The greatest live performances of 2024

From newfound contemporary classics to incredible showcases from industry icons, 2024 has been an absolutely unforgettable year for live performances. Spanning across stages, genres, and the globe, this shortlist highlights some of the greatest, most memorable, and history-making live music showcases of the year.

10. Nettspend, Village Underground

Taking this intensely packed venue by storm, 17-year-old underground rapper Nettspend embraced London in a sweaty, bass-heavy, and gloriously chaotic European debut. With barricades knocked down, never-ending mosh pits, and what seemed like a record number of stage dives, the rapper made waves across the underground scene with his boundless energy and the unwavering support of fans who seemed visibly anxious about ID checks on the door. Alongside other underground artists, such as Lancey Foux and Snow Strippers, who have found their audiences on the internet this year, this strikingly young rapper selling out his first European performance marks this as one of the most remarkable shows in the scene this year.

9. Shygirl, Radio 1’s Big Weekend

English act Shygirl lives and breathes all of the freshness, fun, and flamboyance that contemporary electronic music needs, showcasing effortless flair commanding the crowd at Radio 1’s Big Weekend with her quirky and ceaselessly upbeat club tracks. Even as sunshine pours into the festival tent, Shygirl’s insatiable energy, and that of her neon-cladded backup dancers, transforms the feel of the brisk afternoon set in Luton into a nonstop night in Berlin. Having since opened for international industry juggernauts Troye Sivan and Charli xcx, Shygirl’s capacity for energetic live vocals and her magnetic stage presence promise an ever-rising live performance trajectory in 2025.

8. Tyla, Gunna, and Skillibeng, BET Awards

Tyla dominated the 2024 R&B scene, with her song ‘Water’ flooding TikTok for weeks and her fresh, South African inspired sound earning her a slew of award winnings, including a Grammy for Best African Music Performance. In a masterclass of live performance at the BET Awards, Tyla flaunts her unique sound alongside Gunna and Skillibeng, covering the stage with South African artwork and tens of perfectly precise backup dancers as she descends from the ceiling. The stage is the picture of cohesion with every artist delivering excellent vocals and energy, but it is Tyla’s utterly magnetic stage presence that makes this particular performance so memorable.

7. Pearl Jam, Sydney ENGIE Stadium

Pearl Jam proves that ‘dad rock’ is eternal in a strikingly emotional, wholly unforgettable performance of ‘Hunger Strike’ from the Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell fronted project Temple of the Dog. Following the death of Soundgarden frontman Cornell in 2017, this was the first time audiences had heard the iconic and undeniably moving song performed live in a decade. With Vedder leading a gloriously emotive tribute in front of an eagerly receptive audience, this unique performance and beautiful homage to the Temple of the Dog classic resulted in one of the most memorable rock showcases of the year.

6. Charli xcx, Boiler Room New York

The 2024 set that took Boiler Room further out of the DJ scene than ever before and had thousands of fans scrounging for tickets, this celebrity packed, attitude heavy performance kicked off Charli xcx’s brat craze on an unbelievable high. Although not delivering her signature autotune drenched vocals live, Charli xcx’s performance in this set, flawlessly executing the ‘it girl’ party aesthetic that her music became synonymous with months later, is entrancing. Flaunting her DJ skills, flanked by Julia Fox and Addison Rae, and armed with visible face tape, this iconic set kickstarted the inescapable fanatic music trend of the summer at an absolute peak.

5. Knocked Loose and Poppy, Jimmy Kimmel

In one of the most unique late night show performances of 2024, Knocked Loose prove that metal and the mainstream don’t have to be at odds, using the medium of mosh pits. In an undeniably jarring cut from the warmly lit Jimmy Kimmel set to a stage in the pouring rain overlooking fans with fists at the ready, Knocked Loose and Poppy deliver incredible vocals that had all eyes, including metal sceptics, glued to the screen.

4. Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs, Grammys

The second that the unforgettable riff of ‘Fast Car’ begins and the camera pans to Tracy Chapman in an incredibly rare television appearance for the elusive singer, it’s strikingly clear that this performance is something special. The gruff vocals of Luke Combs add beautiful touches to the iconic song as Chapman is joined onstage by the band who originally composed the instrumental for the song over 30 years ago. In a dazzling display of artistry and gently tugging at the strings of nostalgia, this performance was one of the absolute highlights of the 2024 Grammys.

3. Stevie Nicks and Harry Styles, Hyde Park

Following the death of Fleetwood Mac icon Christine McVie in 2022, this BST Hyde Park performance was one of the largest and most emotionally charged shows that Stevie Nicks has ever undertaken. The picture of all the grace and talent she has possessed for over 40 years as a musician, Nicks performs a beautiful homage to McVie with ‘Landslide’, joined onstage by an equally well poised and evidently adoring Harry Styles. The blend of Nicks’ unmistakable voice, Styles’ soft vocals, and an uproarious choir of an audience make this moving homage an absolutely unforgettable moment in music this year.

2. The Cure, Troxy London

Pre-empting the release of the critically acclaimed latest album, Songs of A Lost World, for British gothic pioneers The Cure, Robert Smith took London on a gloriously enchanting voyage across the band’s iconic discography. Gracefully delving into new music before exploring some of their unmistakeable and ever-romantic classics from ‘Lovecats’ to ‘Lovesong’, Robert Smith proves that the entrancing riffs and melodies of The Cure are just as effective now as they were at the band’s peak. With beautiful vocals, fizzling chemistry between band members, and a boundlessly adoring audience, this Troxy London show is one of 2024’s most memorable live performances.

1. Doechii, NPR Tiny Desk

Confidence seeps in by the bucket load off every project Doechii undertakes, and this entrancing jazz fusion hip-hop NPR Tiny Desk performance is absolutely no exception. Although the room is packed wall-to-wall with performers, this perfectly precise showcase of Doechii’s unique R&B-fuelled sound features unwavering cohesion and unbelievably palpable chemistry between every artist involved. As each song seamlessly blends into the next in this gloriously intimate show, this intensely rewatchable performance became an instant classic for both Tiny Desk and the music scene as a whole in 2024.