Simply Red have been named as the inaugural headliners for Somerset Sounds, the new summer festival at Taunton’s Cooper Associates County Ground on Sunday, 22 August 2027.
The date is the band’s only South West show of 2027 and the grand finale of their newly announced Summer Funk ’27 UK and European tour. Heather Small, the voice of M People, and Grammy winning soul collective Soul II Soul complete the first wave of the line-up, with more acts still to be announced.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale on Tuesday, 22 September at 10am, with the general sale following on Thursday, 24 September at 10am. Prices start at £62.50 for General Admission and £95 for Gold Circle, with hospitality packages also available. All prices exclude fees, and fans can sign up for pre-sale access now.
The announcement is the first major artist reveal since the festival’s launch as a joint venture between Somerset County Cricket Club and promoter Full Fat 360. Organisers want to turn the historic stadium into a regular stop on the UK summer touring circuit, with a main stage on the outfield, hospitality in the stands, food and drink across the site, and the St James Street Fan Village.
Built in 1881, the ground already has a long concert history, including Sir Elton John in 2006 and 2012, Rod Stewart in 2014 and Lionel Richie in 2023. A 2025 impact analysis estimated that the venue attracts 150,000 visitors a year, contributes more than £20 million annually to the local economy and supports over 200 jobs.
Fronted by Mick Hucknall since forming in 1985, Simply Red have sold more than 60 million records worldwide across a career of more than 40 years and five UK number one albums. Hits expected to feature include Fairground, Something Got Me Started, Holding Back the Years, Money’s Too Tight (To Mention), Stars and If You Don’t Know Me by Now. A new live recording of their take on the Four Tops classic Reach Out I’ll Be There is due on 24 September.
Hucknall said: “We can’t wait to get back out on the road again in summer 2027 to perform at some incredible and historic venues across the UK and Europe. You can expect a set full of Simply Red upbeat hits to get you on your feet having fun in the sun with friends and family.”
Heather Small will bring 90s anthems including Moving On Up, Search for the Hero, One Night in Heaven and her solo hit Proud. Soul II Soul, led by Jazzie B, are billed on the back of Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) and Keep On Movin’.
Full Fat 360 founder Oli Bartlam said Simply Red had been chosen to set the scale of the event. “Somerset Sounds represents a bold new chapter for the Cooper Associates County Ground, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to launch it with an iconic headliner like Simply Red. Mick Hucknall and the band have delivered some of the most timeless tracks in British music history, making them the perfect act to set the benchmark for what this event is all about. Bringing a globally renowned, multi-platinum act to Taunton signals our commitment to making Somerset Sounds a flagship summer event for the entire South West.”
Somerset CCC commercial director Caroline Herbert said the club wants the ground to become a live entertainment destination as well as a cricket venue. “We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming Simply Red, Heather Small and Soul II Soul to Taunton for the first Somerset Sounds. The Cooper Associates County Ground has a fantastic history of hosting major live music, and this gives us the opportunity to build on that while opening the venue up to new audiences who may not have visited us before.”
The County Ground sits in the centre of Taunton at St James Street, TA1 1JT, within walking distance of Taunton station and direct trains to London, Bristol, Exeter and the wider South West. Organisers say Somerset Sounds is intended to become an annual summer fixture, with further acts, ticket details and event information to follow in the coming months.
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