Lewis Capaldi Closes TRNSMT 2024 on a High, Declaring He's 'Firing on All Cylinders'

Lewis Capaldi Makes Emotional Return to TRNSMT Festival

Lewis Capaldi brought this year's TRNSMT festival to a spectacular close at Glasgow Green, announcing to a roaring crowd that he was "firing on all cylinders now" — a powerful statement from an artist who has been remarkably open about the personal challenges he has faced in recent years.

The Bathgate-born singer addressed the audience directly, revealing that he had experienced a "complete and utter mental health breakdown" since his last appearance at the festival back in 2022. The candid admission was met with a wave of warm, ironic cheering from his devoted supporters, which Capaldi himself laughed off with characteristic good humour.

A Long Road Back to the Stage

Capaldi's return to live performance has been gradual and carefully managed. It began with an appearance at Glastonbury the previous year, and TRNSMT represented yet another significant milestone in his comeback journey. His presence at the festival was undeniably the most anticipated moment of the entire weekend.

During his headline set, the singer covered Creedence Clearwater Revival's classic Have You Ever Seen The Rain? and led the crowd through deeply moving sing-alongs of fan favourites including Bruises and the emotionally charged Something In The Heavens. He also announced that following the summer, he plans to step away from touring to focus on writing a brand-new album — news that was met with considerable excitement from those in attendance.

In a touching moment, Capaldi gave a warm public shout-out to Scottish singing icon Susan Boyle, who was watching from the front of the stage. He also declared his support for Scotland ahead of their World Cup clash against Brazil, to the delight of the patriotic crowd. He wrapped up his headline performance with the beloved Someone You Loved, after which the festival concluded with a breathtaking fireworks display lighting up the Glasgow skyline.

Other Standout Performances Across the Weekend

Perrie Edwards Embraces the Scottish Crowd

Former Little Mix vocalist Perrie Edwards was another major draw on the main stage, and she made no secret of her affection for Scottish audiences, praising them for their infectious energy and rowdiness. Fans greeted her with enthusiastic chants of "no Scotland no party," a moment she clearly relished. Edwards delivered a crowd-pleasing medley of Little Mix's greatest hits alongside selections from her growing solo catalogue.

CMAT Steals the Show with Humour and Heart

Irish country pop sensation CMAT arguably delivered one of the most entertaining sets of the entire weekend. She led the audience in a spirited mass two-step dance routine and drew laughs by joking that her yellow polka-dot dress bore an uncanny resemblance to a can of Tennent's lager. Beyond the laughs, CMAT also touched on more serious ground, addressing the body-shaming she has faced throughout her career, before the crowd enthusiastically joined in for Take A Sexy Picture of Me. She closed her set by clambering over the barrier to celebrate directly with her fans.

Amy Macdonald and Local Talent Shine

Bishopbriggs singer Amy Macdonald delivered a career-spanning set that drew warm applause for timeless favourites such as This Is The Life and Let's Start A Band. She revealed plans to head to Miami to watch the Scotland vs Brazil match following the festival.

Glasgow-based artist Kerr Mercer opened the main stage and later admitted to BBC Scotland that nerves had got the better of him early on, causing him to forget the lyrics to his opening song. Despite the shaky start, he described the overall experience as incredible, noting the special significance of performing on the same stage where he had once watched Capaldi headline in 2019.

There was also a strong showing from BBC Introducing Artist of the Year Jacob Alon, while teenage singer Abbie Gordon, just 19 years old and hailing from Irvine, took to the BBC Introducing Stage to gain valuable exposure in front of a new audience.

A large crowd also gathered at the King Tut's Stage to catch soulful pop artist Skye Newman, though her performance was temporarily halted due to sound difficulties before she returned to complete a shortened set. Folk act Biird faced similar technical troubles on the BBC Introducing Stage, experiencing significant delays before they were able to perform.

Police Activity and Festival Safety

Police Scotland confirmed that a total of 11 arrests were made across the festival's first two days. On the opening night, six individuals were charged with various offences, including a 42-year-old accused of breaching air navigation regulations by flying a drone over the festival site. Two arrests were made in connection with drug offences, two for assault, and one for a road traffic violation.

A further five arrests were recorded on Saturday, with three male youths charged in connection with breach of the peace. Two additional individuals were arrested following a disturbance and subsequently issued with recorded police warnings. Six further people faced charges related to assault and breach of the peace offences.

Festival Atmosphere and Fan Zones

After a wet start to the weekend, conditions improved dramatically by Saturday, with vendors outside Glasgow Green swiftly pivoting from selling waterproof ponchos to sunglasses and chilled bottles of water as temperatures soared.

On the opening Friday, organisers DF Concerts set up a dedicated fan zone for Scotland's match against Morocco, with an estimated 10,000 supporters remaining on site after the music wrapped up to cheer on their national team.