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Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
I'm a freshly graduated mess – and Noah Kahan set me off
As someone whose Spotify Wrapped looks like a psychoanalyst's worst nightmare, seeing Noah Kahan at BST felt like a trip to therapy. Last night, I cried into my warm cider with 65,000 strangers while a man in Dutch braids sang about leaving home, seasonal depression, and the emotional weight of New England. The number of times I went from sobbing to crying with laughter – if singing didn't work out, he could have always taken up comedy (PSA I am glad the singing worked out). It felt like a giant group hug between friends, fathers and daughters and people who met five minutes ago in the queue. It was definitely a night to remember. British Summer Time opened with three incredibly talented artists on The Great Oak Stage: Gigi Perez, Finneas and Gracie Abrams. I was a fan of each of these artists prior to going, but hearing them all live was an out-of-body experience; as a girl currently crashing out about leaving university, nothing quite compares to screaming 'Free Now' in a sunny field with your best friend. Not forgetting to mention the roar of the crowd when Finneas brought out new bandmate Ashe to perform their iconic hit 'Til Forever Falls Apart'. The pair (now in a band titled 'The Favours') also performed a new song titled 'The Hudson' which is set to release on July 11th. After our voices were well and truly warmed up a crowd of emotionally unstable Noah Kahan fans waited in anticipation. He opened with All My Love, which had every single person jumping up and down from the first guitar chord. Shout out to school assemblies for preparing us for this moment, all 65,000 of us screaming his lyrics back to him – my ears are still ringing. The 28-year-old superstar addressed the crowd after his first song, 'My name is Noah Kahan and this is the biggest show I have ever played in my life'. The 28-year-old was born in Vermont, USA (he sings about this a lot – from what I've gathered he is not a huge fan). He loves to dutch braid his hair. Also is very familiar with a brightly coloured two piece. His hit 'Stick Season' was number one for seven consecutive weeks in the UK. His 2022 album 'Stick Season' was re-released as 'Stick Season: we will all be here forever' in 2023 The re-release featured some of music's biggest names with the likes of Gracie Abrams, Hozier, Sam Fender, Post Malone and a few other incredible artists. TW: His music will make you cry. For the eighth year, 150,000 festival goers will descend on Glasgow Green from 11-13 July to see the liked of 50 Cent, Gracie Abrams and Biffy Clyro, and you could be there! Metro has teamed up with Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT Festival to offer four VIP tickets to one lucky winner. For a chance to win this massive music prize, simply enter your details here. You have until midnight on Sunday 6 July 2025 to enter using the form below. Entrants must be 18+. Good luck! T&Cs apply*. Click here if form is not loading. * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 18:01 BST on 2 July 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 6 July 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions is necessary to enter the promotion. There will be one (1) winner. The winner will win four (4) VIP weekend tickets for TRNSMT Festival, running from 11th – 13th July 2025 at Glasgow Green, in Glasgow ('Prize'). Proof of age and photographic ID are required for entry for all guests (the guests of the winner must be at least 16 years old at the time of entry). The Prize, including entry and attendance at TRSNMT festival, is subject to and governed by the Promoter's full ticket terms and conditions. 1 prize available. 1 entry per person. Full T&Cs apply, see here. As the crowd continued to scream and cheer, the chords of 'Everywhere Everything' started to play – a clear fan favourite. Noah's vocals were pitch-perfect and after posting on his Instagram 'Special surprises for you tonight' everyone was on edge wondering which guests he would bring on to the stage. There were whispers in the crowds of Sam Fender, Hozier and even a potential surprise performance of 'Dial Drunk' with Post Malone. After the first chorus, Noah shouted 'Make some noise for Gracie Abrams' as the 25-year-old pop star walked out onto the stage to sing her verse. I was amongst the girls screaming at this moment as it was a crossover of the most gut-wrenching artists. After the slight disappointment of Post Malone not coming out for 'Dial Drunk', Noah climbed down the stage and ran over to the B stage – high-fiving as many hands as he could on his way there. Noah joked: 'Yes I have two stages, it's like the Eras Tour but the only era is depression'. The number of times I went from sobbing to crying with laughter – if singing didn't work out, he could have always taken up comedy (PSA I am glad the singing worked out). The crowd decided on his 2022 masterpiece, 'Strawberry Wine' which once again had us tearing up at the moving lyrics. This didn't feel like a concert, it felt like collective CPR – the way Noah has the ability to make his sold-out show feel like he is sitting with his guitar in the living room at 2am is all part of his incomparable talent. Back on the main stage, Noah began to play 'You're gonna go far' which sent post-grad me into another emotional breakdown – but it did feel like the perfect remedy. Noah went on to say, 'This is a big night, my mum is here somewhere,' which once again set off the harmonious screaming as people tried to spot the superstar's mum. He then introduced his massive hit, 'Call Your Mom' by saying: 'This one is for your mom haha.' Once again 65,000 Noah fans went wild as he brought out Gigi Perez to sing the second verse, which was nothing far from angelic – side note: Gigi needs way more attention her voice was incredible live. The Stick Season hitmaker darted off the stage as Hyde Park chanted 'Noah, Noah, Noah.' He ran back on the stage sporting a Chelsea FC shirt, where the crowd began to boo in unison causing Noah to break into laughter at the controversy he had created. His band began to play the TikTok hit, 'Northern Attitude' – fans had already noticed an extra mic stand on the stage so the guesses of who would be up there with Noah were being thrown around the crowd. