The Kooks

The Kooks play Custom House Square in Belfast on 4 July 2026. Formed in 2004 in Brighton, the UK band emerged from the mid-2000s indie wave with tight songwriting, chiming guitars and a pop sense shaped by britpop. Built around Luke Pritchard’s lead and Hugh Harris’s guitar work, they’ve navigated changes behind the kit and on bass while keeping a clear line: concise melodies, crisp rhythms and choruses that stick without fuss.

On stage, The Kooks draw a line through their catalogue, from the indie and acoustic leanings of Inside In/Inside Out and the more assertive edge of Konk to the pop colours of Junk of the Heart. Listen opens the door to wider grooves and roomier beats, followed by the sunlit pop-rock of Let’s Go Sunshine and the synth-tinged turns of 10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark. The set flows between jangly riffs, close harmonies and steady tempos, switching gear from breezy strums to punchier numbers. In an open-air square, their blend of hooks and bright guitar lines lands with ease, balancing early fan favourites and newer material without losing the band’s straightforward, melodic core.