10 Artists Guitar Fans Should See At BST Hyde Park 2026

With this year’s BST Hyde Park festival kicking off in the capital this weekend, we thought we’d take a look at 10 acts you have to see if you’re a guitar fan.

BST Hyde Park might not be billed as an out and out guitar festival, with plenty of pop acts to boot — but this year’s line-up still has plenty for players, tone obsessives and fans of great live musicianship to get stuck into.

Across the 2026 dates, Hyde Park will host everything from slick pop-rock and indie guitars to country-leaning acoustic songwriting, funk rhythm playing, synth-driven new wave and regional Mexican string work. In other words, there is more here for guitar fans than the festival poster might suggest at first glance.

Here are 10 artists worth catching at BST Hyde Park this year if guitars are your thing.

1. Nile Rodgers & CHIC

If there is one must-see name on the BST bill for guitar players, it is Nile Rodgers.

Rodgers is one of the great rhythm guitarists in popular music, and his playing with CHIC remains a masterclass in feel, economy and groove. He is not the kind of guitarist who needs to take a long solo to prove the point. His right hand does the talking.

For guitar fans, this is the chance to hear one of the most influential funk and disco players of all time in a setting built for huge choruses and crowd movement. The parts may sound simple on paper, but the touch, timing and pocket are the real lesson.

Nile Rodgers & CHIC perform as part of Duran Duran’s BST Hyde Park show on Sunday 5 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/duran-duran-sun-5-july/

2. The War On Drugs

The War On Drugs are one of the strongest guitar picks on this year’s BST Hyde Park bill.

Their songs sit somewhere between widescreen American rock, atmospheric indie and heartland songwriting, but the real magic is in the texture. This is guitar playing as landscape rather than showboating — layers of reverb, delay, chiming lead lines and slow-building dynamics that make the songs feel enormous without ever losing their emotional pull.

For anyone interested in ambient guitar, tasteful lead work or how to build a live sound that feels cinematic without becoming overblown, The War On Drugs should be high on the list.

The War On Drugs appear with Mumford & Sons on Saturday 4 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/mumford-and-sons-sat-4-july/

3. Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons return to Hyde Park with a set that should offer plenty for fans of acoustic-driven songwriting.

The band’s sound has evolved over the years, but the appeal for guitar players remains obvious: big strummed arrangements, folk-rock dynamics, banjo lines, mandolin textures and songs built to work in huge outdoor spaces.

For guitar fans, Mumford & Sons are less about flash and more about arrangement. Their best material shows how acoustic instruments can still carry the weight of a festival headline slot when the songs are strong enough and the dynamics are handled properly.

Mumford & Sons headline BST Hyde Park on Saturday 4 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/mumford-and-sons-sat-4-july/

4. Duran Duran

Duran Duran may be best known for their synths, bass lines and glossy pop production, but guitar has always played an important role in their sound.

From the sharp new-wave bite of their early singles to the more atmospheric textures in their later material, Duran Duran’s catalogue is full of guitar parts that serve the song rather than fight for attention. That is exactly what makes them interesting from a player’s point of view.

For guitar fans, this set is a reminder that not every great guitar moment needs to sit in front of the mix. Sometimes the smartest playing is the part that locks in with the bass, pushes the chorus forward and adds attitude without overcrowding the song.

Duran Duran headline BST Hyde Park on Sunday 5 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/duran-duran-sun-5-july/

5. Maroon 5

Maroon 5 are often spoken about as a pop act, but their best-known material has always had a guitar thread running through it.

A big part of that comes from lead guitarist James Valentine, whose clean, precise rhythm work and hook-focused parts have helped define the band’s blend of pop, funk, soul and radio rock. His Ernie Ball Music Man Valentine signature guitar should be on full display at Hyde Park, which gives guitar fans another reason to pay attention beyond the obvious hit-filled set.

For players, that is exactly the point. A Maroon 5 show is a useful reminder that modern pop guitar is often about discipline — knowing when to leave space, when to lock with the rhythm section and how to make a part memorable without overplaying.

Maroon 5 headline BST Hyde Park on Friday 3 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/maroon-5-fri-3-july/

6. The Vaccines

The Vaccines bring a very different kind of guitar energy to BST Hyde Park.

Their appeal is in the directness: punchy songs, lean arrangements and indie-rock guitars that do not mess about. In a line-up filled with huge pop names and polished productions, The Vaccines should offer something more immediate and guitar-band focused.

For fans of classic British indie guitar, this is one of the more straightforward recommendations. Expect big choruses, sharp rhythm parts and the kind of set that works best when it is loud, simple and played with conviction.

The Vaccines appear as part of Lewis Capaldi’s Saturday 11 July line-up.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/lewis-capaldi-sat-11-july/

7. Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks may not be the obvious “guitar hero” pick in the traditional rock sense, but leaving him out of a guitar-focused BST Hyde Park list would be easy to argue against.

Country music has produced some of guitar’s finest moments, from flatpicked acoustic parts and Nashville session work to Telecaster twang, pedal steel colour and songs built around rhythm, feel and storytelling. Brooks’ catalogue sits firmly in that world, with huge choruses, acoustic-driven arrangements and country-rock dynamics that make sense on a festival stage.

For guitar fans, the appeal is not about long solos or flash. It is about how guitars support the song, how rhythm parts move a crowd, and how country arrangements can turn simple changes into something massive when the playing, band and vocal are locked in.

Garth Brooks will headline BST Hyde Park on Saturday 27 June.

Event information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/garth-brooks-sat-27-june/

8. Caamp

Caamp should appeal to anyone drawn to folk, Americana and acoustic-led arrangements.

Their songs lean into melody, harmony and earthy instrumentation rather than bombast, making them a strong pick for fans of acoustic guitar playing and rootsier songwriting. In the context of Hyde Park, that could offer one of the more organic-sounding sets of the weekend.

For guitar fans, Caamp are worth seeing for the feel as much as the playing. It is about tone, space, songcraft and the way acoustic instruments can still cut through on a big outdoor stage when the material is honest and well arranged.

Caamp appear with Mumford & Sons on Saturday 4 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/mumford-and-sons-sat-4-july/

9. Jacob Alon

Jacob Alon is one of the more intriguing names on the Lewis Capaldi bills, particularly for fans of intimate, expressive guitar-led songwriting.

Alon’s music sits in a more delicate, emotionally direct space than many of the bigger BST acts, with the guitar acting less like a festival weapon and more like the centre of the song. That makes them a strong choice for anyone interested in fingerstyle-influenced playing, lyrical songwriting and performances where every note has to count.

In a festival setting, artists like this can sometimes become the surprise highlight of the day. Not everything has to be loud to land.

Jacob Alon appears on both Lewis Capaldi dates, Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/lewis-capaldi-sat-11-july/
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/lewis-capaldi-sun-12-july/

10. Los Tucanes de Tijuana

Los Tucanes de Tijuana may be the wildcard pick here, but that is exactly why guitar fans should pay attention.

Their music brings a completely different string tradition into the BST mix, with regional Mexican sounds offering a contrast to the British indie, pop-rock and funk elsewhere on the bill. For players used to rock, blues or acoustic singer-songwriter material, this could be one of the more interesting musical curveballs of the festival.

Guitar fans should always have room for something outside the obvious lane, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana offer exactly that.

Los Tucanes de Tijuana appear as part of Pitbull’s BST Hyde Park line-up on Friday 10 July.

Ticket information:
https://www.bst-hydepark.com/events/pitbull-fri-10-july/

Tickets are on sale now via www.bst-hydepark.com.