Part of Harry Styles’ role as curator of this summer’s Meltdown Festival in London was his intimate gig on Tuesday night at the Royal Festival Hall, where he performed alongside an orchestra and gospel choir.
“Thank you so much for being here tonight,” he told the crowd, as per the London Evening Standard. “It feels both present and incredibly not present to be so aware that you’re in the middle of your career highlight.”
Singing to an audience of 2,700 — far smaller than the crowds at Wembley Stadium during his Together, Together tour — Harry skipped big hits such as “As It Was,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Adore You” and “Sign of the Times” in favor of deeper cuts, including “The Waiting Game” from his current album and “Two Ghosts” from his debut album. It was the first time he’d performed the latter since 2020.
He also covered two songs by Canadian artist Patrick Watson, and according to the U.K. music paper NME, incorporated orchestral pieces into the set by Jules Buckley, who was conducting the orchestra.
Harry closed the show with “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the Simon & Garfunkel classic that inspired “Carla’s Song,” a track on his current album. “Carla’s Song” is about the moment his friend Carla listened to “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” having never heard it before. He described the moment as “like watching someone see a magic trick for the first time.”
Harry will resume his Wembley Stadium residency Wednesday night. When he completes his 12 nights there, he’ll hold the record for most shows by an artist at that venue in a single calendar year.
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