Massive Attack Mesmerise at Lido Festival with Sonic Perfection
- Dave Broome
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Massive Attack, Lido Festival, Victoria Park, London, 6th June 2025
WORDS / IMAGES DAVE BROOME
Massive Attack Electrify the First Day of London’s New Eco-Conscious Festival
If anyone tells you festivals aren’t hard work—they’re lying. Between the endless walking, navigating crowds, and dodging food queues, your step count will thank you. My advice? Treat it like a workout with a soundtrack.
Lido is a new addition to the UK festival scene for 2025, held in the expansive and well-connected Victoria Park in East London. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a relatively small urban festival—but what it lacks in scale, it makes up for in ambition. With a strong focus on sustainability, the organisers made a bold (and successful) move: day one was powered entirely by battery, marking an impressive step toward eco-friendly live events.
The park itself is a great location, boasting excellent transport links and plenty of natural shade—ideal for those rare moments when the sun breaks through the London clouds. With two main stages, a club tent, and a wide range of food vendors, there’s something for everyone. Impressively, all food on day one was meat-free, offering an excellent variety of vegan and vegetarian options that proved just as satisfying as any traditional festival fare.
On just before the headliners were the French duo Air, who brought with them what appeared to be their own slice of Scandinavian minimalism—a stage within a stage, performing from inside a sleek white cube that looked straight out of an IKEA showroom. Dressed in effortlessly stylish outfits, they wouldn’t have looked out of place in an Armani ad. Their sound was pure 90s Balearic chill, evoking Café del Mar sunsets and warm coastal breezes. But make no mistake—this wasn’t background music. Their set was stunning live: sonically pristine, immersive, and flawlessly delivered, thanks in part to a brand-new ML3A sound system installed specifically for the festival. As the sun dipped lower, Air’s sound only grew more fitting. The crowd grew and swayed along, hypnotised.
After Air’s impressive set, there was a considerable pause while the cube was deconstructed and the stage reconfigured. Then, at around 9:30pm, the evening took a powerful turn. Nigerian-born, British-based poet Inua Ellams delivered a heartfelt political monologue, followed by Khalid Abdalla—best known for portraying Dodi Fayed in The Crown—who continued in similarly impassioned fashion. Both speeches perfectly set the tone for what was to come.
Massive Attack opened their set with a seismic cover of Gigi D’Agostino’s In My Mind. The bass was chest-rattlingly deep, and the visuals began building with intensity. The screen behind the band became a central character in the performance—flashing powerful political messages, real-time crowd images, and haunting video montages, including a chilling piece featuring Donald Trump and Gaza. The use of visuals wasn’t just atmospheric; it was confrontational and purposeful.
Long-time collaborator Horace Andy was next to appear, delivering a spine-tingling rendition of Girl I Love You—a clear nod to the spiritual foundation of the band. His presence was met with huge appreciation from the crowd.
Soon after, the unmistakable voice of Elizabeth Fraser floated across the park—not for Teardrop, as expected, but for Black Milk. Still, the anticipation grew. Her presence brought a reverent hush over the crowd.
Although Massive Attack have released five studio albums, their set leaned heavily on cover versions, from Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, to Ultravox’s ROckWrok, and even a surprisingly affecting cover of Avicii’s Levels.
The inimitable Deborah Miller took on lead vocals for Unfinished Sympathy, the band’s breakout single. Her performance was raw, rich, and pitch-perfect—a reminder of the track’s enduring emotional power.
Then came the moment the entire audience had been waiting for. Fraser returned to the stage and the opening notes of Teardrop rang out. It was every bit as moving as hoped—ethereal, aching, and beautiful. A lump-in-the-throat, arm-hair-raising end to a spectacular set.
Massive Attack’s performance not only closed the first day of Lido Festival with style and power, but also proved that politically engaged, emotionally resonant music can thrive in the heart of a bustling, modern metropolis. With no technical hiccups and flawless production all night, it’s safe to say Lido Festival is off to a phenomenal start. If this first day is any indicator, it looks destined to become a fixture on the UK festival calendar for years to come.
Set List
1/ In My Mind
2/ Risingson
3/ Girl I Love You
4/ Black Milk
5/ Take It There
6/ Future Proof
7/ Song to the Siren
8/ Inertia Creeps
9/ ROckWrok
10/ Angel
11/ Safe From Harm
12/ I Against I
13/ Unfinished Sympathy
14/ Levels
15/ Teardrop
FOLLOW LIDO FESTIVAL