Selfridges launches Summer of Sound as it dives deep into music merch and experiences
It's a 'season of unmissable merch, unexpected experiences and moments made for fans,' we're told. 'A blockbuster summer of major comebacks, favourite throwbacks and diverse music events acts as the creative catalyst for a season of experience and community'.
Essentially, this month and next, the retailer becomes 'a venue for fans, enthusiasts and music lovers'.
That means a record shop, live performances, 'engaging conversation, listening parties and karaoke bring sonic energy to Selfridges London, Manchester and Birmingham'.
It has signed up a 'zeitgeisty line-up of partners', including artists, brands and music experts to help shape programming, destinations and exclusive access to talent and products.
Collaborators include Bravado, Young Space, Manchester International Festival, Are We On Air?, Elevator Music, Pirate Studio, Not/Applicable, Josh Baker and Nadine Noor.
The windows of the Oxford Street, London, flagship have become a 'deconstructed gig' capturing the 'vibe and emotion of live music in its many forms – a tour bus, stage set and lights, a dance floor'.
Judd Crane, the retailer's executive director, Buying & Brand, hailed the event as 'a celebration of the culture of music fandom, the influence of music merch and the unmistakeable sound of our cities. Building on a legacy of music-led collaboration, Selfridges will share its point of view at the intersection of fashion, retail and pop culture.'
So let's look at the details of what can be found. The retailer said that the record shop 'is the heart and soul of any music community and for Summer of Sound, Selfridges has enlisted Rough Trade, independent record label and retailer, founded in London in 1976, as an anchor partner to the project'.
In the London Wonder Room, Rough Trade 'selects vinyl favourites, old and new' at The Record Store, opening on 14 July. The adjacent window situated on the corner of Oxford Street and Orchard Street will host weekly live performances, programmed by Studio Inside Out.
Comeback tours
In the home of Heavy Metal, Birmingham, and reflecting Black Sabbath's return to stage, 'a unique experience has been created for fans of the legendary band. An exclusive Back To The Beginning fan experience and windows by local artist, Mr Murals, act as an immersive extension of the Black Sabbath world, drawing inspiration from the band's legacy and visual identity'.
Back in London, celebrating the Oasis comeback tour, a fan destination is home to a 16-piece collection with three exclusive styles, including two black T-shirts with the Oasis logo. An exclusive hoodie celebrates key dates in the band's history. The exclusive tour merchandise is also available in the Manchester Exchange store.
There's more music-linked merch in 'a unique partnership with Bravado' as tour merch for some of the biggest live music moments of the summer are available exclusively in Selfridges London Designer Street Room on 1, at The Merch Shop. Collections drop weekly, aligning with artists' shows in the city, including Post Malone and Lola Young.
Meanwhile Not/Applicable, long-term Reselfridges partner, 'curates merch greatest hits, with band and tour tees and memorabilia'. From 11 August, fans will be able to explore and shop exclusive apparel from BBC Playback. This 'nostalgic merch concept celebrates BBC Music's impact on British music and culture'.
The summer will also include 'cultural producer, consultant and nightlife icon' Nadine Noor programming DJs to play 'uplifting sets, bringing together new, niche and next genres'. And Chicago-based global performance platform Elevator Music, will programme an unexpected line-up of performances in the lifts at the Oxford Street store across three days in August.
Meanwhile an Are We On Air? 'Kiosk-o-Thèque' lands in London for a four-day takeover of Selfridges's corner window. With live interviews, DJ sets, live performances, a shop and cultural salon sees the Kiosk-o-Thèque blending 'music, fashion, art, and conversation into a live, immersive experience — where the Sunset Strip energy meets Oxford Street'.
There's more at Birmingham and Manchester too. As well as the heavy Metal moment, the Birmingham store also has happenings as part of the Birmingham Jazz Festival and other events.