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video To everyone's shock, it was not Hozier, as the light came on no other than Lewis Capaldi was standing dressed as Noah with the matching Chelsea FC top and his hair in braids – words can't describe how loud Hyde Park screamed at the moment. More Trending It was the duet no one expected but everyone there needed, especially after Capaldi's recent hiatus from music – it felt like we were witnessing history. The show closed with his iconic track, 'Stick Season', every single person in the park was dancing, hugging their friends, singing their hearts out as fireworks lit up the sky – it was all very weirdly healing. The whole night felt like a fever dream and it was a lot cheaper than therapy or going travelling to 'find myself'. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Oasis, Lewis Capaldi, Lady Gaga and more: 2025's most anticipated upcoming tours MORE: Lewis Capaldi soars up charts to number 1 after sensational Glastonbury comeback MORE: Not inspired by the Glastonbury headliners? These 6 acts blew me away
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Limerick lights up with Twilight Thursdays
Local efforts to boost the night‑time economy in Limerick take centre stage as the city hosts its second Twilight Thursday, drawing locals and visitors in for a lively mix of culture, music and dining. Supported by council, Uber and Free Now, the initiative aims to extend trading hours and boost footfall in a safe evening atmosphere.
CNBC
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
TD Cowen upgrades this ride-sharing stock, calls it 'best smidcap idea' of 2025
A number of catalysts could lead to more gains for Lyft , according to TD Cowen. Analyst John Blackledge upgraded the ride-sharing stock to buy from hold, naming it his "best smidcap idea" for 2025. The analyst also upped his price target by $5 to $21, which implies more than 40% upside from Monday's close. "We see multiple growth levers ahead amid strong execution from the current [management] team, who has refocused the company on 'customer obsession' and has rolled out multiple innovations to improve experience for riders & drivers (most recently Price Lock)," Blackledge wrote on Tuesday. Shares were up more than 5% in the premarket following the call. The stock has also gained nearly 16% this year and more than 22% in the past three months, outpacing the S & P 500 in both timeframes. LYFT 3M mountain LYFT, 3-month Blackledge believes that Lyft's increasing focus on "tier 2" cities such as Charlotte and Indianapolis and the opportunity provided by the company's acquisition of European taxi app FreeNow should help spur gains ahead. In addition, he cited the company's product innovation – like its Price Lock feature, which allows customers to secure a consistent daily price for specific routes – and its partnerships with other companies such as DoorDash as catalysts for growth. Beyond those drivers, Blackledge believes investors underappreciate the opportunity that autonomous vehicles provide for Lyft, as the company is on pace to launch AVs this summer in Atlanta through its May Mobility partnership. It's also set to launch Mobileye-powered AVs in Dallas next year through its partnership with Marubeni. "We think autonomous vehicles (AVs) should expand rideshare [total addressable market] over the long-term, helping to drive new use cases such as serving riders who would prefer a driver-less trip," the analyst wrote. "Lyft is well positioned with FlexDrive (~14K cars on balance sheet) as AVs scale and require fleet [management] partners." To be sure, most analysts are on the sidelines when it comes to Lyft. Of the 48 covering the stock, 32 rate it as neutral.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prediction: Lyft Stock Could Double in the Next 3 Years
Lyft's business has improved significantly over the last three years. The ride-share company is expanding into Europe with its recently announced acquisition of FreeNow. It continues to add new features like Lyft Silver. 