Summer starts here: Celebrate the UK’s first sunrise of summer with First Light Festival as highlights announced
– Sets confirmed from Jamz Supernova, Seth Lakeman, Simon Day and Jason Singh (full line up to be announced in March)
– NEW music co-commission with Britten Pears Arts’ Aldeburgh Festival
– NEW VIP campervan hire options for 2026
– Dawn celebration as festival takes place on the summer solstice
There’s nowhere more appropriate to mark the start of summer, and festival season, than First Light Festival. Taking place on Lowestoft’s South Beach – the most easterly point in the UK – on 20-21 June, the multi arts festival will mark being the first place in the UK to see the sunrise and mark the summer solstice with a celebration of music, culture and arts.
Now in its sixth year, the beachfront festival welcomes visitors for a weekend full of live music, dance, storytelling, art, science, workshops, wellbeing sessions and family friendly activities. First names to be announced are 6Music DJ, broadcaster and music label owner Jamz Supernova; folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman and sound artist, nature beatboxer, composer and DJ Jason Singh. Comedian and character actor Simon Day (The Fast Show, King Gary, Pennyworth) will be performing his show as part of the festival’s Sundown events programme at The Seagull Theatre.
The solstice celebrations will continue in Lowestoft with yoga, a fish feast and Jason Singh’s raga Suraj (Punjabi for ‘Sun’). This immersive, long-form soundscape designed for deep listening weaves together nature field recordings and live vocalized percussion to celebrate the breaking dawn. Inspired by the morning raga Bhairav, the piece serves as a meditative bridge between inner reflection and the natural world, fostering a space for profound focus and contemplation.
In a new co-commission between Aldeburgh Festival and First Light Festival, Turkish-born singer-songwriter, composer, and interdisciplinary artist Tendertwin will create a new work for the summer solstice that connects the birthplace and final home of Benjamin Britten in this 50th anniversary year of his death. This new work for small ensemble with participatory elements, will consider the cycles of life and existence, drawing on inspiration from lunar and tidal energy and the patterns of nature.
First Light also offers the unique prospect of camping on Lowestoft’s South Beach during the festival. Only possible that weekend and making this the only opportunity to camp on a beach anywhere in England, this wild camping option puts guests a stone’s throw from the festival site while those in campervans will be able to take in the view from a special cliff top parking area. New for 2026 is a new camping option staying in your own, fully kitted out VW campervan.
The full festival programme will be announced in March. First Light is free and unticketed with the exception of certain events on Saturday night once the free beach programme finishes at 21:30hrs.