And Manchester's Exchange Square store sees Selfridges continuing its partnership with Manchester International Festival, via performances, exhibits and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
19 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Oasis to open a fan store in Mexico with exclusive Live '25 merchandise
Following the success of the " Oasis Live '25 Fan Stores" in the UK and Ireland, the British band announced the opening of a temporary store in Mexico City, Mexico. The space, dedicated to local fans, will open on Monday, August 25 in Plaza Carso. The store, which will be active until September 13, 2025, will offer the official Oasis Live '25 collection, with men's and women's apparel, accessories, posters, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. The store will also include limited editions and exclusive models featuring album covers and iconic singles such as Definitely Maybe, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Wonderwall, and Supersonic. The initiative comes on the back of Oasis' comeback tour, which has generated a massive response with stadiums selling out fast and new dates being added in different countries. In the UK, the pop-up stores have established themselves as an extension of the Live '25 experience, with thousands of fans taking part at each stop. As confirmed by the organisers, online reservations for the Mexico City store are already sold out due to high demand. However, they reiterated that walk-in access will also be possible, subject to availability and capacity. They recommend attendees without reservations to come in advance to ensure their admission. It is worth mentioning that the fan store will be open from 10 am to 8 pm.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
How Taylor Swift's new era sparked the biggest branding trend of 2025
ADVERTISEMENT 'The Life of a Showgirl' era is upon us, and it has once again revealed to what extent Taylor Swift is a modern day pop Stakhanovite. After all, who can deny that she's the hardest-working star in the business, with her upcoming album being her ninth of the 2020s (when you count the re-recorded albums)? The announcement of her newest record, which hits shelves on 3 October, also shows that she continues to be a marketing genius. The carefully orchestrated rollout for the pop superstar's 12th album started on Tuesday, at precisely 12:12am ET. It was teased with a trailer for her partner's podcast, with only the title of the new opus offered up. The album image was blurred, and all fans could see was a mint-green briefcase labelled 'T.S.'. It was clear from the get-go that the colours orange and green were dominant, but beyond that and a few teaser images with a glittery orange padlock, nothing. Then came the release of the full 'New Heights' podcast episode, and all the questions were answered: what the cover looked like, when it was coming out, the reasoning behind the colour palette, what sort of sourdough Taylor prefers... Everything. Fans went into full meltdown mode, dissecting all the Easter eggs and clues regarding the release, prepping their outfits for a potential Showgirl tour, and even scrapbooking. The cultural earthquake had well and truly hit, and even the Empire State Building joined in, glowing in the upcoming album's signature orange tint. But because this isn't just show business – it's fully business - this week has seen countless major companies going into marketing overdrive following the announcement of 'The Life of a Showgirl', predominantly because of Swift's ability to generate buzz. Oh, and dollars. Them too. It has been well documented that Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour was a real economic event. The tour became the first to cross the billion-dollar mark and cities (and their surrounding areas) registered sizeable economic boosts after Swift stopped by. It's a gravitational pull that companies can no longer afford to ignore, and the way many have sought to capitalize on this year's orange-themed album rollout has been out in full force. Memes and posts from big brands, corportations and even tourism boards began exploding almost immediately. Everyone got in on it, from United Airlines to ALDI, via Netflix, Starbucks, McDonalds, Duolingo, Walmart, FedEx, NHL teams... Honestly, there are too many to mention at this point – trust us, they ALL started riding the TayTay wave. Even Google and X got in on the action, with the search engine showering those who type 'Taylor Swift' with digital orange confetti, an orange heart and the phrase 'And baby, that's show business for you', while Elon Musk's platform declared that it had a new profile pic... Views and likes on some of these posts skyrocketed, with some going to 6 million and upwards. So, what are the lessons to be learned from this global phenomenon? A) Even a simple colour palette can spark a global marketing trend / branding tidal wave. B) Cynical though it undeniably is, there's strategic commercial value in being reactive and tying your brand to Swift. Swifties aren't just music fans – they're potential customers, ones that are only too happy to see their favourite star's branding popping up everywhere. C) Taylor Swift isn't just a musician who writes great pop songs, performs like no one else and controls her narrative via carefully crafted cryptic marketing and fan-pleasing breadcrumb trails – she's a full-blown entrepreneur. Whether you like her music or not, she's a cultural trendsetter who can dominate fashion trends, tourism economies and even political discourse. To underestimate her influence or reach is to be very foolish indeed. And regardless of the quality of her new album – some of us have our doubts – there's no doubt about it: You don't have to wait until the beginning of October to be in Taylor's new era. It's already begun. We are all just living in it.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Why we're a little worried about Taylor Swift's new era
