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.

Festival Director Genevieve Christie said: “First Light Festival is about sharing culture in extraordinary moments and places — bringing people together at the UK's most easterly place to experience art, music and ideas in the open air. There's something incredibly powerful about welcoming the summer solstice at sunrise, and our Dawn Celebration captures everything the festival stands for: connection, creativity, and the simple joy of beginning the longest day of the year together.”

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. 

Ends

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

First Light Festival

Lowestoft beach, NR33 0DG

20-21 June 2026

FREE

Since its inception in 2019, First Light Festival has established itself as a leading platform for bold, diverse creative talent—free and accessible to all. Over the years, the festival has showcased more than 1,890 performances, welcomed over 145,000 attendees, and consistently championed emerging artists, with more than 70 new creatives supported across its editions. Many of these artists have gone on to appear at major festivals including Latitude and Glastonbury.

First Light Festival's outdoor weekend programme remains free, un-ticketed and open to everyone.  With a strong commitment to accessibility, new commissions, and community-led culture, First Light Festival champions world-class artists alongside locally rooted work, offering unforgettable shared experiences from dawn onwards.

First Light is the brainchild of CEO, Genevieve Christie, originally a Producer and writer in TV, she subsequently formed her own independent production company. She is a true champion of future talent and has created First Light to spotlight Lowestoft and put it on the cultural map, creating a unique and must-attend festival that is uniquely free to attend

Camping and Campervan tickets are now available: www.firstlightlowestoft.com/camping

Facebook: FirstLightLowestoft

Instagram: @firstlightlowestoft

X: @firstlight_Fest

Britten Pears Arts is a pioneering cultural charity based in Suffolk. It emerged from the determination of composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, singer Peter Pears, to ensure that everyone could enjoy and experience music. Britten Pears Arts aims to continue their legacy to develop talent, celebrate their heritage and engage with communities.

We use music to transform people's lives, to bring communities together and enhance daily life. We want the arts to effect powerful positive change in, and for, society; or, as Britten himself would have put it, making the arts “useful.” 

The organisation has a long history dating back to when Britten and Pears founded the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948 and moved into The Red House in Aldeburgh in 1957. It became Britten Pears Arts in April 2020 when Snape Maltings, formerly Aldeburgh Music, and the Britten-Pears Foundation, that ran Britten and Pears' estate, merged.

Today, Snape Maltings and The Red House have become cultural destinations. There are independent shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafés, as well as the world-famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall. 100% of the profits from these businesses go towards the charitable work of Britten Pears Arts. www.brittenpearsarts.org

Bilge Nur Yilmaz is a Turkish-born composer, vocalist, and interdisciplinary artist working as Tendertwin. Blending ambient folk and microtonal textures, her work explores themes of belonging, grief, and transformation. Her debut EP “Ship Argo,” inspired by mythology and memory, received acclaim on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 6, and Clash Magazine.

She aims to build concept-driven, emotionally resonant pieces through songwriting, movement exploration, and cross-cultural instrumentation. Formerly a resident artist at the Roundhouse— through In Motion, she is developing an immersive live performance that bridges voice, physicality, and Mediterranean musical traditions.

Seth Lakeman was catapulted into the music mainstream when he was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for his album 'Kitty Jay'. Inspired by the legends and stories of Dartmoor in the Westcountry where Seth grew up, it was produced by his elder brother Sean Lakeman and cost just £300 to record in his kitchen in a Dartmoor village.  

Seth's follow up was the gold-selling 'Freedom Fields'. 2026 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the release of the original album, which includes 'Lady of the Sea', 'King and Country' and 'White Hare'. The album was produced again by Seth's brother Sean.

Multiple albums, tours and high-profile collaborations later, the acclaimed folk artist released his latest studio effort The Granite Way, in February 2025 on his own label, Honour Oak Records. This is a collection of songs recorded alongside a group of longtime collaborators of Seth's, staying true to his roots and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West Country storytelling.

In recent years Seth was delighted to be asked to record on Van Morrison's album 'Moving On Skiffle' and he collaborated with Public Service Broadcasting. Seth has also previously worked and toured extensively with Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) with his band the Sensational Space Shifters.  www.sethlakeman.co.uk

Jamz Supernova uses sonics to tell a story. The multi-faceted creative force is a label head, radio host, DJ, podcaster, and true tastemaker, broadcasting for over a decade.

Known for selecting sounds that span musical genres and subcultures, what she enjoys is the intimacy of sharing music with her community over radio. Her award-winning Saturday daytime show on BBC 6 Music is where she sits in as a storyteller, exploring global communities and unearthing exciting scenes through platforming underground music that rarely graces the mainstream.

Outside of radio, Jamz heads up seminal label Future Bounce working in both an A&Ring and consulting capacity. The label's 5 year anniversary in 2023 ended with a nomination at the DJ Mag Best of British Awards. Through her vibrant DJ sets, Jamz is a mainstay at festivals and clubs worldwide, spinning an eclectic mix of broken beat, UK funky, Bass, techno and beyond at the likes of We Out Here Festival, Worldwide Sete, All Points East and more.

Having also hosted her own podcast series DIY Handbook & Between The Lines, plus television shows for BBC Three, FOUR & Newsbeat, and music awards ceremonies -  including the prestigious Mercury Prize - for Jamz, the possibilities are endless. But Jamz will continue to rise by doing what's always worked for her – staying true to herself, and to those that resonate with her craft.

Jason Singh is a multifaceted sound artist, nature beatboxer, and producer whose career is rooted in the deep art of listening and cross-species collaboration. Renowned for a multi-sensory approach that bridges the natural world with club culture, his diverse portfolio spans immersive sound installations, film compositions, and live performances. Singh has been commissioned by prestigious institutions like the BBC, V&A Museum, and Kew Gardens, collaborating with icons ranging from Nitin Sawhney and Shabaka Hutchings to George Ezra and Yazz Ahmed.  Currently an associate Soundscape artist with d&b audiotechnik, he continues to push the boundaries of audio expression, earning him the reputation as a "human sampler" who creates transformative, nature-inspired experiences.

A regular on stage, screen and radio for more than three decades, Simon Day has built a reputation for brilliantly observed characters: flawed, deluded, hopeful, hilarious people delivered with that unmistakable day precision. His one-am shows have become cult favourites, sliding between beautifully absurd monologues, sharply drawn personalities and moments of deadpan truth.