The Somerset House Summer Series with American Express has seen some seriously impressive artists take to the stage in the building’s instantly recognisable neoclassical courtyard. Past headliners include Adele, Amy Winehouse, Olivia Dean and Patti Smith – and this morning, Somerset House has announced its 2026 line-up, which blends well-established bands like The Flaming Lips with artists at the forefront of innovation, like hip hop artist and Punjabi music producer Raf-Saperra.
The festival series will run across 11 days (July 16 to 26), with tickets on sale first to American Express cardmembers from 10am, Tuesday March 3. They’ll be priced between £30 and £60.
“We’re delighted to unveil the curated headliners for this year’s Somerset House Summer Series,” the venue’s head of live events, Matthew Cook, said in a statement. Cook described the line-up as a combination of “creative trailblazers who have led the way for bold new genres … distinctly individual talents who continue to surprise, and future greats carving out their own path”.
The series kicks off on Thursday July 16 with Naïka: an American-born, French-Haitian singer-songwriter who will bring her fusion of pop, soul and R’n’B to her biggest UK headline show yet. Indie and alternative rock fans are taken care of, with Wakefield’s finest The Cribs (July 20), who’ll perform anthems like Men’s Needs alongside tracks from their new album Selling A Vibe; and Black Country, New Road (July 22), bringing their latest album Forever Howlong to the courtyard. There’s nothing like a live show from The Flaming Lips (July 25), who will distil 40 years of psychedelic rock into an all-encompassing spectacle.
As always with the Somerset House Summer Series, boundary-pushing music is on the agenda, with the likes of Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel (July 21), known for her rich soundscapes, and singular composer and storyteller Benjamin Clementine (July 26) closing out the series.
The full line-up is below:
Thursday July 16: Naïka
Friday July 17: Palace
Saturday July 18: Thee Sacred Souls
Sunday July 19: Lightning Seeds
Monday July 20: The Cribs
Tuesday July 21: Agnes Obel
Wednesday July 22: Black Country, New Road
Thursday July 23: Venna
Friday July 24: Raf-Saperra
Saturday July 25: The Flaming Lips
Sunday July 26: Benjamin Clementine
General presale for Somerset House Summer Series with American Express (July 16 to 26) begins at 10am, Thursday March 5, with general tickets on sale at 10am, Friday March 6.