How long can Swifties like me survive without their regular dose of Taylor Swift? This is a question that will possibly never find an answer, as it appears there hasn't been a single week without Swift-related news in the last decade or so. The superstar took everybody by surprise three days ago when she announced the upcoming release of her 12th studio album, 'The Life of a Showgirl.' The next day, she appeared on 'New Heights', the podcast hosted by her partner Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, to reveal the details of the album. Une publication partagée par New Heights (@newheightshow) Upon first hearing the news on Tuesday, I admit my initial reaction was one of skepticism and perplexity. I had barely had any time to recover from Swift's last album, the gargantuan 'The Tortured Poets Department', and from the equally massive Eras Tour, and it was already time to dive into a new era? What if I wasn't ready for it? There hasn't been a single year without a Taylor Swift album since the 2019 release of 'Lover.' Between original outputs and re-recordings, it seemed like my favourite popstar was engulfed in an ever-expanding spiral of musical delivery. It was sometimes for the better. The 2021 release of 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version)' - as part of the 'Red' album's re-recording - thrilled fans beyond measure. I genuinely surprised myself when I sang the whole thing without missing a single beat during the Eras Tour's first night in Paris. On the other hand, there was 'The Tortured Poets Department', with its 140 minutes running-length and 35 songs, half of which have long disappeared from my brain. The album was akin to 'a data dump of everything I thought or felt in two or three years', the singer said on 'New Heights'. Taylor Swift ended her record-breaking Eras Tour in December 2024 after 149 shows over nearly two years. If there was any moment for her to take a break, this seemed like the ideal time. I naively thought she would perhaps focus on her feature film directorial debut, which was first announced in 2022. I also hoped a pause would steer her away from some unpleasant habits. Taylor Swift has reached a point in her craftsmanship and stardom that has made some of her recent art feel a bit too comfortable... On 'Midnights' and 'The Tortured Poets Department', both largely produced with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, her sound sometimes lacked brilliance. And while she remains a lyrical prodigy, her tendency to rely on underdog and revenge narratives to constantly rewrite her own mythology felt self-indulgent. Above all, after the Eras Tour, I wanted to be able to miss her and her music. But this is obviously not who she is. Taylor Swift is a hard worker if there ever there was one. She writes and produces her own songs, directs her music videos, and designs every aspect of her visual identity. She is a pop mastermind who drops Easter Eggs years in advance for her fans to dissect. Most importantly, she is a free artist - even more so since she recently acquired her long sought-after master recordings. Basically, if she wanted to put out an album every six months, she would, and we would have to get on with it. The most recent details revealed about 'The Life of a Showgirl' have reassured me somewhat. The new album will contain only 12 songs without any bonus tracks, for once. Swift described it as 'focused' and 'just right', which I truly hope it will be. 'I tend to love to write lots and lots of music, so it's a temptation to release lots of music,' she said on 'New Heights'. 'I wanted to do an album that was so focused on quality and on the theme and everything fitting together like a perfect puzzle.' Une publication partagée par Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) Swift made the record during the Eras Tour and it is meant to capture the effervescence of her life at that moment. I am genuinely curious to discover how she tackled the tribulations of her stardom - a theme she masterly approached on the song 'Clara Bow', from 'The Tortured Poets Department'. Swift also said that 'The Life of a Showgirl' would incorporate 'folklore'-style storytelling. With its vivid character-led verses, her surprise 2020 album – and its sister LP 'evermore' - remains a lyrical gem. If this spirit is infused in her next release, that can only be a good omen. Like most Swifties, I will follow Taylor Swift wherever she goes musically. I am ready to hop over the stage and take a look behind the curtain. I just hope she takes us somewhere fun and unexpected, a place I couldn't have imagined. Not even in my wildest dreams. Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' is out on 3 October 2025.
