Somerset County Cricket Club has partnered with live entertainment company Full Fat 360 to launch Somerset Sounds, a new annual summer concert destination at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton from summer 2027.
The joint venture is intended to put the South West ground on the national touring circuit for global headline acts, sitting between major city stadium runs and audiences across the region. Organisers say the first major headliners and line-up announcements will be revealed very soon.
The County Ground already has a long concert history, having staged shows by Sir Elton John in 2006 and 2012, Rod Stewart in 2014 and Lionel Richie in 2023. Somerset Sounds is being framed as the next step in the venue’s evolution beyond its 145 year sporting legacy, which dates back to 1881.
Shows will take place on an outdoor main stage on the outfield, with thousands of fans on the grass and premium hospitality in the stands. A new St James Street Fan Village is also planned, with food, drink and cultural pop ups, against the backdrop of the Quantock Hills and Taunton’s church towers.
The ground is minutes from Taunton station, with direct trains to London, Bristol and Exeter. Fans can sign up for priority ticket access now at somersetsounds.co.uk.
The series will be co promoted and delivered by Full Fat 360, whose national work includes the SMK Live festival at Milton Keynes’ 30,000 capacity Stadium MK, plus headline shows such as Kings of Leon and the multi act BS3 Festival at Bristol’s Ashton Gate. The company has been staging concerts, festivals and stadium shows across the UK and Europe since 2010.
Founder Oli Bartlam said: “The Cooper Associates County Ground already has an incredible legacy of hosting world class live entertainment, and Somerset Sounds is the next ambitious step in that evolution. Taunton and the wider region have a massive appetite for major live music, and this partnership allows us to establish the region as a destination on the national touring circuit. We’re thrilled to be working with Somerset County Cricket Club to bring international acts to this iconic venue and build an event series the entire South West can be proud of. Summer 2027 is only the beginning.”
Somerset CCC chief executive Jamie Cox said cricket will remain at the heart of the club, but the venue now has a wider role to play. “We want to create experiences that bring new audiences to Taunton from across the South West and beyond, while generating meaningful economic and cultural benefits for the County. We have a proud history of hosting some of the world’s biggest artists here, and Somerset Sounds gives us the opportunity to build on that heritage and create something distinctive, ambitious and enduring. Our ambition is for Somerset Sounds to become one of the standout dates in the South West summer calendar and we’re incredibly excited about what we’re going to announce for 2027.”
A 2025 impact analysis estimated that after attracting 150,000 visitors a year to the Cooper Associates County Ground, and taking the club’s annual turnover into account, Somerset CCC contributes more than £20m per year and directly supports over 200 jobs in the local area. The club was founded in 1875 and is one of 18 professional First Class counties, winning the Royal London One Day Cup in 2019 and the Vitality Blast in 2023 and 2025, while also launching a professional women’s team ahead of the 2025 season.
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