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Disappointment as Drake's final Wireless show ends after 40 minutes

Getty Images / Drake's Whitney Houston sing-a-long on a crane was used to end two out of three Wireless shows

Getty Images / Drake's Whitney Houston sing-a-long on a crane was used to end two out of three Wireless shows

  • Drake ends final Wireless Festival set after 40 minutes, leaving fans frustrated
  • The rapper appeared agitated and had fewer special guests than previous nights
  • "London, I will love you for the rest of my life," he told the crowd
  • After the show, distressed fans at the accessible exit pleaded with security to let them leave

Drake's three-day residency at London's Wireless Festival concluded on a sour note after the rapper's headline slot ended after 40 minutes.

Appearing on stage ten minutes earlier than scheduled, he told the crowd he would perform until his microphone was cut off - referencing the strict 21:30 curfew.

Fans were also left feeling shortchanged after the 38-year-old's set featured just three special guests - Popcaan, Rema and Vybz Kartel.

Saturday night's show, which ran for 90 minutes, featured 13 special guests, while Friday's show also had a similar runtime and included six surprise acts.

Line-up changes

Earlier in the day, the official setlist had advertised two Drake sets - one at 18:25 and one at 20:55.

The first mysteriously disappeared from the schedule during the course of the afternoon, with planned performances from Vybz Kartel and Burna Boy going ahead in their allotted time slots.

Fans appeared surprised when Drake entered the stage just minutes after Burna Boy had finished, with the Canadian announcing himself to the crowd by speaking to fans.

He appeared agitated, which was a departure from his more upbeat attitude from Friday and Saturday night.

Drake started his set by playing an unreleased collaboration with British rapper Central Cee, who did not appear on stage to perform but instead mouthed the words from his position in the front row, which was projected across the big screens.

The Toronto rapper and singer appeared apologetic throughout, promising to play some of his biggest hits to win over the crowd.

He told the crowd: "London, I will love you for the rest of my life," as he raced through a medley of tracks.

They included Controlla, Find Your Love and One Dance, which were remixed and updated for 2025, but felt slightly rushed, with their new arrangements making it difficult for fans to sing along.

A surprise appearance from Nigerian rapper Rema raised spirits in the crowd, with tracks Calm Down and Fever proving a highlight.

But after a brief cameo from Jamaican dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, who had performed to a huge crowd earlier in the day, there was only time for two more Drake solo songs.

For the third night in a row, he climbed onto a crane to wave to the 50,000 attendees as Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You blasted through the speakers.

 
Getty Images Drake appears in blue with Rema in a hat and fur rimmed jacket
Getty Images / Rema (right) provided an energetic surprise guest performance on Sunday evening

 

After gaining social media traction over the weekend, fans quickly realised it signalled the end of a disappointedly short headline set.

Drake already fell victim to the 22:30 curfew on Friday night, with organisers cutting both his and Lauryn Hill's microphones off and replacing show graphics with information on local train stations.

He did a better job of keeping timings in check during Saturday's show, but it is unknown whether it was his decision to start his Sunday evening set 45 minutes before the event was due to end.

Fans around us expressed their discontent as they shuffled to the exits, with many unaware of the strict local curfews that operate in the park.

Some even told us they had spent longer queuing to get into the venue than they'd seen Drake perform.

Whilst attempting to leave, we were alerted to scenes of distress at the accessible exit.

Fans could be seen and heard pleading with security to let them leave after being told they would have to be held in a restrictive space for ten minutes or until other security gave them the green light.

This led to hysteria, with fans attacking the barriers, shouting and pleading that they were disabled and needed to leave.

Wireless Festival's organisers have been contacted by the BBC for comment.

BBC News used AI to help write the summary at the top of this article. It was edited by BBC journalists. Find out more.

Author: Annabel Rackham, Culture reporter

Source: BBC News:

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