Image credit: Sziget press

The second day at Sziget Festival brought a variety of new artists and genres for music lovers to enjoy. Nicknamed by many as the ‘Canadian Stage’, three Canadian artists performed on the main stage today: The Beaches, Nelly Furtado and Shawn Mendes. Their sets were energetic, and their music pulled in huge crowds.

The Beaches

Canadian rock band The Beaches released their second studio album, Blame My Ex, in 2023, and their lead single ‘Blame Brett’ gained the band an international following. When lead singer Jordan Miller played the single during their set, she dedicated it to her ex and asked everyone in the crowd to join her in blaming their exes. The band also played a new song, ‘Touching Yourself’, from their next album, set to be released in a month. The camaraderie between each of the bandmates was clear to see, especially when they walked out onto the stage extension together. Before the next song, Jordan Miller asked the crowd to shout out if their name was Jocelyn; the next song of the same name was d” was dedicated to them. The Beaches are a rock band to look out for in the future; their set was chaotic, fun and unapologetically loud.

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado has been tearing up dancefloors for a while now. Whilst many in the crowd were eagerly awaiting ‘Maneater’ and ‘Promiscious’, there are so many certified bangers that Nelly Furtado has written or been featured on. She is an incredibly versatile artist, her songs move between RnB, dance, and folk. Her set shifted seamlessly between her more melancholic hits including ‘Try’ from her second album Folklore, and the cover of Missy Elliott’s ‘Get Ur Freak On’. The beautifully transcendent ‘I’m Like a Bird’ was a highlight of her set, with the crowd joining in for the chorus. At the end of her set, ‘Maneater’ was the perfect closer and Nelly Furtado brought out The Beaches for the song, which was mixed with Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’.

Shawn Mendes

Continuing the Canadian theme, Shawn Mendes headlined the main stage.

After taking a hiatus from music in 2022 to prioritise his mental health, Shawn Mendes returned with his self-titled album Shawn. His opening track ‘There’s Nothin’ Holdin’ Me Back’ was a classic from his back catalogue that the Gen Z crowd knew well. He occupied the stage with quiet energy and self-assured confidence. The crowd also held up signs that read ‘Happy Birthday Shawn’, as his birthday was the next day. Throughout his set, Shawn Mendes moved between his new folksy sound seen in his recent album and his older pop songs including ‘Senorita’ and ‘Treat You Better’. During his set, Shawn mentioned playing Sziget back in 2018 when he played the track ‘Heart of Gold’ which was written about his friend who passed away. Closing the set with his hit ‘Stitches’ that received a huge response from the crowd, and ‘Why Why Why’ from his most recent album. By leaning into his folk-rock sound, Shawn Mendes is exploring new directions and showing his versatility and emotional depth as an artist.

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Heather Gosling is a university student currently studying English Literature at York. She is passionate about journalism, creative writing and music. She has written for many online and print publications and is working on a music magazine (@circulationzine).

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