10 stocks we like better than Lyft › Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) has had a tough time on the public markets. Share prices of the ridesharing company, which has long been in the shadow of the larger Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER), are down 77% since its IPO in 2019. Both ridesharing stocks were overpriced when they went public, and both tumbled when the pandemic started, but since then, their performances have diverged. Uber stock has soared as the company has brought costs under control and delivered steady growth, reinforcing its competitive advantages. Based on its weak stock performance, you might expect to hear that Lyft lagged behind Uber in growth, but that isn't the case. Its revenue growth has been faster than Uber's over the last year. Lyft has now reported 16 straight quarters of double-digit percentage gross bookings growth. It made strides on the bottom line as well. Last year, it reported a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) profit for the first time. In 2025's first quarter, Lyft reported adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $106.5 million, which was nearly double what it booked a year before. Lyft also reported free cash flow over the last four quarters of $919.9 million due in part to a large increase in insurance reserves. With Lyft's market cap at less than $7 billion, the stock trades for less than 8 times trailing free cash flow. That's one good reason to bet that Lyft can double over the next three years. Let's take a look at a couple of others. Unlike Uber, Lyft has historically only operated in North America, but the company made a big move in April, paying $200 million to acquire FreeNow, a ride-share platform in Europe that was owned by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The move essentially doubles Lyft's addressable market by giving it exposure to nine countries and more than 150 cities. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of the year, should increase the company's annualized gross bookings by about $1 billion. That's less than 10% of Lyft's current gross bookings, but the growth opportunity is what's most valuable here. Additionally, FreeNow's revenue increased 13% in 2024, and the operation has reached break-even. FreeNow will continue to operate under its own brand, but Lyft plans to roll out new benefits for riders and drivers and integrate the apps so that riders can use either one in North America or Europe. Lyft also continues to improve its service with new features and innovations. For example, it just rolled out Lyft Silver, a feature directed at older riders that makes the app easier to use and makes customer service more readily available. The goal is to more effectively appeal to a market that's soon to reach 70 million Americans. Currently, the over-65 demographic makes up just 5% of Lyft rides. The company also introduced Price Lock, a feature that allows customers to lock in their prices for regular commutes for a small fee, rather than risking a jump from surge pricing, or "prime time" pricing, as Lyft calls it. And it rolled out a new AI earnings assistant for drivers that's designed to help them maximize the value of their time on the road. Overall, Lyft has growth opportunities thanks to the acquisition of Freeform and its track record of innovation, which has allowed it to take market share from Uber at times. The stock is also trading at an attractive price-to-sales ratio of just above 1, and its low free cash flow ratio is setting it up to buy back shares, which could give a boost to the stock price over the long term. If the company can maintain its growth rate and improve its profitability, doubling in the next three years seems achievable for the stock. Before you buy stock in Lyft, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Lyft wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $638,985!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $853,108!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 978% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 171% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Jeremy Bowman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: Lyft Stock Could Double in the Next 3 Years was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lyft to enter European market with $200 million FreeNow acquisition
By Akash Sriram (Reuters) - Lyft is buying mobility platform FreeNow from German automotive giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz for 175 million euros ($198.40 million) to expand into the European ride-hailing market, the U.S. company said on Wednesday. Under pressure from dominant ride-hailing rival Uber Technologies in its home North American market, Lyft has been seeking new avenues to grow its business. The acquisition of FreeNow will nearly double its potential market and open doors to major European cities such as London, Frankfurt, Paris and Milan, where the German firm offers services ranging from traditional taxi to e-scooter rentals and car-sharing options. Lyft would be entering the European market at "a good price and more importantly, a great time," Lyft CEO David Risher told Reuters, adding the company was in a financially strong position to expand. FreeNow operates in more than 150 cities across nine European countries. The company said in September it had achieved break-even status, on the back of a 13% year-on-year increase in 2024 revenue and its focus on taxi operations. Lyft said the acquisition will almost double its addressable market to more than 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year from about 161 billion. "Almost half of the taxi industry in Europe is still offline. So it's also where a lot of growth potential comes from," FreeNow CEO Thomas Zimmermann said in an interview. But its efforts to grow in Europe by capturing more of the offline market will face competition from Uber as well as Estonia's Bolt Technology, as both companies have a strong hold over the European market. European regulations are also pushing ride-hailing firms to enhance driver benefits, such as minimum wage guarantees and holiday pay, while also increasing pressure on pricing structures to ensure fair compensation. Bolt recently introduced benefits such as holiday pay and minimum wage guarantees for UK drivers in response to regulatory pressures. ($1 = 0.8821 euros) Sign in to access your portfolio
