Presented by Orangehaus, the 2026 Somnium event was held Saturday, April 11, in the Smith-Martin courtyard. Featuring a line up consisting of the Rock Bottom Boys of Madison County, Hollowstem, AU Movement, and students Gabby Hosier and Sam Woods, Somnium was an afternoon of great music and entertainment. In addition to the music, several clubs and organizations hosted booths. This included Orangehaus, Avanti Boosters, Society of Women Engineers, Hispanic Latino Student Association, International Student Association, and merch tables for each of the performing bands all selling food or merch for the event goers.
Somnium served both as an afternoon of free entertainment for attendees, as well as giving the performers a stage they haven’t had before. Sam Woods mentioned, “This being my first big performance was significant, especially being that vulnerable up on stage, but with my new album releasing soon it was nice to sing the songs live.” Gabby Hosier stated, “This was my first time performing two of my new original songs for a crowd. It was so cool to watch people react to the new music.”
This year’s lineup also included the Rock Bottom Boys of Madison County performing for the first time, a bluegrass band consisting of three Anderson University staff; Jason Varner, Mike Snyder, and Dean of Students Trent Palmer. When asked about the significance of playing this event, Trent Palmer stated, “The RBBMC band has always been a fun group to be a part of, but won’t ever be our day jobs. I have a feeling that some of the other acts, you’ll see as professionals in the field of music where we can say ‘we once opened for them’!”
Additionally, the introduction of a street fair at the performance location this year was a great success according to both the artists and students. “The street fair style lends itself well to the show, especially the food. The food was good,” Sam noted. Hopefully, the success of this year’s performances will inspire future Somniums to reach new heights.