Wireless Festival 2024 burst into life last weekend, proving itself to be one of London’s most electrifying open-air gigs. Accompanied by the sun of summer, the first day was a fantastic mix of sound, style, and some serious star power.
The crowds on the festival grounds were asamped up as anything bottled and, understandably so, since the lineup was stacked. Opening salvos were provided by the UK’s Ragz Originale, whose velvety R&B rhythms provided a softened welcome to the early attendees. His set was intimate but commanding, a vibe that enveloped the audience like velvet. Next, Afro-swing heroes NSG brought rhythm, charm, and motion to the stage, getting the crowd bouncing as if it were a weekend block party in full swing.
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Kairo Keyz kept the vibe nimble and the flows slick, with a charisma that couldn’t be denied, and Destroy Lonely laid down some dark, atmospheric trap that clasped the festival’s first very real slice of sonic craziness in its clenched teeth, which is the way the crowd wanted it.
Ice Spice, the Bronx-bred superstar, had the room by the throat the second she strutted out on stage. And with the lethal one-two punch of the ferocious delivery and casually calm demeanor she’s made her calling card over the past 15 years, she charged through hit after hit like she’s been groomed for this moment. Phones were up. Lyrics were shouted back. Every step felt like a cultural flick of the momentary switch.
And then a change of pace, though indeed not of intensity. He was also Sean Paul, the Jamaican legend who brought with him a flood of memories and freshly stoked flames all at once. Supported by a canon that helped define the sound of the 2000s, his set served as a giddy tribute to dancehall’s international stranglehold. From “Temperature” to “Get Busy,” the audience became a mass of movement, grinding, winding, and losing their collective minds to his classics.
The trap front-runner and cultural behemoth ended the night with the self-assurance of a man who has birthed an entire rap era. With dark beats, woozy autotune, and verses that come at you like smoke, Renegade’s set was hypnotic. It was not just a concert; it was a mood, a moment, a full-body experience that beat through the London night.
Wireless Day One not only delivered, but it was a success. With three weekend-reaching generational icons each commanding the stage in their inimitable fashion, it reminded everyone why this festival has such an irresistible gravitational pull. Whether it was Ice Spice’s fierce finesse, the dancehall heat of Sean Paul or Future’s trap-heavy spell, the warmup was an exhilarating reminder that summer and Wireless are in full swing.
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