Bedford Summer Sessions

TK Maxx presents Bedford Summer Sessions is one of the most underrated summer festival series in the country, and the 2026 edition makes that case more powerfully than ever. Having covered the event in previous years, including a stunning Human League headline set in 2025 and memorable nights with Tom Jones and Avril Lavigne in 2024, Bedford Park has consistently delivered an atmosphere and a quality of booking that punches well above what you might expect. This summer it does so again across four headline shows that collectively cover more ground than most festivals manage across an entire run.

Deacon Blue open the series on Thursday 2 July with very special guests Lightning Seeds alongside them. 'Real Gone Kid', 'Dignity' and 'Wages Day' are songs that have aged beautifully and carry enormous emotional weight live, while Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds arrive with 'Pure', 'Lucky You' and the inescapable 'Three Lions' in tow during a World Cup summer, making for a pairing that feels genuinely celebratory and a fine way to kick things off.

UB40 featuring Ali Campbell follow on Friday 3 July, joined by Bitty McLean and Reggae Roast featuring MC Horseman in what promises to be one of the most purely joyful evenings of the summer. Ali Campbell's return to the band gave UB40 back something that had been missing for years, and songs like 'Red Red Wine', 'Kingston Town' and 'Can't Help Falling in Love' remain utterly irresistible in an open air setting with a crowd that knows every word.

Saturday 4 July brings one of the most compelling storylines of the entire summer as Tom Grennan returns to headline the town where he grew up. Few moments in live music land quite like a hometown show done properly, and for Grennan this one carries real weight. From his early breakthrough to sold out arena tours and a string of anthemic singles that have soundtracked the past few years of British pop, coming home to headline Bedford Park feels like a genuine full-circle moment and one that should make for an electric evening.

Paul Weller closes out the run on Sunday 5 July with Miles Kane and Arkayla in support. From The Jam to The Style Council to a solo career spanning four decades, Weller remains one of the most vital and restless figures in British music. His live shows have lost none of their intensity and his catalogue runs deep enough to satisfy anyone in the crowd regardless of which era first drew them in.

Tickets are available now via the Summer Sessions Website