Harry Styles Stuns With Orchestra Show at London Meltdown Fest: Review
Harry Styles performed with a 50-piece orchestra and gospel choir Tuesday night at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. The one-off event, part of the Meltdown Festival curated by Styles, featured orchestral reimagining of his catalog, including the first live performance of “Two Ghosts” since 2020.
The performance served as a break from Styles’ current run at Wembley Stadium. While his latest album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” focuses on synthesizers and dance-pop, the Royal Festival Hall show utilized cellos, violins, and a harp to create a cinematic sound.
How did the Royal Festival Hall show differ from Styles’ stadium tour?
The scale of the venue represented a significant shift in production. Royal Festival Hall seats 2,000 people, making it approximately 50 times smaller than Wembley Stadium, where Styles performs for nearly 100,000 people.
Styles moved away from the dance-pop elements of his recent work to focus on musical vulnerability. He performed “Boyfriends” and “Paint by Numbers” from the piano, while “Fine Line” featured guitar and a more grandiose ending than the 2019 album version.
Did You Know? The Royal Festival Hall venue used for this performance is about 50 times smaller than Wembley Stadium, with a capacity of just 2,000 seats.
What songs and collaborations defined the setlist?
Conductor Jules Buckley led the orchestra and arranged several tracks from Styles’ most recent album. Styles noted that collaborating with Buckley was essential because he cannot read music, a fact that drew laughs from the audience.
The set included a rare performance of “Two Ghosts” from his 2017 debut record, which Styles had not played live since 2020. He also covered “Here Comes the River” by Patrick Watson, citing the song as a reference for the string arrangements on his own track, “Coming Up Roses.”
Expert Insight: Samantha Carter suggests that shifting from a high-energy stadium environment to a 2,000-seat orchestral setting allows an artist to re-establish their vocal identity and test the longevity of their songwriting outside of pop production.
Why did Styles cover “Bridge Over Troubled Water”?
Styles closed the evening with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” He explained that the song inspired “Carla’s Song” from his album “Kiss All the Time,” which he wrote after watching a friend hear the track for the first time.
During his monologue, Styles described music as “magic” and noted that musicians invest pieces of themselves into a medium that lasts longer than the artists themselves.
What could this mean for Harry Styles’ future music?
The success of the orchestral arrangements may suggest a possible shift in artistic direction. Styles could potentially move toward a folk singer-songwriter style in a future era, incorporating more string-heavy compositions.
Full Meltdown Festival Setlist
- “Boyfriends”
- “Paint by Numbers”
- “Matilda”
- “Two Ghosts”
- “The Waiting Game”
- “Fine Line”
- “Coming Up Roses”
- “Here Comes the River” (Patrick Watson cover)
- “Carla’s Song”
- “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Harry Styles perform his orchestral show?
The performance took place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the Meltdown Festival.
Which song was played live for the first time since 2020?
Styles performed “Two Ghosts” from his 2017 self-titled debut record.
Who arranged the music for the performance?
The music was arranged and conducted by Jules Buckley, who also worked on Styles’ most recent album.
Do you think an orchestral direction suits Harry Styles better than dance-pop?