London super group take on Somerset House site

Three revered operators with businesses all across London have joined forces to launch a brand-new bar and venue at Somerset House.

Setlist, which will focus on live music, DJs and art installations, has been created by Adventure Bars co-founder Thomas Kidd, who now operates Bar Elba and Luna Springs; James Dye, co-owner of Frank’s in Peckham, Bambi and The Knave of Clubs; and Clement Ogbonnaya, founder of the Prince of Peckham and Queen of the South pubs.

The trio have partnered with Paul Smyth, one half of the artists Something & Son and co-founder of Mission Kitchen and co-making space Makerversity, to create the new concept.

Setlist will open on 8 May and will also feature food from some of London’s most exciting female chefs. There will also be regular pop-ups, guest chefs and a barbecue series throughout the summer. 

Creating the setlist

Ogbonnaya will be curating a programme of live music, DJs and events each week. Guests can also expect evenings curated by Cultur FM, Dankie Sounds and south London's Cloud X among many others. DJ sets include Pxssy Palace founder Skyler Myler, Mark Ashley, Donny Sunshine and Mercedes Benson.

At the centre of the new space will be a 50m-long covered pavilion that has been designed to provide a blank canvas to present emerging visual artists from London. 

This new space will provide a canvas for an annual artwork commission, which the operators say will become one of the largest public painted artwork commissions in London, promoting emerging and early career artists, and bringing their work to central London audiences. 

Finally, Setlist will also curate a series of interactive artworks and games across the year, in partnership with Somerset House. First up is an interactive basketball-inspired installation by Gray Wielebinski, following on from a recent breakout solo show at the ICA.

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