North West Performs First Solo Music Festival Set With Support From Ye & Kim Kardashian
The 12-year-old's set at Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash 2026 follows the release of her debut EP, N0rth4evr.
North West
North West reached a new milestone in her budding music career, delivering her first solo set at a music festival.
On Friday (June 12), the 12-year-old daughter of Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Kim Kardashian took the stage at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2026 in Chicago.
Dressed in a black Balenciaga ensemble, dark sunglasses, spiky jewelry and long blue pigtails, North performed her 2024 collaboration with Ye, “TALKING,” from his album Vultures 1.
The young rapper-producer’s proud parents both celebrated the moment on social media. Ye reposted a clip of the early evening performance on his Instagram Stories.
“The crowd was jumping for North West at Summer Smash when she played ‘TALKING,'” read a caption over a video showing North performing the track for an energized festival crowd.
Kardashian also gave an inside look at Summer Smash 2026, sharing a photo of backstage passes featuring North’s face on her Instagram Stories. The SKIMS founder posted another a clip of her daughter running onto the festival stage, writing over the video, “North West just arrived at her first ever festival performance.”
North’s debut solo music festival performance arrives on the heels of her debut EP, N0rth4evr, which dropped in early May.
She previously tested the waters in music and made waves appearing on Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures, as well as FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA album. North released her “Piercing on My Hand” single in February and also made an appearance at Ye’s SoFi Stadium shows in Los Angeles in April.
Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2026 features Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and Baby Keem as headliners for the three-night event. The festival runs June 12–14 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.
