Edinburgh Summer Sessions: Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, Michael Kiwanuka, Simple Minds and Travis all set to return for 2021 festival

Big names re-booked for next summer’s festival after this year’s cancellation.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Sir Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, Michael Kiwanuka, Simple Minds and Travis will all return for rescheduled shows at next year’s Edinburgh Summer Sessions festival – ensuring fans don’t miss out on the iconic Princes Street Gardens gigs after this year’s events were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Missing from the 2021 line-up, however, are McFly and The 1975, who were among those to cancel their appearances at this summer’s festival.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Set to return to Edinburgh Summer Sessions after opening the festival’s inaugural year in 2018, Sir Tom returns for not one, but two showstopping dates on the 8th and 10th August 2021.

Sir Tom Jones is set to return to Edinburgh in 2021.Sir Tom Jones is set to return to Edinburgh in 2021.
Sir Tom Jones is set to return to Edinburgh in 2021.

One of the most influential showmen in music, the legendary Welsh crooner’s appearance at the 2018 festival went down a storm as he opened proceedings clad in a tartan jacket.

Expect timeless classics like It’s Not Unusual and Sex Bomb from one of the UK’s biggest superstars in front of Edinburgh Castle.

Mercury Prize-nominated singer Michael Kiwanuka will make his Summer Sessions debut on 9th August 2021, and US soul-pop superstar Lionel Richie will make his Summer Sessions festival debut on 11th August 2021.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Making a much-anticipated return to Edinburgh, Travis also make their Summer Sessions festival debut on 13th August 2021.

Edinburgh Summer Sessions 2021 line-up.Edinburgh Summer Sessions 2021 line-up.
Edinburgh Summer Sessions 2021 line-up.

In 2019, the nine time platinum and multi-BRIT Award winning band celebrated the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album The Man Who, with songs like Why Does It Always Rain On Me? and Driftwood becoming some of Scotland’s biggest musical exports.

With their ninth studio album, 10 Songs, due for release in October 2020, Travis have given fans a taste of what to expect with two new singles A Ghost and Valentine marking the next exciting stage in their epic 25 years of making music.

For a band so synonymous with Scotland, it is fitting that Travis will now add one of the most breathtaking outdoor settings in the country to their catalogue.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Last but by no means least, Scotland’s most successful rock band ever, Simple Minds, headline Edinburgh Summer Sessions for the first time ever on 15th August 2021.

With one of the most iconic back catalogues in the world and recently celebrating 40 years of hits, the legendary band are responsible for huge international anthems that will go down a storm with the Summer Sessions crowd, like the classic Don’t You (Forget About Me), plus Alive and Kicking and Belfast Child.

Situated within Princes Street Gardens in the heart of Scotland’s bustling capital city, the festival is the perfect destination for music fans next summer with the location offering plenty of food, drink and activity options to create the ultimate Edinburgh Summer Sessions experience.

Original tickets remain valid. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.smmrsessions.com

Edinburgh Summer Sessions 2021

Tom Jones - 8th August 2021

Michael Kiwanuka - 9th August 2021

Tom Jones - 10th August 2021

Lionel Richie - 11th August 2021

Travis - 13th August 2021

Simple Minds - 15th August 2021

A message from the Editor:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.