The Rolling Stones returned to BST Hyde Park on Sunday 3 July 2022 for the second of their two London dates on the SIXTY tour. The show drew on six decades of songs, but began with a reminder that the band had also entered a new chapter: drummer Charlie Watts had died the previous year.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood need little introduction. The more interesting question was whether a band with such a deep catalogue could make an anniversary show feel like a live event rather than a victory lap. For the most part, the answer was yes.

How did the Stones acknowledge Charlie Watts?

Before the band took the stage, a tribute film to Watts played on the big screens. He had been part of the Stones since 1963, and his death in August 2021 left an unmistakable gap. Mick Jagger dedicated the show to his friend and bandmate; the moment gave the anniversary its emotional centre without turning the night into a memorial.

Did the setlist still have surprises?

“Get Off of My Cloud” was a punchy opener, followed by “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Tumbling Dice”. During “Out of Time”, Jagger let the crowd take up the refrain, turning the 1966 song into a shared singalong rather than just another entry in the catalogue.

The set also offered three tour debuts: “Angie”, Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and “You Got Me Rocking”. “Angie” brought a more tender note, while the Dylan cover gave the band a chance to play with a song that sits comfortably alongside their own blues-rooted catalogue. “You Got Me Rocking” added a later-era cut to the mix. These changes helped the show feel less like a fixed greatest-hits package.

Who kept the Stones rolling?

The band’s touring musicians were central to the sound. Steve Jordan, playing drums after Watts, brought drive without trying to imitate his predecessor. Darryl Jones anchored the low end, while Chuck Leavell and Matt Clifford filled out the arrangements on keyboards. Backing vocalists Bernard Fowler and Sasha Allen added depth, with Allen especially powerful alongside Jagger on “Gimme Shelter”.

After “Honky Tonk Women”, Jagger introduced the musicians before Richards took lead vocals on “You Got the Silver” and “Happy”. The change of pace suited Richards’ weathered delivery and reminded the crowd that the Stones’ identity has always been built on the interplay between their members, not just Jagger’s performance at the front.

How did they bring Hyde Park to its feet?

The closing run was built for a huge outdoor crowd. “Miss You” loosened things up before “Midnight Rambler” brought a darker, bluesier edge. “Paint It Black” and “Start Me Up” followed, then “Gimme Shelter” gave Allen space to soar. The main set closed with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, which sent the crowd into the finale at full volume.

The encore was short and effective. “Sympathy for the Devil” brought the Stones back out, and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” finished the night with one of the most recognisable riffs in rock. It was an obvious choice for a closer, but an obvious choice can still be the right one when a field full of people is ready to sing along.