HENLEY Festival has returned for another year of music, comedy, art and food this summer. The festival is heralded as the UK’s most glamorous festival as it takes place on the sunny green banks of the River Thames in Henley, as opposed to a wet muddy field. Guests can expect to ditch their wellingtons for boat shoes and their raincoats for party wear as the event is the only UK festival with a black-tie dress code.
Having originally started 38 years ago as a classic music charity event, Henley Festival has grown and continued to offer a rich cultural lineup of food and entertainment while remaining as a non-profit organisation which still supports local and national charities.
Chaka Khan performing at a previous Henley Festival
Spread across the weekend are musical performances from singer-songwriter James Blunt, pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sara Cox on the decks and ska heroes Madness, who will open the festival with their headline slot on The Floating Stage on Wednesday. On the smaller stages, there will also be a variety of jazz and swing bands to keep the tempo up, with a selection of folk musicians and world music artists gracing the stage.
If you fancy seeing some local talent, then the BBC Introducing line up is a must as Berkshire’s upcoming talent have been hand picked to showcase their music to the Henley Festival crowds. You might get to see the next Ed Sheeran!
Fine dining at Henley Festival
Henley Festival thrives when it comes to food and drink, and the return of michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett MBE means that Henley will yet again have Europe’s biggest field restaurant up and running. This means a bespoke menu comprised of fine dining and fresh ingredients will all feature on the exclusive Henley menu at the Riverside Restaurant for guests to enjoy.
In addition to this, there will also be a large number of pop-up restaurants including Garden Bistro by Jimmy Garcia, Green Box, Oink, BBQ Club, Hotel Chocolat, Jessecco Prosecco, Black Cab Coffee Company and many more. If you’re looking for something more quick and casual then there will also be a selection of street food stalls to choose from.
Festival goers enjoying the outdoor areas
Whether it’s the music, comedy or fine dining that you’re interested in, Henley festival caters for everyone and offers a family friendly option for festival lovers without the stress of camping.
See the full lineup of music, comedy and arts below:
MUSIC:
MADNESS
JAMES BLUNT
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
SARA COX PRESENTS JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH 80S
DISCO CLASSICAL WITH KATHY SLEDGE OF SISTER SLEDGE
CLASSIC FM PRESENTS CLASSICAL SALUTE
FEATURING THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY STEPHEN BELL
COMEDY:
MATT FORDE | ANUVAB PAL | MILTON JONES | AL MURRAY | CHRIS STOKES
SIMON EVANS | SHAPPI KHORSANDI | OLGA KOCH | KEN CHENG
EDWARD ASKHAM-SPENCER | ADA CAMPE | KIRSTY NEWTON
TOM HOUGHTON | SOPHIE DUKER | RORY BREMNER | JUSTIN MOORHOUSE JONNY AWSUM | LOST VOICE GUY | CRAIG HILL | MARK SIMMONS
ROBERT WHITE | WITT ‘N CAMP
JAZZ & SWING:
THE BONESHAKER BAND | MOSCOW DRUG CLUB | JAZZ DYNAMOS
NATTY CONGEROO & THE FLAMES OF RHYTHM | GROOVE UNDER THE SEA
AUREUM SAXOPHONE QUARTET | THE HAWKMEN
WORLD & FOLK:
JULU & HEG | MARTIN HARLEY SOLO
HENRY WEBSTER & ELLIOTT MORRIS | NICOLA & JIM
CHARLOTTE CAMPBELL | THE GASLIGHT TROUBADOURS | MAX PASHM
PAPRIKA | THRILL COLLINS | NAMVULA
BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING BERKSHIRE:
RALEGH LONG | DARSHAAN | ROZ FIRTH
OLLY CHAMBERLAIN | TABI GAZELE
VISUAL ARTS:
PUNCHBOWL GALLERY| CRISTO DESIGN | HANOI ART HOUSE
FRED GORDAN | GALLERY ATTACHÉ
The firework display at Henley Festival
by Katrina Mirpuri
The Henley Festival takes place on the weekend of July 8-12.
For the latest Henley Festival news, visit the festival website here