Taking place on Lowestoft’s South Beach, the first place to see the sunrise in the UK, marking the start of summer – the packed programme for the 2026 First Light Festival (20-21st June) is announced.
Featuring an international line up of music, with comedy, spoken word, performance and a series talks, workshops and activities, the Festival is a unique event for families, friends, young and old, early birds and night owls.
The only free*multi arts beach festival in the UK, First Light has become known for its Dawn Celebration, which this year takes place on the actual Solstice. The Solstice programme starts on Sunday (21 June) around 3.30am with yoga on the beach and a live performance of improvised Indian classical music from sound artist, nature beatboxer, composer and DJ Jason Singh. A fish feast is then served for all to enjoy; a striking moment for festival-goers to share the sunrise and look ahead to the rest of summer followed by the debut of a new co-commission between Aldeburgh Festival, Britten Pears Arts and First Light Festival. Turkish-born singer-songwriter, composer, and interdisciplinary artist Tendertwin will perform a new work inspired by Benjamin Britten in this, the 50th anniversary year of his death
Genevieve Christie, Festival Director said: “Marking the solstice on the beach is an incredibly special moment. This year we’re welcoming people to join us to celebrate the exact moment that heralds the start of summer and I hope that visitors join us from far and wide to welcome the UK’s first sunrise together, from Lowestoft’s stunning golden sands.”
During the two-day event (20 & 21 June), 24 stages and venues directly on and next to South Beach host an eclectic mix of artists, including:
Sunlight Stage – the main festival stage on the beach welcomes international artists with music from across the globe to Lowestoft, including:
• Jamz Supernova – BBC 6 Music radio host, DJ and podcaster
• Dutch disco / boogie / 70s funk from Another Taste
• UK Powerhouse Soul & Funk Artist Ashton Jones
• Neo Soul and R&B singer songwriter and producer Lizzie Berchie
• Folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman
• ShunTA! with their original, lovingly-crafted arrangements of music from the Balkans
• Modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms from N’famady Kouyaté
First Word Stage – spoken word and comedy, including:
• Poet Luke Wright with a one-off work-in-progress show, tackling masculinity and the way politics seeps into everyday life.
• Bradley Taylor (‘A wry observer of the first quarter of the twenty first century ‘– Craig Charles)
• Poet and Playwright Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles)
• Elf Lyons (Winner – Best Comedy – Sky Arts Awards 2025)
• Self-proclaimed ‘working-class word witch’ – Louise Exactly
• A greatest hits compilation – with some new stuff – from ‘comedy’s poet laureate’ (The Independent) John Hegley
Talks and Interstellar Ideas tent, including hearing from:
• Patrick Grant (The Great British Sewing Bee)
• Universe of Music with the Sky at Night’s Chris Lintotto and musician Steve Pretty
• Author Ashley Hickson-Lovence (The 392, Your Show and Wild East)
• George McKay (The Oxford Handbook of Punk Rock)
• Julian Barnwell – discovering the HMS Gloucester shipwreck
Tickets are now on sale for events taking place at Festival venues after the sun goes down on Saturday (20 June):
• Keep dancing with Jamz Supernova at the First Light After Party at The Venue on Claremont Pier
• Intimate soul and jazz with vocalist and songwriter Polly Gibbons at The Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club
• Acoustic and classical Moonlit Soundscapes featuring virtuoso violinist Harriet McKenzie and Bosch – featuring Stevie Wishart in a quartet of the UK’s most eclectic and innovate improvisers playing instruments never combined before… all at St Peter & St John Church
• East Point Pavillion brings late-night glamour with cabaret performances – a first-time feature of the Festival.
• Intergalactic Get Down – First Light’s ever popular Silent Disco
First Light Festival is known for its visual arts programming, which this year includes The Long Wait by renowned sculptor Laurence Edwards, whose bronze forms have become a much-loved feature in the festival landscape. The sculpture will be installed for the Festival but remains on the beach throughout the summer. Elsewhere visitors will find the Kittiwake Hotel Project, a sculptural response to nesting sites out at sea built for the kittiwake bird population and the New to Moon installation of contemporary art and Easterly Artists showcase in Kensington Gardens.
The whole family can get moving at workshops in the MoonDance and Cosmic Pirates tents, including:
• Joyous social dancing from Charleston and Lindy Hop to Funk Social Dances and Hip Hop from Grounded Movement (London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony choreographers Temujin and Sunanda)
• shed-ache – a seriously silly dance theatre show for the whole family from aKa Dance Theatre
• Marina Monkeys Moon Party for the under 11s
• Wellbeing with Soul Space on the sand
• Vertical Space (a new zone for young people offering drop-in creativity with DJ sessions, gaming, Make your own Merch and Mussel Beach sports)
Booking is now open for First Light’s wild beach camping and cliff top campervans, offering festival goers the unique opportunity of camping on Lowestoft’s beautiful South Beach. For the first time, First Light audiences can pre-book a fully kitted out VW campervan.
*First Light is free and unticketed with the exception of certain events on Saturday night once the free beach programme finishes at 21:30hrs.