Somerset House Summer Series: The Flaming Lips

On 25 July 2026 at Somerset House, London, The Flaming Lips bring their ever-evolving psychedelic pop and experimental rock to the Somerset House Summer Series. Formed in Oklahoma City in 1983 around Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, the band has shifted from garage punk and noise pop to a broader palette where melodic hooks, electronic textures and orchestral colors share the foreground. Longtime foil Steven Drozd helps steer this adventurous sound on stage.

The set draws across three decades of records: from the fuzzed-out burst of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and its breakout She Don’t Use Jelly, through the multi-source experiment Zaireeka, the lush contours of The Soft Bulletin, and the synth-tinged narratives of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Later turns like Embryonic, The Terror, Oczy Mlody and American Head add darker drones, kraut pulses and slow-blooming ballads to the mix.

Live, the group leans into immersion and playfulness, mixing dense arrangements with communal choruses and trippy visuals. Between choral swells, cracked drum breaks and analog synth spirals, The Flaming Lips thread intimate songs and widescreen trips into a show built for open-air nights.