Lorde Hails Best Line-Up at All Points East Festival
Lorde headlined All Points East at London’s Victoria Park on August 22, 2026, delivering a career-spanning performance and declaring the festival’s roster of artists as the finest she has ever shared a stage with. According to reporting from Press Association senior entertainment reporter Casey Cooper-Fiske via BreakingNews.ie, the New Zealand pop star topped the bill at the multi-artist day, which included sets from PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, 2hollis, Oklou, Audrey Hobert, Rose Gray, Esha Tewari, ML Buch, and Fabiana Palladino.
Reflecting on a Festival Journey From 2018 to Headliner
Taking to the stage in an all-black waterproof outfit, Lorde opened her headline set with “Royals” from her 2013 debut album before diving into material from her 2025 fourth studio album, Virgin, starting with the lead single “What Was That.” Addressing the Victoria Park crowd, the singer noted the surreal nature of headlining the event after performing at its inaugural edition back in 2018.
Midway through the performance, Lorde praised the day’s curation directly to the audience. “I think this is literally the best line-up I’ve ever been part of,” she said. “It’s crazy, I went around this afternoon and watched people and I was really struck by what this group of artists are doing. I felt so honoured to be a part of it. This group of artists that you’ve seen today have been trying to imagine a new world, it’s like I’ve been trying to find new ways to live, new ways to see, I really felt that.”
Nostalgia, Visuals, and Deep Cuts On Stage
The setlist wended its way through the artist’s catalog, blending fresh tracks like “Favourite Daughter” and “Current Affairs” with staples such as “Green Light,” “The Louvre,” and a cover of Charli XCX’s “Girl, so confusing.” Personal history permeated the evening. Before launching into “The Louvre,” Lorde recalled visiting Victoria Park in 2024 with a former crush—an experience she labeled “almost agony”—before delighting fans by revealing, “and it didn’t stop, he’s here tonight.”
Visual presentation played a major role in punctuating the emotional weight of Virgin, an album that NME awarded a four-star review for combining the emotional intensity of Melodrama, the minimalism of Pure Heroine, and the freedom of Solar Power. During a rendition of “Liability,” video footage of the singer’s early years was projected onto her shirt. Later, during the album closer “David,” a banner reading “I don’t belong to anyone 2013” made its way through the crowd. The night closed out with an intimate rendition of “Ribs” performed on a small stage nestled in the middle of the VIP section.
The Business and Logistical Realities of Major Festival Headlining Slots
Lorde’s festival run continues next week with an appearance at Bristol’s Forwards Presents, followed by a scheduled slot at the Edinburgh Summer Sessions, maintaining momentum for her active touring schedule following the release of Virgin.
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