Tom Jones and Nile Rodgers & CHIC in Chester: an evening combining soul, pop, funk and disco
This summer, Chester Racecourse becomes the stage for a combination of two very different yet exceptionally recognizable musical careers. Tom Jones headlines the evening with his characteristic baritone and a repertoire spanning more than six decades, while Nile Rodgers & CHIC bring funk, disco and a dance groove that has left a deep mark on popular music.
The concert is scheduled for 14 August 2026 in the outdoor area of Chester Racecourse. Gates open at 16:00, followed by a DJ programme. Nile Rodgers & CHIC perform from 18:15 to 19:45, while according to the published schedule Tom Jones takes the stage at 20:30 and performs until 22:30.
This means the audience is not getting a conventional short support act before the headliner. Nile Rodgers & CHIC have their own full slot, so the evening effectively combines two major catalogues of songs in a single programme.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Why Tom Jones is still not just a nostalgia act
Tom Jones belongs to a generation of performers whose songs have long since become part of international pop culture. "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat?", "Delilah", "Green, Green Grass of Home", "Sexbomb" and his version of Prince's song "Kiss" are only the most recognizable part of the catalogue.
However, current concerts show that Jones does not build his programme as a simple sequence of old hits. Reports from his performances during 2026 describe a repertoire in which early pop songs, soul, blues and funk alternate with much more introspective material.
A special place in this phase of his career belongs to the 2021 album "Surrounded By Time". Songs from that release are still present in his concert programmes, and the album opened up space for a more mature repertoire and different interpretations of songs by other writers.
At recent performances, Jones has opened concerts with "I'm Growing Old", followed by interpretations of Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" and Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet". Such an opening immediately changes the audience's expectations: instead of trying to hide the passage of time, time itself is one of the themes of his current concert expression.
Only after such an introduction do the more recognizable hits arrive. At the performance in Scarborough in July 2026, "It's Not Unusual" received a different, bossa nova-tinged arrangement, while "What's New Pussycat?", "Sex Bomb", "Delilah", "If I Only Knew" and "Kiss" returned the concert to the more energetic side of his repertoire.
This is important for a visitor considering the concert in Chester. It would not be reasonable to claim in advance that the same set list will be repeated song for song, but current performances clearly demonstrate the concept: familiar hits remain important, but they share space with blues, soul, gospel, country and interpretations of writers such as Dylan, Cohen and The Waterboys.
What current performances say about the live experience
Jones's concerts in recent years have relied more on his voice, arrangements and backing band than on choreography or large-scale stage theatrics. A review of the Scarborough performance from July 2026 particularly highlights the band, which includes Matt White as musical director and guitarist, Scott McKeon on guitar, Paddy Milner on keyboards and Dave Bronze on bass.
That provides a sufficiently good indication of the type of concert the audience can expect: the songs are not reproduced as museum copies of the studio versions. Arrangements change, the rhythm is adapted, and some familiar compositions acquire blues, acoustic or Latin nuances.
That is precisely why the concert can also be interesting to an audience that knows Jones only through his biggest singles. Long-time fans get songs connecting different periods of his career, while a younger or broader festival audience gets a performer who is clearly still actively reshaping his old repertoire.
Nile Rodgers & CHIC turn the first part of the evening into a separate concert
The second major reason to come to Chester is Nile Rodgers & CHIC.
Rodgers is a co-founder of CHIC, a guitarist, songwriter and producer whose influence extends far beyond his own band. His distinctive rhythm guitar became one of the trademarks of disco and funk production, and his work is also associated with the music of David Bowie, Madonna, Diana Ross and numerous other performers.
With CHIC, he created songs such as "Le Freak" and "Good Times". Both remain among the best-known dance recordings of their era, and "Good Times" had a particularly strong influence on early hip-hop.
For Chester, it is important that Nile Rodgers & CHIC are not listed merely as an additional name on the poster. Their slot from 18:15 to 19:45 leaves room for a proper concert set.
