Simply Red to headline new event at cricket ground

Pop and soul band Simply Red has been booked to headline a summer festival at a cricket ground in Taunton next year.

The recently announced Somerset Sounds event will take place on 22 August 2027 at the Somerset County Cricket Ground in the town.

Organisers said they hoped the event would put Somerset on the map as a destination for big music acts.

"They are such a fantastic band, it's a real accolade," said Caroline Herbert, commercial director at Somerset Cricket Ground. "It is the start of something much bigger for the county ground, to make Somerset a destination for live music."

She said: "We want to make sure we're on that UK tour circuit for big artists.

"It's not just about Taunton and Somerset, we want to reach Devon and Cornwall, Bristol.

"Simply Red, what a way to start."

Oli Bartlam, from Full Fat 360, which is putting on the event, said: "It's going to be one hell of a day with incredible music and back-to-back hits.

"It's an incredible venue with a rich history of concerts - it deserves to be back on the touring map."

More acts were due to be announced in the coming months, organisers said.

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