Live report : JADE sets off the main stage at Electric Picnic

As thunderclouds rolled across Stradbally and torrential rain disrupted Friday evening’s schedule, JADE’s Main Stage debut at Electric Picnic arrived half an hour late. The delay did little to dampen anticipation. If anything, the soaked crowd seemed even more eager to witness one of pop’s most compelling reinventions. Fresh from the release of her debut album That’s Showbiz Baby!, the former Little Mix star has spent the past year carving out an identity distinct from the group that made her famous.

The question that follows every major pop group split is whether individual members can truly flourish outside the group setting. Having reviewed ex Little mix member Leigh-Anne’s performance only a few months prior, it seems each member has been finding their own sense of selfhood after being a collective for so long. Jade is no different.

Dressed in a custom reworked Ireland jersey created by fashion designer and fan Dillon Quinn, she immediately won over the festival audience, peppering the set with references to spice bags, Irish weather and her affection for Irish crowds.

Voguing backup dancers, relentless pop hooks and unapologetic sexuality combined to create a show that felt worlds away from the polished restraint often associated with Little Mix. Her newer music, taking inspiration from queer club culture and diva stars like Diana Ross, marks a shift in a new direction for the recently solo artist.

The theme of acceptance that comes along with these inspirations follows as she says, “This one is for all the women, the man, the trans women, the trans men.” “It doesn't matter who you are or who you want to be or who you want to love your all welcome in the church of JADE.”

The song ‘Church’, with its unmistakable nods to ‘Vogue’-era Madonna, elevated the atmosphere further, turning the rain-soaked field into a euphoric open-air dancefloor.

Another highlight arrived with ‘Before You Break My Heart’, introduced as a collaboration with her younger self. Its interpolation of The Supremes’ ‘Stop! In The Name Of Love’ injected a playful nostalgia into proceedings, sending fans dancing and sliding through the festival mud.

Tinie Tempah at Electric Picnic on August 29, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/hotpress.com

Importantly, JADE never treats her Little Mix past as baggage. Rather than distancing herself from the group, she celebrates it. A medley featuring favourites including ‘Shout Out To My Ex’, ‘Sweet Melody’ and ‘Power’ prompted one of the night's biggest singalongs, acknowledging the foundation upon which her solo career has been built while demonstrating just how far she has travelled since.

In an interview with Hot Press earlier that day, JADE had reflected on the pressures of public approval and the strange grip of fame. Those ideas underpin much of That’s Showbiz Baby!, and nowhere did they resonate more strongly than her song ‘Angel Of My Dreams’.

The BRIT Award-winning single remains a thrilling a pop anthem that wrestles with fame, identity and the machinery of the music industry while never sacrificing its chart-ready ambition.

Electric Picnic marked JADE’s first appearance at the festival, but it is unlikely to be her last. What emerged from this set was not an artist still searching for herself, but one actively constructing something new from the influences, experiences and contradictions that shaped her. Borrowing from pop history while refusing to be defined by it.

JADE at Electric Picnic on August 29, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/hotpress.com