Cruz Beckham performed at Reading Festival over the weekend with his band The Breakers as his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, watched from the front of the crowd before joining him backstage.
The former professional footballer, 51, wrapped his 21-year-old son in a warm embrace outside his trailer in the festival grounds following the set. David told Cruz that his band's performance was "amazing" and said "well done," while Victoria added, "I'm so proud of you!"
Fashion designer Victoria, 52, also praised her son's stage look, which featured an orange crop top and jeans, telling him, "I love what you're wearing." She acted as a supportive stage mother throughout the appearance, taking photographs on her camera backstage.
Cruz's younger sister Harper, 15, praised the gig as "insane" after joining him on stage alongside his 30-year-old girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, to throw T-shirts into the audience. His 24-year-old brother Romeo Beckham was also backstage with the family.
Backstage celebration and dedicated performance
David asked Cruz about the atmosphere inside the tent on the Canopy Stage, asking, "Crowd was great no? Yeah wicked." A concertgoer told the Daily Mail that David and Victoria listened attentively from the audience, with Victoria embracing David affectionately while watching their son play in torrential rain.
Speaking to the camera backstage after the show, Cruz expressed his excitement over the crowd's energy. "I am absolutely buzzing, yo Reading, you guys turnt it up! It was the best crowd reception we've ever had. That was insane," he said. "Thank you Reading, thank you to all the supporters. Holy s*** that was insane! It was all rainy but that was very fun I'm exhausted, we're gonna get McDonalds. I love you all."
To prepare before going on stage, Cruz spent time backstage watching videos of Michael Jackson to get in the zone. Earlier in the day, Jackie Apostel posted a photo to her Instagram Story wearing a bright yellow T-shirt printed with the phrase: "Cruz Beckham sang to me."
During the performance, Cruz dedicated a song to his younger sister before she joined him on stage. "This show is our second to last show on this tour and we've had an incredible time. It's been amazing seeing everybody and just want to thank you for all the love and all the support," he told the crowd. "This next song, I'd like to dedicate to my little sister who's just dancing right there. It's called, Nobody."
The Breakers tour and family background
The performance marked the UK festival debut for Cruz and his band The Breakers. The group released their EP Wear & Tear earlier this month and spent the year touring across the United Kingdom, with their Reading Festival appearance serving as the second to last date on the tour.
David and Victoria Beckham traveled back from Europe to attend the event in person. After spending the summer touring around Europe on their 16 million pound luxury yacht, the couple jetted back from the Amalfi Coast to rainy Reading in time to watch Cruz take to the stage.
David Beckham is a former captain of the England national football team who played for Manchester United and Real Madrid. Victoria Beckham rose to prominence as Posh Spice in the 1990s pop group the Spice Girls before establishing her namesake fashion label.
Canopy Stage replaces BBC Introducing outlet
Cruz made light of media commentary regarding celebrity offspring on festival lineups during his set, greeting the crowd with the remark, "welcome to the nepo stage."
The organizers of Reading and Leeds Festival sparked outrage among attendees after removing an outlet specifically designed for up-and-coming bands to make room for a group of celebrity offspring, including Cruz's band The Breakers.
For almost 20 years, the BBC Introducing Stage provided a space at the festival for unsigned artists to showcase their talents to a wider audience. Previous performers on the BBC stage include major headliners such as Charli XCX, Dave, Raye, and Florence And The Machine, all of whom performed at the festival over the weekend.
This year, festival organisers replaced the BBC Introducing Stage with an area named the Canopy Stage, which was billed as a home for new and breaking acts. However, the lineup featured several performers with famous parents, leading fans to dub it the Nepo Baby Stage.
In addition to The Breakers, acts on the Canopy Stage included Violet Grohl, daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl; People I've Met, fronted by Moses Martin, son of Coldplay singer Chris Martin and actress Gwyneth Paltrow; and Villanelle, fronted by Gene Gallagher, son of Oasis singer Liam Gallagher and All Saints singer Nicole Appleton.
The Canopy Stage also showcased December 10, a band formed on Simon Cowell's Netflix series The Next Act. Festival attendees over the weekend also saw main stage performances from headliners Charli XCX, Dave, Raye, and Florence And The Machine.
