All Points East 2026: Tyler, The Creator

Modern rap icon Tyler, The Creator took over All Points East over the weekend for a two-day curated lineup. Likened to his yearly Camp Flog Gnaw in LA, London has received as stunning a bill as the festival’s American blueprint usually does. The first of these days featured some of the biggest current names in rap and rock, including Turnstile and Clipse — headlined, of course, by Tyler himself.

With soft, soulful vocals, singer Jean Dawson lit up the main stage with his full live band who performed sparkling melodies accompanied by sweet, gentle drums. Gripping a mic stand adorned with an LED tube in the shape of his scrawled signature, his gorgeous voice was complemented by lush guitar lines. Though Dawson and his band’s performance was admirable, it was somewhat let down by subpar sound quality, which caused essential parts of the mix to drift off into the air.

Packing out the North Arena tent was up-and-coming rapper Fakemink. However the hype was not reflected by his performance as songs were barely performed: a backing track did most of the heavy lifting. More popular tracks like ‘Fever’ and ‘LV Sandals’ saw the crowd bounce as one, but for the most part any potential mosh pits quickly fizzled out as the audience stood static and bored. Fakemink fell short of his collaborator Esdeekid’s performance the previous weekend, who was full of energy. To add insult to injury, the rapper played 15 minutes over his set and seemingly refused to leave at the end, arrogantly stating that he should have headlined instead and leaving many with a bitter taste as they left the tent disappointed.

Just around the corner, Clipse – consummate professionals – performed their hearts out. Opening their set with heavy hitters ‘Chains & Whips’ and ‘P.O.V.’, brothers Pusha T and Malice delivered classic, smooth hip-hop flows. Last year’s critically acclaimed Let God Sort Em Out was the focus of the set — a modern masterpiece with the same laid-back feel as their work in the early ‘00s.

The last acts of the day redeemed any earlier shortfalls tenfold. Having crossed over from their hardcore roots into mainstream popularity, Turnstile played some heavier songs but mostly tracks from their more pop-leaning recent works. They began with ‘BIRDS’ and the pits opened immediately, everyone bouncing around as they shouted each and every word along with this high-energy rock. The visuals onscreen were excellent, with camera operators inside the crowd broadcasting from inside the pits to the big screens to make the experience feel more intimate and grounded. Indie pop singer Faye Webster took to the stage to perform ‘I CARE’ alongside singer Brendan Yates, who seemed to perpetually leap about the stage. Turnstile also delivered a rendition of The Stone Roses’ ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ before closing with some of their most popular songs to end a lively performance.

Tyler, The Creator’s staging was set up like an underground station, complete with an NYC metro-style train which he incorporated into his act. Emerging from the steps leading down to the platform, he began by exploring his last two albums Don’t Tap the Glass and Chromakopia. The set then moved on to older tracks from other eras within his varied discography, from depressing hits like ‘IFHY’ to upbeat hype anthems such as ‘Who Dat Boy’. As this all unfolded, constant pyro flew up from the stage and the rapper danced his heart out in his usual outgoing manner. It’s clear that London is a very special place to Tyler, apparent both through his oration between songs and the way in which he added the name of the city to lyrics as he rapped. Despite this, he showed some frustration at the crowd not giving their all and dancing to the levels he expected at a Tyler, The Creator show. As the day came to an end and the ominous breathing intro of ‘NEW MAGIC WAND’ began, the audience came to life as they leapt about to the rapper’s most cathartic song before the awe-inducing closer ‘See You Again’.

Tyler remains at the top of his game nine albums into his solo career, and Victoria Park witnessed the distillation of his life’s work in a showstopping event. He’s an incredibly versatile performer, and there’s really no better way to finish a day celebrating rap and alternative music. Though some performances faced struggles, the negatives were overshadowed by the immense stage presence of the last few acts.