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Celebrating the return of open-air live music at Somerset House in 2022. Dates and festival headliners announced.
THURSDAY 7 JULY: TEMS
FRIDAY 8 JULY: SQUID
SATURDAY 9 JULY: YUSSEF DAYES
SUNDAY 10 JULY: BOMBA ESTÉREO
MONDAY 11 JULY: CARLY RAE JEPSEN
TUESDAY 12 JULY: ARLO PARKS
WEDNESDAY 13 JULY: BLACK MIDI
THURSDAY 14 JULY: GHETTS
FRIDAY 15 JULY: SG LEWIS
SATURDAY 16 JULY: JOHN LEGEND
SUNDAY 17 JULY: MABEL
Somerset House Summer Series with American Express returns to the capital in July 2022, promising an unforgettable experience with eleven nights of incredible gigs after two years away. An unmissable summer experience, Somerset House Summer Series brings a vibrant festival atmosphere right to the heart of London, offering music fans the rare opportunity to enjoy world-renowned and emerging acts, across a wide range of diverse and eclectic genres in a spectacular, intimate setting.
This year’s Somerset House Summer Series kicks off on Thursday 7 July with TEMS. The disarming melodies of the Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Tems, AKA 26-year-old Temilade Openiyi, defined and soundtracked the last eighteen months, with her vocals on Wizkid’s Essence dominating global streaming charts in 2021, so there’s no better way to reopen Summer Series and celebrate the return of gigs to Somerset House.
Experimental five-piece Squid, signed to Warp Records, released their debut album Bright Green Field to a fanfare of acclaim, cementing their reputation as one of the most exciting acts to emerge in years. Expect to be blown away by their incendiary fusion of exhilarating, contemporary rhythmic sound and a mix of avant-garde yet gloriously infectious songs.
The opening weekend introduces Yussef Dayes. Born and raised in South East London. Arguably one of the UK’s most innovative young drummers and producers and with his solo album on the horizon, it’s a perfect moment for Summer Series to showcase Yussef’s innovative sound and his collaborations with an array of very special guests which will make for a special extended show on the Saturday.
Colombian duo Bomba Estéreo join the bill on Sunday 10 and look set to light up the Summer Series experience, transforming the historic courtyard into a tropical-electro carnival with their unique and passionate Latin party anthems that will have audiences dancing throughout the night.
The following week opens with multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer Carly Rae Jepsen, who brings her own inimitable, effervescent pop to the courtyard (Monday 11). The indisputable, modern-day pop icon, Carly Rae Jepsen - who wrote the ubiquitous pop anthems Call Me Maybe and I Really Like You - will dazzle the courtyard crowd and no doubt leave everyone smiling for days.
Summer Series has a track record of showcasing major new talent, and this year welcomes Brit Award, Mercury Prize winner and BBC Introducing Artist of the Year, Arlo Parks on Tuesday 12. The 21-year old from West London burst onto the scene with 2018’s Cola and her expressive and poetic, luscious songs celebrated in her debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, has cemented her place amongst the UK’s brightest talents, making this performance a real highlight.
One of the UK’s most exciting and challenging young rock bands, Black Midi inject a sonic exclamation point midweek in the festival, bringing their dynamic, hellacious and mercurial sound to the courtyard for what promises to be one of the most experimental shows of Summer Series.
Next up is Ghetts, increasingly recognised as one of the most vital, talented and enduring artists to emerge from the UK’s grime scene. Born Justin Clarke, the East Londoner combines razor-sharp rhymes delivered with crystal clear diction, a healthy dose of humour, and creative, intelligent wordplay. Recent acclaim for his latest album Conflict of Interest further cements Ghetts’ status as one of the UK’s greatest rappers and a pillar of Black British music.
Friday signals the arrival of SG Lewis who has rapidly secured his status as one of London’s hottest talents. His debut LP times, which went straight to number one in the dance music album charts, is a sumptuous selection of kaleidoscopic future disco, drawing together a blockbuster collection of guests, including Robyn and the legendary Nile Rodgers on the single One More. Alongside a string of essential remixes for Ariana Grande, Jessie Ware, London Grammar and Disclosure, he’s recently collaborated with Elton John, Khalid, Dave and The Neptunes, as well as writing and producing Hallucinate on Dua Lipa’s record-smashing album Future Nostalgia. This show promises to be a perfect prelude to the weekend packed with good disco vibes.
