sung and every move danced showcasing more and more of Arkuen's rich cultural background. The songs were as catchy as they were authentic, and the dance breaks created a palpable energy that made everyone walking past stop in their tracks and come join the party.
 

Supersaurus:

The second live music act of the day, and the other winner of the Lambeth Sounds Competition, were Non-binary fronted indie-pop girl band Supersaurus. The four-piece, made up of Benji James (Vocals), Bec Longbottom (Bass), Tay Lee (Guitar), and Lauren Taylor (Drummer), delivered an electric set of indie-fuelled brilliance that provided the perfect summer listening

The band have already had an exciting 2024 with the release of their newest single 'Wish I'd Never Met You' coming earlier this year, but
the chance to perform at Mighty Hoopla gave Supersaurus one of their biggest chances to showcase their music... and boy did they make good on it.

Benji's Matty Healy-esque vocals flawlessly guided Supersaurus through a performance that showcased a number of their released songs from the last 2 years, and even featured some teases of new music, showing the future is very exciting for Supersaurus

Barrioke:

Shaun Williamson has reached cult status in the UK, not only from his role as Barry from Eastenders, but from his willingness to poke fun at himself since leaving the show. This tongue-in-cheek humour led to the creation of Barrioke, the most ridiculously brilliant show that sees Shawn perform a number of beloved hits, whilst also being joined by number of audience members so they can join in on the karaoke aspect. This sort of eccentric performance is perfect for Might Hoopla, so it is no shock to learn this was Barrioke's second time at the event. Shawn and his show had Pleasure Palace overfilling; such was the demand from the crowd to see the show. After opening the show with a stellar rendition of '(ls This The Way To) Amarillo', Shawn was joined On stage by dozens of brave audience members, and even a special guest appearance from Jedward.

This whole showcase was as brilliantly wild and chaotic as you would expect from such a concept, delivering one of the most entertaining hours Hoopla has ever seen

SIX:

SIX has very quickly become one of the most beloved musicals in West End history, telling the stories of the six wives of Henry VIll, before allowing each Queen to rewrite their story. The theatre production is framed inside a concert-style competition, with the soundtrack taking inspiration from several pop icons. This meant the music transferred perfectly from the theatre to the festival stage. A SWALT super team, combining performers from both the West-End production and the UK tour, took to the Hayu Arena to give a taste of what the musical is all about. A huge audience turned up for this set, and the Queens delivered. This was as feel-good as it comes, and could not have been a more perfect representation of why SIX is so loved.

The Queens on the day were Gabriella Stylianou (Catherine of Aragon), Ellie Jane Grant (Anna of Cleves), Naomi Alade (Anne Boleyn), Natalile Pilkington (Catherine Parr), Izi Maxwell (Katherine Howard) and Tamara Morgan (Jane Seymour)