Turner Sims Summer Festival 2025
Following the success of our first Summer Festival in 2024, the relaxed summer weekend event returns!
There’s performances in and around Turner Sims, including free entertainment and activities.
Join us for main auditorium performances across the three days, including folk, a classical mix-tape programme, and jazz, plus free Vibe Lounge events in the foyer. On Sunday, there’s tons for small people, with family shows throughout the day, as well as workshops, crafts and face painting.
Spend time with friends and family in the garden, as our outdoor stage plays host to some of the best local bands. Our outside bar and food stalls will keep you going!
We’re looking forward to seeing you there.
The Vibe Lounge
Friday 27 June / 7pm
Ahead of the Shovel Dance Collective in the main auditorium, join us for the Vibe Lounge, a 40-minute free performance in our intimate foyer space.
Programmed by The Vibe Collective, a group of music producers aged 18-25, Vibe Lounge events welcome an amazing mix of artists and showcase up and coming talent.
This event is free.
The Shovel Dance Collective + Lucy Kitchen
Friday 27 June / 8pm
The nine-piece folk band bring music from their latest album ‘The Shovel Dance’ to kick off our Summer Festival 2025.
Following in the footsteps of groups like Lankum, Shovel Dance 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.
+ Lucy Kitchen
Following a stunning duo set at the 2024 Summer Festival, singer-songwriter Lucy Kitchen returns as the recipient of this year’s Turner Sims Turn It Up award.
Lucy and her five-piece band perform songs from her forthcoming album, ‘In the Low Light’. Lucy’s original songs explore concepts of grief and loss. Her exquisite vocals are supported by guitars, double bass and drums plus pedal steel, piano and Hammond.
Outdoor Stage
Saturday 28 June / 2pm – 6.30pm
Spend time with friends and family in the garden, as our outdoor stage plays host to some of the best local bands.
Maria de Lima and Jose Horcas
14:00 – 14:45
A duo of talented musicians from Spain and Portugal performing an acoustic repertoire full of light and colourful melodies. Including vocals by Maria de Lima with accompaniment from flamenco guitarist Jose Ramon Horcas.
Goostavo
15:15 – 16:00
A West London rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, GOOSTAVO blends jazz rap, neo-soul, and introspective lyrics. Influenced by Loyle Carner and Ezra Collective, his soulful sound is both DIY and deeply personal.
Backed by his amazing band, his live shows feature improvised fan-favourite ‘Sample Sunday’ sessions and have earned him support from BBC Introducing and a finalist spot in the 2024 Cross The Tracks Emerging Artist competition. His next project, AKA GOOSTAVO II, drops in 2025.
Jot Sloppy
16:30 – 17:15
Jot Sloppy are a 4-piece band based in and around Southampton. Their songs are catchy, punky & lyrical.
Since their formation they have gigged extensively across the south and southwest, bringing their unique sound and blend of genres (indie/rap/punk) across a range of venues and festivals, gaining a justifiable reputation for being an enigmatic and unique live act.
They’ve been featured on the UK festival circuit, including Victorious Festival, Wood Fest and Rag City, as well as playing a highly praised set at Southampton’s Music in the City last year. Jot Sloppy have received support and airplay from BBC introducing and performed at an intimate Sofar Sounds event.
SkillzSet & Break for Life
17:45 – 18:30
Catch the explosive energy of SkillzSet, Southampton’s soulful hip hop collective, performing alongside dynamic dance crew BreakForLife at the Turner Sims Summer Festival!
Expect original head-nod music blending hip hop with: Afrobeat, Jungle, Funk, Jazz, Baila and more. BreakForLife brings the roots of Hip-Hop to life through break dance and fluid movement, creating a powerful visual and musical celebration of culture and community.
Future Producers Presents | Under the Trees
Saturday 28 June / 2pm – 6.30pm
Listen to some local artists on the lawn outside Turner Sims programmed by the University of Southampton Future Producers.
Guillotine Union Boys
14:45 – 15:15
The Guillotine Union Boys have been sharing their firebrand of rebel folk around the South Coast since 2022. Formed by the Reverend Sam and Bo Gallows, the band have built their reputation supporting community causes, protests, and grassroots venues, playing a blend of folk, country, and Americana to raise the spirit and resist political corruption. With soulful vocals, engaging lyrics, and energetic performances, the Guillotine Union Boys are a crowd-pleasing act for the many, not the few.
Vinuka Rajapaksa
16:00 – 16:30
A long-time vocalist with a deep love for storytelling through a song, Vinuka makes his university festival debut with a set that blends emotional ballads and acoustic pop. Drawing inspiration from artists like Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes, his performance features heartfelt covers that explore love, self-discovery, and nostalgia. With expressive vocals and an honest presence on stage, Vinuka invites you to slow down, tune in, and feel every word.
Nico Saldivia
17:15 – 17:45
The Uruguayan singer-songwriter and producer Nico Saldivia looks to blend the rich Uruguayan folk traditions with the textures of indie rock. He came to the University of Southampton to further his studies in music and get involved in the international scene. His songs range from Uruguayan poetry to original English lyrics with a consistent tendency for storytelling. Join us for an acoustic guitar and violin session of South American folk and English covers.
Anna Muir
18:30 – 19:00
Based on the UK South Coast, singer-songwriter Anna Muir creates music to drive, scream and cry to. With lyrics born from a restless mind shaped by a youth spent moving from place to place, Anna’s songs capture the ache of belonging nowhere and everywhere all at once. Inspired by indie-folk icons like Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, Anna blends visceral honesty with clever lyricism and dark humour. Intimate vocals float over dreamy guitars, crafting songs that linger long after the last note.
The Vibe Lounge
Saturday 28 June / 7pm
Ahead of Entranced By Candlelight in the main auditorium, join us for the Vibe Lounge, a 40-minute free performance in our intimate foyer space.
Programmed by The Vibe Collective, a group of music producers aged 18-25, Vibe Lounge events welcome an amazing mix of artists and showcase up and coming talent.
This event is free.
Entranced By Candlelight
Saturday 28 June / 8pm
Orchestra of the Swan return after an astounding performance at last year’s Summer Festival.
This year, they bring their captivating concert, ‘Entranced by Candlelight’.
‘Entranced’ features breath-taking orchestral soundscapes curated from a variety of genres. This will be a mesmerising live event, all enhanced by the warmth and beauty of candlelight.
Summer Family Day 2025
Sunday 29 June / 11am – 4pm
Join us this summer for a day of magical musical activities and events for children and grown-ups of all ages.
Get the whole family involved with performances, workshops, music, dance, craft – and of course the chance to make LOTS of noise. Bring your picnic lunch to enjoy in the gardens, get your face painted – a perfect day out!
Yazz Ahmed
Sunday 29 June / 7.30pm
Jazz FM Award Winner and one of the most influential trumpeters of her generation, Yazz Ahmed closes our Summer Festival.
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. Join us for an evening of intoxicating, compelling Arabic jazz.