As the weekend approaches, Somerset House Summer Series welcomes John Legend. The critically acclaimed, multi-platinum US singer-songwriter will perform a collection of songs from his inspiring catalogue spanning eight albums for a Summer Series Saturday night to remember.
Rounding off proceedings on Sunday 17, Mabel join the line-up for the ultimate closing night party. Mabel has emerged as one of UK pop’s most positive, candid and important voices, In an extraordinary career arc that has seen her veer from playing intimate shows to stadium touring with Harry Styles, selling out her own dates around the world and taking to the Wembley Stadium stage in a Burberry catsuit and rainbow flag. With her new album About Last Night set for release on 15 July, just before this special headline show on 17 July, the closing night of Summer Series will be the perfect setting to celebrate.
For over 20 years, Somerset House has championed the most exciting musical talent across their cultural programme. From groundbreaking musicians such as Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Jorja Smith, Erykah Badu and Rosalía headlining the courtyard stage as part of Summer Series, to collaborating on exhibitions, installations and innovative events with artists including Björk, PJ Harvey, Neneh Cherry, Gaika, Beatrice Dillon and Anna Meredith, Somerset House is an unrivalled destination for fans to enjoy live music experiences throughout the year.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Dates: 7-17 July 2022
Opening Hours: Door times vary, please check the website for details.
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
General Admission: from £27.50
GA Enhanced Tickets: from £52.50
The American Express Cardmember presale will open at 10am on Monday 6 December 2022 for 48 hours from somersethouse.org.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk/americanexpress
ADDITIONAL LISTINGS INFORMATION
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
Transport: Underground: Temple, Embankment Rail: Charing Cross, Waterloo, Blackfriars
Website: www.somersethouse.org.uk
Somerset House Facebook: www.facebook.com/SomersetHouse
Somerset House Twitter: @SomersetHouse
Somerset House Instagram: @SomersetHouse
THURSDAY 7 JULY: TEMS - £35.00
FRIDAY 8 JULY: SQUID - £27.50
SATURDAY 9 JULY: YUSSEF DAYES - £32.50
SUNDAY 10 JULY: BOMBA ESTÉREO - £29.50
MONDAY 11 JULY: CARLY RAE JEPSEN - £35.00
TUESDAY 12 JULY: ARLO PARKS - £30.00
WEDNESDAY 13 JULY: BLACK MIDI - £27.50
THURSDAY 14 JULY: GHETTS - £30.00
FRIDAY 15 JULY: SG LEWIS - £30.00
SATURDAY 16 JULY: JOHN LEGEND - £42.50
SUNDAY 17 JULY: MABEL - £27.50
ABOUT SOMERSET HOUSE:
London’s working arts centre
Somerset House is London’s working arts centre and home to the UK’s largest creative community. Built on historic foundations, we are situated in the very heart of the capital. Dedicated to backing progress, championing openness, nurturing creativity and empowering ideas, our cultural programme is ambitious in scope. We insist on relevance, but aren’t afraid of irreverence, and are as keen on entertainment as enrichment. We embrace the biggest issues of our times and are committed to oxygenating new work by emerging artists. Where else can you spend an hour ice-skating while listening to a specially commissioned sound piece by a cutting edge artist?
It is this creative tension – the way we harness our heritage, put the too-often overlooked on our central stage and use our neo-classical backdrop to showcase ground-breaking contemporary culture – that inspires our programme. Old and new, history and disruption, art and entertainment, high-tech and homemade, combined with the fact that we are home to a constantly shape-shifting working creative community: this is our point of difference. It is what we are proud of. And it is what makes the experience of visiting or working in Somerset House inspiring and energizing, urgent and exciting. Somersethouse.org.uk
ABOUT METROPOLIS MUSIC:
Metropolis Music promotes hundreds of shows a year and are committed to working with acts from their inception, helping to build their careers as touring artists in small concert venues through to stadiums. The team covers booking, marketing, ticketing, production and accounting. Metropolis Music is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) which is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS® EXPERIENCES:
American Express connects Cardmembers to the kinds of rewarding experiences and opportunities that matter to them and their businesses. Through American Express Experiences, Cardmembers have access to presale tickets, as well as the best seats and exclusive offers at some of the UK’s most sought-after entertainment events via partnerships with a range of entertainment institutions, including Somerset House, AEG, Live Nation, The British Film Institute and the National Theatre. American Express Experiences is just one example of the powerful backing that American Express provides its customers.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS:
American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on: facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
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FOR SUMMER SERIES PRESS ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Julie Bland, Managing Director at Family PR
juliebland@familypr.co.uk // 07767 784 640