Mighty Hoopla 2024, in pictures: From headliner Nelly Furtado to 90s icons En Vogue
Hoopla also saw Louise perform solo after a row last year with some of her old Eternal bandmates over playing LGBTQ-inclusive spaces
Mighty Hoopla, widely regarded as one of the world’s most LGBTQ-inclusive music festivals, returned to London’s Brockwell Park last weekend (June 1-2).
A 30,000-strong crowd were treated to performances from an array of community members and allies; previously headlined by Chaka Khan and Steps, being on the lineup now signals pop acts’ approval by the queer community.
Read on for Attitude’s highlights!
Louise says ‘Lets Go Round Again’
The ‘Naked’ singer was originally mooted to play Hoopla with her old Eternal bandmates. However, she and Kelle Bryan quit the group’s reunion tour last year, reportedly after a row with sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett over playing LGBTQ-inclusive spaces such as Hoopla and Pride. Good riddance to them!
En Vogue, naturally, ‘Give It Up, Turn It Loose’
90s icons En Vogue, known for hits like ‘Don’t Let Go (Love)’ and ‘My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)’, continued the theme of inclusivity with the anti-racist lyrics to one of their most game-changing songs. Indeed, with lines like ‘I might date another race or colour/It doesn’t mean I don’t like my strong black brothers’ and ‘free your mind and the rest will follow/be colourblind, don’t be so shallow’, the message to ‘Free Your Mind’ is as resonant today as it was in 1992.
Nelly Furtado proves ‘All Good Things (Come to And End)’
Canadian superstar Nelly, known for tracks like ‘Maneater’ and ‘Say It Right’, closed the show on the Saturday. (With a set that, to our mind, leaned too heavily on dance and RnB and not enough on her folksy roots.) Attitude’s review of her gig will be published later.
Claire Richards gets ‘So Emotional’
Looking at Claire from Steps’s Hoopla setlist, one thing is immediately apparent: many of the songs have very, very sentimental names. Among them: Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand’s ‘No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)’, which Claire performed with Delta Goodrem, plus Whitney’s ‘So Emotional’, Loreen’s ‘Euphoria’, and of course Steps’ ‘One For Sorrow’!
Eve shakes her ‘Tambourine’
Eve, whose signature songs include ‘Who’s That Girl’ and ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’, her track with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, took to the main stage at 4:50pm for a 40-minute set. The shortness of all the sets was a bit perplexing, to be honest…
Rachel Stevens
It was emotional to see Rachel on the Hoopla stage this weekend, after she chose to withdraw last year following the death of her S Club 7 co-member Paul Cattermole. She performed S Club track ‘Natural’ and some of her solo hits, including ‘Some Girls’ and ‘Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex’.
Jessie Ware serves ‘Wildest Moments’
British soul singer Jessie, known for tracks like ‘Free Yourself’ and ‘Say You Love Me’, closed the show on Sunday evening and was, as always, a class act. To read Attitude’s review of the set, click here.
Attitude attended Hoopla with Minus 196. To find out more about Minus 196, please visit, www.minus196.co.uk and follow @minus196uk on social media for the latest updates.