Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts staged a mini–Girls Aloud reunion during Years and Years’ set at Mighty Hoopla on Sunday (04.06.23).
The two members of the noughties girl group – which disbanded in 2013 – joined Olly Alexander for a rendition of ‘The Promise’ and ‘Call the Shots’.
The trio and the audience shared an emotionally uplifting moment as festival-goers helped sing late band member Sarah Harding’s line, “Here I am, walking primrose,” on the former song.
The day before, Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle took to the stage for a solo set at London’s Brockwell Park.
Cheryl was the only member not to perform at the LGBTQ+ festival, which she headlined in 2021 and was briefly joined by Nicola.
Nadine previously insisted it would be “very wrong” for Girls Aloud to get back together.
The girl group vowed not to perform together again because it “wouldn’t be the same” without Sarah, who died of cancer in 2021.
Nadine told The Sun on Sunday newspaper’s Bizarre column about the possibility of a reunion: “It wouldn’t be the same.
“It would feel so very wrong without having Sarah at it.”
Cheryl recently said that a full Girls Aloud reunion was not on the cards but she insisted that Sarah’s passing made them all “a lot closer”.
She told the Mail Online: “We haven’t spoken about Girls Aloud stuff since we learned of Sarah’s diagnosis.
“What Sarah’s departure did do was bring us all really a lot closer, just as women as mothers as friends. But we haven’t spoken about anything work-related for many years now.
“It wouldn’t feel quite like Girls Aloud without her because she was such a big character and a big part of it.
“I’ve learned throughout my life you should never say never but we’re just closer at the moment as friends and I love how we are right now. Work just hasn’t crept in at all. We’re not there yet.”
The surviving members of the group held a charity gala, The Primrose Ball, in honour of Sarah last year.