Cooper Associates County Ground

Somerset Sounds takes over the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton, home of Somerset County Cricket Club, on Sunday 22 August 2027, with Simply Red closing their Summer Funk '27 tour there. Three of the festival's hospitality packages are sold with a view of the stage. The cricket side has form too: Somerset won the 2025 Vitality Blast and finished second in the 2026 County Championship.

What is the Cooper Associates County Ground?

The Cooper Associates County Ground is the home of Somerset County Cricket Club, on St James Street, Taunton TA1 1JT, a ten-minute walk from Taunton station. It doubles as a concert venue: the Somerset Sounds venue page says Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart and Lionel Richie have all played sold-out concerts at the ground.

Which concerts are at the County Ground in 2027?

Somerset Sounds brings live music to the Cooper Associates County Ground on Sunday 22 August 2027. It is a new one-day festival, run as a joint venture by Somerset County Cricket Club and promoter Full Fat 360, with Simply Red as its inaugural headliners. Soul II Soul and Heather Small are billed as the first wave of support, and the club says more acts will be announced.

The festival is a standing event on the pitch, with general admission and golden circle tickets.

How are Somerset County Cricket Club doing?

Somerset County Cricket Club finished second in the 2026 County Championship, with six wins, three defeats and five draws from 14 matches for 205 points. Their 2026 Vitality Blast ended in the semi-final, a 17-run defeat to Northants Steelbacks at Edgbaston on 18 July 2026. A year earlier Somerset won the 2025 Vitality Blast, beating Hampshire Hawks by six wickets in the final.

That 2025 win was the club's third title in the T20 competition, after 2005 and 2023. Somerset have also won the domestic knockout one-day cup four times, most recently the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2019, as well as two Benson & Hedges Cups and a Sunday League title. They have never won the County Championship. The first team's head coach is Jason Kerr.

What hospitality is there at Somerset Sounds?

For Somerset Sounds on 22 August 2027, hospitality at the Cooper Associates County Ground splits by the view. Three packages are sold as stage-view: the Elite Stage View private boxes, 1875 Elite and the Thatchers Terrace. The Long Room and the Ian Botham Pavilion boxes carry a warning that views of the stage are restricted. The other packages pair pre-show hospitality with standing on the pitch for the show.

How do you get to the County Ground in Taunton?

Taunton station is a ten-minute walk from the Cooper Associates County Ground, and Taunton bus station is five minutes away on foot. By road, the Somerset Sounds venue page puts the ground seven minutes from junction 25 of the M5. For Somerset Sounds there is no on-site parking: drivers use the public car parks in Taunton or Park & Ride, which runs from Silk Mills and from Junction 25, dropping off on Priory Bridge Road. The festival also has an official coach travel partner, with pick-ups across the South West.

Is the County Ground accessible?

The Cooper Associates County Ground has a dedicated accessible seating area for disabled guests and their companions, booked by phone or email with Somerset County Cricket Club. The festival's accessibility page also lists level access in key areas, lifts to upper levels and dedicated accessible facilities. At Somerset Sounds, seats in the stands are for resting, and the organisers warn that stage views from them may be limited or obstructed.