That changes the dynamics of the entire event. The first major performance of the evening is naturally focused on rhythm, dancing, funk guitar and the collective energy of CHIC's songs. After that comes a break before Tom Jones, whose programme can move from quiet, reflective interpretations to soul and pop hits.
- Gates to the venue open at 16:00.
- A DJ warm-up is scheduled after opening.
- Nile Rodgers & CHIC have a slot from 18:15 to 19:45.
- Tom Jones performs from 20:30 to 22:30.
- The concert takes place in the outdoor area of Chester Racecourse.
Such a schedule suits an audience that does not necessarily want to choose between a classic pop concert and a dance-oriented funk evening. Here, both experiences are part of the same programme.
Ticket sales for this event are currently under way.
Chester Racecourse as an outdoor concert venue
Chester Racecourse is not a conventional arena or indoor concert hall. The concert takes place outdoors, which significantly determines how the visit should be planned.
The venue is located next to Chester city centre and the River Dee. A temporary concert setup is used for the music event, so it is not useful to apply capacities associated with horse racing as though they automatically applied to this concert as well.
There are different access zones, including general admission and a separate Golden Circle in certain packages. Visitors with standard tickets should therefore check before arrival which zone their ticket belongs to.
For an outdoor concert, weather conditions must also be taken into account. Chester Racecourse allows umbrellas, and personal chairs are also permitted, but only in designated areas so that they do not obstruct other visitors. Blankets are also allowed.
Food and alcohol may not be brought in. Empty drinking bottles or unopened bottles of water may be brought in, while food and drinks are available inside the venue.
Children under the age of four cannot attend the event, and people under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
For visitors who require an accessible area, another current piece of information is important: places on the Accessible Viewing Platform for this concert are currently fully booked. People who require additional support should check the available options directly with Chester Racecourse before travelling.
Arriving by train is often easier than by car
The location of Chester Racecourse is one of the practical advantages of this concert. The venue is close to the historic city centre, so visitors arriving by train do not have to arrange an additional long transfer outside the city.
Chester railway station is approximately a 20-minute walk from the racecourse. For a taxi journey between the station and the venue, the organizer states approximately six minutes, depending on traffic.
The city has direct rail connections with major British cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. For international visitors, Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport are also useful, both located in the wider region with road connections to Chester.
When arriving by car, there is an important restriction specific to this concert. Parking inside Chester Racecourse is intended only for guests with hospitality packages and the number of spaces is limited. Other visitors are advised to use public car parks in the city or alternative transport.
For that reason, for a large evening event it is sensible not to rely on driving right up to the entrance without having parking arranged in advance.
The venue address is The Racecourse, Chester, CH1 2LY.
What to bring to an outdoor concert
An August date does not guarantee dry weather, so it is more useful to prepare for changing conditions than to rely on a long-range forecast.
- Check the weather forecast immediately before departure.
- Choose footwear suitable for a long period outdoors and for walking.
- An umbrella is permitted, but use it so that it does not block the view of other visitors.
- If you bring a personal chair, use it only in the designated area.
- Do not plan to bring your own food or alcohol into the venue.
- Check the zone stated on your ticket before arrival.
Because the gates open considerably before the first major live performance, visitors can choose whether they want to arrive for the DJ programme or come closer to the Nile Rodgers & CHIC slot. For those who want to experience the whole evening from the beginning and avoid the largest wave of arrivals, entering earlier has a practical advantage.
Chester as a city worth spending extra time in before the concert
For audiences travelling from another city or from outside the United Kingdom, Chester is not merely a logistical point between the railway station and the concert venue.
The city developed on the site of the Roman fortress Deva Victrix, and its historic centre has retained a highly distinctive appearance. Chester has one of the best-preserved systems of city walls in Britain, a Roman amphitheatre and the characteristic Chester Rows - covered galleries on the upper levels of buildings along parts of Watergate Street, Bridge Street, Eastgate Street and Northgate Street.
