Stevie Nicks made an iconic comeback to the stage at BST Hyde Park in London after canceling a couple of shows due to minor surgery. The excitement was palpable on Friday, July 12, as she kicked off the festival’s final weekend.
Nicks continues to be a significant cultural figure. She recently contributed a poem to Taylor Swift’s latest album, and Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits collection has been a UK top 20 staple since 2018. Last autumn, Mattel released a Stevie Nicks Barbie doll. The crowd’s fashion, with many women in layered skirts, shawls, and wide-brimmed hats, reflected her enduring influence.
Nicks was at ease on stage, sharing anecdotes and performing with her mystical voice. She adapted “Dreams” to avoid high notes but did so in a way that suited the song. Her signature capes, including the one from her 1981 album Bella Donna cover, made a return.
She paid tribute to Tom Petty, recalling that her last appearance at BST Hyde Park in 2017 was the last time she saw him before his death. She felt his presence during her performance, saying, “I know he’s with us, and I know he is happy we’re here.”
Nicks’s set included solo hits like “Wild Heart,” “Bella Donna,” “Stand Back,” and Fleetwood Mac classics like “Gold Dust Woman” and “Edge of Seventeen.” She returned with “Rhiannon” for an encore and then brought out Harry Styles for the final two songs.
The moment Harry Styles joined Nicks on stage felt legendary. The audience’s ecstatic screams announced his arrival before he was even seen. Though unannounced, the crowd’s reaction and raised phone screens made it clear something special was happening.
Their duet wasn’t entirely unexpected, given their close history. The 76-year-old Fleetwood Mac legend Nicks calls Styles “the son I never had.” He inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, and she joined him in Los Angeles that year to perform “Landslide.” At Hyde Park, they sang this 1975 classic again, with images of the late Christine McVie, who passed away two years ago.
Styles also filled Tom Petty’s role in “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Nicks’s 1981 solo debut. He respectfully played his part, making a humorous “We’re not worthy” gesture and a football reference: “It’s coming home.”
After the performance, Styles stood by Nicks as she spoke emotionally about McVie on what would have been her 81st birthday, sharing how her mother’s advice to turn to the stage in times of hurt has guided her since McVie’s passing.
As the concert ended and the crowds dispersed, the moment felt surreal. Seeing Stevie Nicks and Harry Styles perform together is a memory to cherish forever.
Cover photo credit: Anthony Pham