Southampton’s Turner Sims are gearing up for their Summer Festival.
The relaxed summer weekend event will take place from Friday 27 June to Sunday 29 June, packed with performances, plus free entertainment and activities.
Live music, food stalls and free family activities will spill out of the venue and across the gardens of the University of Southampton’s Highfield Campus.
Festival goers can enjoy time with friends and family in the garden, as the outdoor stage plays host to some of the best local bands. An eclectic mix fills the auditorium across the three days, including folk, a classical mix-tape programme, and jazz, plus free Vibe Lounge events programmed by young creatives.
On Sunday, there’s Summer Family Day. It’s filled with fun for younger audiences, with family shows throughout the day, as well as workshops, crafts and face painting. The festival begins on Friday night with the first of two free Vibe Lounge events. These are programmed by the Vibe Collective, young creatives with a passion for music from across Southampton, who are filling the Turner Sims Foyer with amazing artists and musicians from all over the city.
Lucy Kitchen, pictured, Southampton-based singer-songwriter and this year’s Turner Sims’ Turn It Up local associate kicks off the proceedings in the auditorium, on June 27th. Lucy and her five-piece band showcase music from her forthcoming album ‘In the Low Light’. Her influences span folk, Americana, and a little bit of country, infused with the feel of 70s singer-songwriters.
Lucy is followed by nine-piece folk band The Shovel Dance Collective. They bring music from their latest album ‘The Shovel Dance’. The Collective are driven by a passion for the traditional music of the British Isles, Ireland and beyond. With instruments such as harp, harmonium, banjo, strings, and flute, and their unpolished voices, the Collective bring a radical new lens to historical narratives.
On June 28th, Orchestra of the Swan returns after an astounding performance at last year’s Summer Festival. This year, they bring their captivating concert, ‘Entranced by Candlelight’, featuring breath-taking orchestral soundscapes curated from a variety of genres.
A day of magical musical activities and events for children and grown-ups of all ages takes place on June 29th. Summer Family Day includes ticketed performances ‘The Sleeping Seeds’ and ‘Tales from the Lighthouse’ in the auditorium, plus free music making workshops, live music and performances, all-day craft activities, and face painting.
Jazz FM Award Winner and one of the most influential trumpeters of her generation, Yazz Ahmed closes the Summer Festival in the evening of June 29th, with an evening of intoxicating, compelling Arabic jazz. With her fourth studio album, ‘A Paradise in the Hold’, the British-Bahrani musician dives even deeper into her dual heritage. She emerges with a treasure trove that draws on traditional music and stories from her childhood home. Yazz is joined by her five-piece band, which includes Tim Garland on bass clarinet.
Find out more and book tickets for Summer Festival at turnersims.co.uk
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