Watergate Street itself practically connects the historic centre with the racecourse area. A visitor arriving earlier can therefore spend part of the day in the city centre and then walk down towards the concert venue.
The city walls form a circuit approximately three kilometres long, and from some sections there are views towards Chester Racecourse as well. A complete walk around them is usually said to take around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on pace and stops.
The River Dee also passes directly alongside the historic centre. This compact layout makes Chester practical for a short city stay: the station, centre, walls, restaurants and concert are not spread across distant parts of a metropolis.
Who will find this concert especially interesting
The most obvious audience consists of long-time Tom Jones fans who want to hear how he now interprets songs associated with different decades of his career. Current performances suggest that the biggest hits have not disappeared, but they are no longer the sole focus of the programme.
A second group consists of fans of soul, blues and classic pop vocals. Jones's current concert approach often emphasizes interpretation and lyrics more than physical stage dynamics, which gives slower songs and covers a much larger role than someone might expect based solely on his most commercial singles.
The third major audience is drawn by Nile Rodgers & CHIC. Their part of the evening has a completely different energy: rhythm guitar, funk, disco and songs such as "Le Freak" and "Good Times" naturally push the audience towards dancing.
That is why Chester is one of those dates where the additional performer genuinely changes the value of the programme. It is not simply a case of the audience waiting for the main star through a shorter opening performance. The published schedule gives Nile Rodgers & CHIC 90 minutes, after which Tom Jones has a two-hour slot.
Where Chester fits into Tom Jones's current schedule
Chester is part of an intensive run of summer performances before the tour continues in North America.
The current schedule around this concert includes Crystal Palace Bowl in London, Palmerstown House in Dublin, Custom House Square in Belfast and then Chester Racecourse. After Chester comes CarFest in Silverstone, and in September Jones continues with concerts in the United States and Canada.
This shows that Chester is not an isolated one-off performance, but part of an active concert season in which Jones performs in very different venues - from outdoor summer locations to theatres and concert halls.
At the same time, the combination with Nile Rodgers & CHIC gives Chester its own identity within that schedule. For an audience wanting a combination of Jones's interpretations and recognizable hits with a full funk-disco performance by Nile Rodgers & CHIC, that is the most important distinctive feature of this date.
Places are disappearing quickly.
Practical information before departure
The most important thing is to plan the concert as a multi-hour outdoor event, not as a standard evening performance in a hall. Gates open as early as 16:00, Nile Rodgers & CHIC begin at 18:15, and Tom Jones at 20:30.
If you arrive by train, the route from Chester railway station to the racecourse is short enough to walk, while arriving by car requires more planning because standard concert tickets do not include parking at the racecourse itself.
Visitors who arrive in Chester several hours earlier have enough things to see in the immediate vicinity that they do not need to arrange additional journeys: the city walls, Chester Rows, the historic centre and the River Dee are all located within a compact urban area.
And when the musical part of the day begins, the sequence is very clear: a DJ programme, followed by the full dance-oriented Nile Rodgers & CHIC block, and finally Tom Jones with a repertoire that today connects his best-known pop moments with much more mature soul, blues and interpretations of songs by other writers.
Sources:
- Chester Racecourse - information about the Tom Jones & Nile Rodgers & CHIC concert, performance schedule, gate opening time, rules concerning children, chairs, blankets, water, food and parking
- Chester Racecourse - information about arriving by train, bus and car and about the venue's location
- Tom Jones - artist's website - current tour schedule and concert reports from 2025 and 2026, including Scarborough, Madrid, KΓΆln, A CoruΓ±a, Athens and other cities
- Nile Rodgers - artist's website - biographical information about CHIC and the songs "Le Freak" and "Good Times"
- Visit Chester & Cheshire and Chester.com - information about the city walls, Roman history, Chester Rows, River Dee and landmarks of the historic centre