Sunday at C2C in London brought the weekend to a rousing close at The O2, weaving together a rich tapestry of sounds that celebrated both country music’s roots and its vibrant contemporary edge. As the crowd gathered for the final day of the festival, artists like Drake Milligan brought high‑energy old‑school Texan party vibes, Kameron Marlowe and Ashley Cooke delivered modern vocal power that resonated across the arena, and Mackenzie Carpenter charmed with cheeky lyrics wrapped in classic twang, each set adding its own spark to the day’s journey. Together, these performances built a lively, heartfelt lead‑in to the evening’s headline celebration with Brooks & Dunn, rounding out a memorable three‑day C2C experience that showcased the breadth of talent on show.
Mackenzie Carpenter
Mackenzie Carpenter opened the Main Stage with the relaxed confidence of an artist clearly enjoying a rapid rise through the C2C ranks. Having made her festival debut just a year earlier, Carpenter now found herself stepping onto the arena stage with growing momentum behind her debut album ‘Hey Country Queen.'
With an easy, girl-next-door charisma, Carpenter quickly settled into the cavernous venue, impressing with both her strong vocals and a stage presence that felt natural rather than rehearsed. Punchier numbers such as ‘Red Flags' showcased her contemporary country edge, while a toe-tapping cover of Olivia Dean’s ‘Man I Need' added a touch of playful versatility. Carpenter also used the set to introduce new material in the form of the wistfully melodic ‘Drunk Cigs,' but the standout moment came with a stripped-back solo performance of her breakout track ‘I Wish You Would', originally recorded with Midland. The quiet intensity of the performance highlighted her songwriting credentials — already proven through collaborations with artists like Megan Moroney — and confirmed that Carpenter is very much the real deal.
Ashley Cooke
If Carpenter eased the crowd into the afternoon, Ashley Cooke arrived with full-throttle pop-country confidence. Opening with the slick, anthemic ‘Excuses', Cooke stood front and centre with guitar in hand, clearly thrilled to be on the arena stage. A cracking guitar solo set the tone before she slipped straight into ‘I Almost Do', freeing herself from the guitar to work the stage with an engaging confidence that drew the crowd firmly into her orbit.
Cooke also debuted brand-new single ‘Xs,' due for release on March 27, a polished slice of modern pop-country featuring darker melodic edges and clever lyrical wordplay. But it was ‘The Hell You Are' that truly electrified the room. Driven by a galloping rhythm and a fast-paced chorus, the song culminated with Cooke and her guitarist duelling from separate podiums — vocals versus guitar — creating one of the most striking visual moments of the afternoon.
The mood shifted with the tender ballad ‘It’s Been a Year', dedicated to anyone “going through something.” Thousands of phone lights flickered across the arena in response, clearly moving Cooke in return. Energy soon surged back with a crowd-pleasing cover of Rascal Flatts’ ‘Summer Nights' — a song she recently revisited with the band on a new re-recorded version — before the blues-tinged sway of ‘Baby Blues' delivered a playful moment as Cooke sang directly to a female fan in the crowd who turned out to be Katie from the Girls in Low Places podcast filming a social media bits with Cooke on the inside of the moment all the time.
Cooke closed with her signature anthem ‘Your Place' a fiery post-breakup statement packed with attitude and a bombastic chorus. As she exited the stage she shouted, “I love you so much London!” in a mock British accent — a playful farewell to a crowd she had firmly won over.
Kameron Marlowe
Kameron Marlowe followed with one of the most powerful vocal performances of the weekend. Opening with ‘Tennessee Don’t Mind', co-written by Charles Kelley of Lady A, Marlowe immediately filled the arena with its galloping rhythm and evocative fiddle line. The momentum continued with the bombastic ‘Over Now', its huge arena-ready chorus and blistering guitar solo proving a perfect fit for the venue.
The riotous ‘911' kept the tempo high before ‘Sober as a Drunk' introduced a bluesy edge that showcased Marlowe’s gruff, commanding vocal tone. From there, the set pivoted into the sweeping ballad ‘Giving You Up', Marlowe returning to the mic with guitar as the song echoed dramatically around the arena. An emotional cover of Teddy Swims’ ‘Lose Control' proved a natural fit for his powerhouse voice before the mood shifted back to roaring rock energy with ‘Fire on the Hillside', arguably the loudest moment of the set.
The finale came as a trio of crowd-pleasers. ‘Burn ’Em All' had fists pumping across the arena, while radio favourite ‘Girl on Fire' prompted a full-voice singalong. Closing with ‘Strangers', his duet with Ella Langley, initially seemed an unusual choice — until Cooke re-emerged wearing an “I Love London” vest to perform the part live. The pair delivered soaring harmonies and a memorable closing moment that left the crowd buzzing.
Drake Milligan
But if one artist truly owned the arena, it was Drake Milligan.
Launching into the opening run of ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do,' ‘Bad Day to Be a Beer,' ‘Cryin’ Shoulder' and ‘Tipping Point,' Milligan unleashed a whirlwind of Texan twang, rockabilly swagger and pure stagecraft. The crowd responded instantly — dancing, cheering and singing along at full volume.
Milligan’s performance was a masterclass in showmanship: hip-shaking dance moves, hair-tossing energy and synchronised band choreography that felt like Elvis Presley channelled through a Texas honky-tonk. ‘Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin’ slowed things briefly for a two-step groove before ‘I Got a Problem' reignited the arena, with Milligan holding the longest note of the weekend before the crowd exploded into a euphoric singalong.
‘Hating Everything She Tries On' shifted into a retro two-step that had couples dancing in the aisles, while ‘Slow Dancin’ to a Fast Song' delivered one of the most unusual arrangements of the set, blending galloping verses with a two-step chorus and even a classic Buck Owens-style vocal “haw.”
The energy stayed high through ‘How Much Beer,' originally recorded with Randall King, before the late-set highlight ‘Tumbleweed' delivered a huge arena-filling chorus. Announcing a November tour just beforehand was a savvy move — ticket demand is likely to spike quickly. No Milligan show would be complete without his electrifying cover of ‘Burning Love,' written by Dennis Linde and immortalised by Presley, and the arena erupted as the rockabilly classic rolled through the O2.
He closed the set exactly as he began — with explosive energy. ‘Long Haul' and ‘Kiss Goodbye All Night” triggered uninhibited dancing throughout the crowd, with Milligan’s Elvis-inspired moves and relentless stage presence turning the arena into a full-blown honky-tonk.
A perfectly paced build
Taken together, the afternoon’s line-up delivered perhaps the strongest and most cohesive run of performances across the entire three days of C2C. The progression from Carpenter’s easy charm to Cooke’s pop-country polish, Marlowe’s arena-ready power and Milligan’s show-stealing rockabilly spectacle created a near-perfect build of momentum leading into the night’s headliners. It may increasingly feel like it’s Drake Milligan’s world and the rest of us are just living in it, but every artist on the bill seized their moment — placing themselves firmly in the shop window for bigger stages, wider audiences and the next chapter of their careers.
