Drake closed out the first night of Wireless Festival by bringing out Lauryn Hill as one of six surprise guests.

Last night (July 11), the event returned to Finsbury Park, with Drake becoming the first artist to headline the festival for three nights with three different setlists. To mark the rapper’s first UK performances in six years, he surprised the London crowd with a special guest in the ‘Ready or Not’ singer.

Hill sang ‘Ex-Factor’ before a seamless transition saw Drake rap 2018 single ‘Nice For What’, which samples the single from Hill’s 1998 album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’.

His first night at Wireless served as a love letter to R&B, and saw him tap singers like Mario, Bobby Valentino, Bryson Tiller, and Giveon to perform. Label signee PARTYNEXTDOOR also appeared, giving a handful of tracks, including ‘CN TOWER’, ‘OMW’ and ‘MOTHBALLS’, their live debut.

Drake had recently announced the ‘$ome $pecial $hows 4 UK EU’ 2025 tour with the Toronto duo, with the shows following the Wireless gig and kicking off with two nights at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on July 20.

Visit here for UK tickets and here for European tickets.

The moment Drake brought out Lauryn Hill on stage for night one of Wireless pic.twitter.com/M4S2vrRAUn

— Drake Direct (@DrakeDirect_) July 11, 2025

Lauryn Hill’s transition Ex-Factor into Nice For What is one of the most incredible things i’ve ever seen live this was an absolutely INSANE moment to see live in the flesh pic.twitter.com/B7pVyGvDUQ

— PenguinRisk (@PenguinRiskYt) July 11, 2025

Drake and Lauryn Hill performing ‘Nice For What’ pic.twitter.com/sUG28e0LqQ

— Drake Direct (@DrakeDirect_) July 11, 2025

Wireless went crazy for CN Tower pic.twitter.com/TmRMKNkLW8

— Drake Direct (@DrakeDirect_) July 12, 2025

‘DIE TRYING’ (with PARTYNEXTDOOR) (Live debut)
‘OMW’  (Live debut)
‘SOMEBODY LOVES ME’ (with PARTYNEXTDOOR) (Live debut)
‘PIMMIE’S DILEMMA’ (Live debut)
‘NOKIA’
‘I Will Always Love You’ (Whitney Houston cover as outro, dedicated to fans)
‘Ready or Not’ (Fugees cover with Lauryn Hill)
‘Ex-Factor’ (with Lauryn Hill)
‘Nice for What’ (with Lauryn Hill)

https://t.co/a0XQ8dzYxx pic.twitter.com/8L5X00WBXL

— Drake Direct (@DrakeDirect_) July 11, 2025

Taking to social media after the gig, fans made it clear the standout moment was the addition of Hill, with one writing on X/Twitter that it was “one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen live”.

It’s a far cry from a recent performance that saw The Fugees singer play to a largely empty stadium after delays meant she arrived at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans hours after she was scheduled to appear.

The festival later accepted responsibility, writing that the reason for the delay was “not hers”.

Hill went on to post her own statement, thanking the festival for “clarifying that the delays were not my fault”. She went on to say that she was “involved in every aspect of design, preparation and production of my shows while also being a parent, grandparent and steward to my immediate family and community”.