For the final night of Bedford summer session, McFly transformed Bedford Park into a giant sing-along yet again, completing what seems to have been the best concert series in Bedford Park yet.
Part reunion, part throwback, and part father-daughter bonding session, McFly brought their infectious energy and feel-good hits to close Bedford Summer Sessions with a bang, and over 11,000 people were there to witness the spectacle.
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As a 20-year-old dragging along my dad, it was great to see the crowd was full of families and friends just like us, proving that McFly really does span generations.
Whether you grew up with them or were discovering them live for the first time, the atmosphere was one of shared nostalgia and pure joy.
“Do you know this one?” my dad asked me midway through the set, laughing as I sang the words to a song released when I was only five.
Relaxing in the retreat
We found our entry to the Retreat section of the event, which consisted of a separate bar, toilets, and a food vendor.
A key difference we noticed was the drink offerings and prices. At the regular bar in the main area, you could only purchase 330ml cans of beer or cider for the equivalent of £12 a pint; meanwhile, in the retreat, you could get a draft pint for around £7.
Food vendors lined the back side of the field from the stage, offering dishes at around £13-£16 for options like noodles, pizza, or burgers. However, the queues grew dramatically in length as the night went on, steering us away.
We enjoyed the option to chill in a separate area with our retreat bands, but spent most of our time standing amongst the general crowd.
Handling trouble with class
Openers Devon and Twin Atlantic pleasantly surprised us, as I had never heard of Devon before. My father, who enjoyed their vibe, likened it to Supergrass.
Whilst I had already heard of Twin Atlantic and sang proudly to ‘Heart and Soul’, I have since added other songs of theirs, including ‘Meltdown’ and ‘Brothers and Sisters’, to my playlist after such a mind-blowing performance.
But the night wasn’t without incident. During the high-energy set from support act Twin Atlantic, a scuffle broke out in the crowd, tempers flared, and for a moment, the vibe faltered.
The band spotted it immediately and responded with calm professionalism, pausing their set to check on the audience and reminding everyone to look out for one another.
It was a brief moment, but a powerful one, a reminder of how live music spaces must be safe and inclusive.
The situation was quickly resolved, and the music continued.
There was also a medical emergency during the first opener, Devon, which he also addressed with professionalism and words of wisdom to the crowd to keep hydrated and cool.
McFly deliver a feel-good masterclass
When McFly hit the stage, they were met with a deafening roar. The band brought the same tight musical and playful stage presence that made them one of the UK’s biggest acts in the early 2000s.
From ‘Obviously’ and ‘Star Girl’ to ‘All About You’, the hits kept coming, and the crowd knew every word. Kids on shoulders supported light-up flower crowns, parents danced like no one was watching, and teens filmed every second.
It was energetic, joyful, and totally unfiltered, the kind of night that stays with you.
Danny Jones made the crowd promise “To have the best time” and repeated that it took “Everyone here to make that happen”, which really made us feel in the moment and part of a bigger picture.
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Not just stuck in the past
To their credit, McFly didn’t just coast on nostalgia. Newer tracks like ‘Where Did All the Guitars Go?’ from their album ‘Power to Play’ brought added punch, proving they’ve still got creative fire.
The band also shared a few moments of reflection, with Tom and Danny joking about the fact that they might be some people’s first and second gig, and how surreal that is.
Their rapport with the audience is part of the magic. They don’t take themselves too seriously, but their performance is polished and full of heart.
A cross-generational crowd and a real sense of community
Seeing McFly live in 2025 is less about screaming fans and more about shared joy.
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The sense of community was strong, people danced with strangers, parents hoisted their kids in the air, and friends reconnected over old songs that still mean something.
As the band closed with the highly anticipated ‘Five Colours in Her Hair’, it wasn’t just the lights that glittered. It was the eyes of everyone who had been part of something special.
McFly didn’t just play a gig in Bedford. They reminded us how music bridges gaps between ages, memories, and even challenging moments in the crowd.
The reviewer received two Retreat tickets to facilitate the review.
