Drake still relevant – as his famous friends will tell you
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Drake performs at Wireless Festival 2025, joined by Lauryn Hill, Central Cee, Dave, and more in a star-studded celebration of his music.
Drake Proves He’s Still Got It with Star-Packed Wireless Festival Sets
Canadian rap icon Drake has made an emphatic return to the UK stage, silencing critics and sparking viral moments with two show-stopping performances at Wireless Festival 2025. Despite recent controversies — including a public feud with Kendrick Lamar that saw Lamar accuse him of predatory behaviour — Drake pulled over 150,000 fans to London’s Finsbury Park for what became an explosive celebration of his career.
Each night of the three-day festival showcased a different side of the 38-year-old’s artistry. Friday focused on his R&B catalogue, Saturday celebrated UK rap and grime, while Sunday promised a taste of global influences from dancehall to Latin pop.
Drake may have performed just 18 solo songs over the weekend, but his guestlist did the heavy lifting — and then some.
R&B Reverie
On Friday night, Drake returned to a UK stage for the first time in over six years, sharing the spotlight with his long-time collaborator PARTYNEXTDOOR, who opened with a 20-minute medley. Drake followed with fan-favourites like Marvin’s Room, Teenage Fever, and Passionfruit, before ceding the stage again — this time to a steady stream of surprise guests.
Bobby V and Mario stunned the crowd with live renditions of their R&B classics, while Giveon and Bryson Tiller brought soulful depth to the night. The relaxed set gave off a block party vibe, with Drake acting as both host and headliner, choosing moments to step aside and uplift artists he admires.
One of the night’s biggest surprises came when Lauryn Hill closed the show with Ex-Factor and joined Drake for Nice For What, which famously samples her hit. The moment was marred slightly when sound technicians cut her mic just as fans hoped for an encore.
UK Rap Royalty
Saturday took the chaos up a notch, as Drake paid homage to UK rap and grime — and the love was mutual. fakemink, Headie One, and K-Trap set the pace before J Hus stormed the stage for their 2023 hit Who Told You, prompting emotional nostalgia as Drake recalled bringing J Hus out of prison and straight onto the stage in 2019.
Drake’s warmth for UK talent was further cemented by appearances from Skepta, who led the crowd in Shutdown, and Dave, who broke his music hiatus for a surprise performance of Wanna Know. The night reached fever pitch when Central Cee appeared for Sprinter — a performance Drake called “two of the biggest artists together at the moment.”
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Saturday also featured surprise cross-genre appearances by Sexyy Red, Latto, and 21 Savage. But it was the moment when Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles played on-screen, with Carlton at the piano, that stunned fans — a surreal but on-brand twist that only Drake could pull off.
A Comeback Statement
While he didn’t dominate the mic for most of the two nights, Drake’s presence loomed large. Whether floating above the crowd on a crane platform while I Will Always Love You echoed through the park or grinning on the sidelines as friends stole the spotlight, he showed a performer confident enough to let others shine.
The festival wasn’t just a musical showcase — it was a carefully curated rebuttal to claims that Drake had lost cultural relevance. After months of online criticism and a brutal lyrical exchange with Kendrick Lamar, Drake used the Wireless stage to reassert his place at the top — not just through his own hits, but through the power of connection.
London responded with love. The crowd’s unrelenting energy, the spontaneous screams, and the sheer volume of star power proved that, for now at least, Drake remains untouchable.
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