FIVE will headline the opening night of Chelmsford Summer Series 2027, taking over Central Park on Friday 27 August as the first act announced for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Presented in association with Heart, the show brings all five members to Chelmsford as the band mark 30 years since forming in 1997. Further artists and details of the 2027 programme are still to be announced.
The date lands in the middle of a reunion that only properly restarted last year. Their Keep On Movin’ tour in 2025 was the first time all five members had shared a stage in more than 25 years. What began as a 12-date run grew to 25 arena shows across the UK and Ireland. That run continued into 2026 with dates in Australia and New Zealand, then UK summer headline shows and festivals. Chelmsford is the next step, timed for the band’s 30th anniversary year.
Abz Love, Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville, Sean Conlon and J Brown will play the Friday show. One of Britain’s most successful pop groups, FIVE have sold more than 20 million records worldwide and charted in more than 20 countries. All 11 of their singles reached the UK Top 10, including three No.1s, and their self-titled debut album entered the UK chart at No.1 in 1998. Both that album and the 1999 follow-up, Invincible, went double platinum.
Tickets go on pre-sale at 10am GMT on Tuesday 10 November, with general sale at 10am GMT on Wednesday 11 November. Priority access sign-up is open at chelmsford.live, and further information will be posted there as the programme fills out. Skiddle lists the Friday show as running from 5pm to 10pm, with a minimum age of 16.
The series launched in 2026 with a three-day open-air programme in the same park. Sugababes and McFly headlined Friday and Saturday, both presented in association with Heart, and New World Festival closed the weekend with Craig David Presents TS5. More than 30 artists played across the weekend, including Annie Mac, Melanie C (DJ set), Twin Atlantic, Kurupt FM and Nathan Dawe. McFly’s date carried a local angle, with drummer Harry Judd born in Chelmsford and bassist Dougie Poynter from nearby Corringham.
Central Park sits across more than 35 acres of parkland in the middle of the city, with the riverside and the historic railway viaduct as the backdrop. Organisers say the 2027 edition returns for the August Bank Holiday weekend in that same city-centre setting.
Councillor Jennie Lardge, Leader of Chelmsford City Council and Cabinet Member for Culture & Leisure, said the return of the series is set to bring another strong line-up to Central Park. “Welcoming more internationally renowned artists to Chelmsford reflects our ambition for the city. These concerts provide fantastic opportunities for residents to experience high-quality live music locally, while also helping to strengthen Chelmsford’s reputation as a destination for culture and events that the whole city can be proud of.”
Heart, which presents the Friday show, is the UK’s largest commercial radio brand and reaches more than 13 million listeners a week. The station plays a mix of contemporary hits and older favourites across its national and regional stations, and through Global Player.
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