Henley Festival, the UK’s most glamorous boutique festival and winner of Headline Performance of the Year in 2016 returns to its spectacular setting on the riverbank in Henley-on-Thames from 10th-14th July 2019.

 

The comedy line-up includes Ed Byrne, Andy Hamilton, Julian Clary, Jimeoin, Craig Hill and Murray Lachlan-Young. The festival will also include Richard Herring interviewing Barry Cryer for his podcast. Also appearing are Vikki Stone, Kai Samra, Steve Bugeja and Luke Kempner.

As the UK’s only black-tie festival, Henley Festival offers Michelin starred food, critically acclaimed artists and the biggest names in popular, world, jazz and classical music.
 
Established 37 years ago as a classical music charity event, Henley Festival continues to be run on a not for profit basis supporting charitable projects at both a national and local level. This year grants from the festival will go to two charities. Dedicated to supporting young people with depression, and encouraging discussions around mental health, the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust was set up in memory of a young man who took his own life whilst suffering from depression. The Teenage Wilderness Trust supports students who find it difficult to engage with mainstream education by offering reengagement courses using bush craft, wilderness learning techniques and practical life skills to encourage students to get back into learning. 

 

See the full Henley Festival line-up and booking details below.  

THE FLOATING STAGE 
 
Pop icon and mega star Boy George will open Henley festival 2019 on Wednesday night. Universally recognised as one of the music scenes most iconic artists Boy George was recently presented with the Ivor Novello lifetime achievement award. The Grammy award winning singer has created a Worldwide presence that transcends age, race, colour, creed, nationality and even religion. To date George has sold over 100 million singles and in excess of 50 million albums as a performer and songwriter with 80’s super group Culture Club and as a solo artist in his own right. This new wave legend will bring his extravagant showmanship to Henley to kick start UK’s most dazzling festival weekend of the year.
 
On the Thursday night, Henley Festival is delighted to welcome back multi-platinum selling artist Jessie J for the first concert of a 3 year retrospective bringing back some of Henley Festival’s most popular artists.  Since her last performance at Henley Jessie J has cracked the US, written and released her latest album R.O.S.E and completed a hugely successful World tour, selling out shows in China, Asia, US & Europe. Not only an incredible recording artist she has also served as a popular judge on both The Voice UK and The Voice Australia and last year became the first non-Chinese contestant to win the prime time Chinese TV show 'Singer' which has cemented her global popularity even further. 
 
On Friday night, the festival audience are in for a treat as Brit Award and Ivor Novello-winning songwriting sensation Tom Odell takes to the floating stage. With multiple awards and 1.8 million sales under his belt, the Chichester-born prodigy has won over the British public. His 2013 breakthrough smash, ‘Another Love’ and debut album, ‘Long Way Down’, topped the charts in the UK and in 2014 he made the top ten again with a Beatles cover of ‘Real Love’, recorded for the John Lewis Christmas ad campaign. Alongside standout tracks such as ‘Grow Old With Me’, ‘Heal’ and ‘Can’t Pretend’, public affection for Tom and his quaveringly emotional way is at an all-time high.  
 
In a Henley Festival first, Friday night’s performance by Tom Odell will be followed by a DJ set on the floating stage by the legendary BBC DJ Jo Whiley! Bringing you all the best tracks from the greatest decade for music, think Blur vs Oasis, Fatboy Slim, Primal Scream, The Verve, The Chemical Brothers, Faithless, The Prodigy and a whole lot more. Undoubtedly the biggest night out you’ll have all year, whether you were living it large in the 90s, wish it was still the 90s, or can’t quite remember the decade… Hey girl, hey boy, Superstar DJ… here we go!
 
If you love Mamma Mia! Saturday night is for you, as Henley Festival welcomes the internationally acclaimed BJÖRN AGAIN show. Designed as a rocked-up light-hearted satirical ABBA spoof, the show rapidly achieved world-wide Cult status and acknowledged for singlehandedly initiating the ABBA revival which brought about ABBA Gold, Muriel’s Wedding and Mamma Mia! Hailed as “the closest thing you can get to seeing ABBA” by Benny Anderson himself.
 
Henley Festival is delighted to announce that Classic FM’s popular film music programme Saturday Night at the Movies will be brought to life with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Pete Harrison, with guest soloists Johanna Röhrig (violin), Oliver Poole (piano) presented by popular Classic FM presenter Aled Jones. This special showcase dubbed Classic FM: A Night at the Movies will be filled with popular classical music used in iconic films from the past 50 years together with some of the greatest Oscar-winning original soundtracks. 
 
JAZZ AT HENLEY FESTIVAL
 
Henley Festival’s very own Jazz Club in the stunning Spiegel Tent offers dining and live jazz music before and after the main headline act. Hailed as one of UK’s supreme boogie piano players after working with heavy weights such as The Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry, The Ben Waters Quartet will open Henley’s Jazz Club on Wednesday night with his delicious melting pot of musical influences. On Thursday night, The Dime Notes will bring their blues-drenched 1920s style New Orleans Jazz to Henley.
 
Friday night sees London’s own Si Cranstoun present his dazzling show to the festival goers. After touring with Little Richard and composing songs for Hollywood blockbusters such as Fool’s Gold – starring Matthew McCounaghey and Kate Hudson – Cranstoun is one of the most exciting household names in the UK jazz scene. On Saturday night, Britain’s first electro swing band Swing Zazou will bring the party to the Jazz Club with their vivacious set jampacked with energy and finally, on Sunday Hetty & Jazzato Band will bring a taste of ‘la dolce vita’ to the festival site with their Anglo-Italian fusion of classic Italian songs, swing, jazz and foot tapping rock n’ roll. Using both modern and period instruments, Pocket Sinfonia is a quartet that focuses on delivering orchestral pieces with the intimacy of a chamber music performance.
 
BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING BERKSHIRE 
 
BBC Music Introducing was created in 2007 to support unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar musicians. Henley Festival is hugely excited to be working with BBC Music Introducing discovering breaking acts from the region, all of whom have featured across the BBC network before. 
 
The Kleeks are a London based four-piece serving a exquisite mixture of west coast swing, Chicago blues and 1960s RnB. Inspired by the likes of Muddy Waters, The Kinks and Fleetwood Mac, this Dan ‘Speed-Dial’ Simmonds led quartet is one not to miss. Oliver Hoare & The Late Great is a creative polymath dabbling in the fields of both music and theatre. With songs described as “delicious expressionist anthems simultaneously lamenting and delighting”by BBC Radio 3’s own Max Reinhardt, Hoarne’s show is bound to be a showstopper. Friday afternoon will be an emotional affair brought upon by the phenomenal Nate Simpson. Known for his unforgettable X-Factor performance of Leona Lewis’ Run in 2016 that was hailed as one of the best performances in the season by Simon Cowell, Simpson’s Henley Festival show is going to be one to remember. Emerging artist Calum Foad writes songs that even Ed Sheeran would envy with their catchy, smart pop hooks mixed with lyrical vulnerability. Foad is a star on the rise and has recently collaborated with A-list producers such as Marc McClusky (Weezer, Bad Religion).   
 
WORLD MUSIC IN THE BEDOUIN TENT 
 
Enter The Bedouin Tent for a taste of global world music as well as home spun British folk at its best. World Music comes from London based flamenco and rumba connoiseurs De Fuego who’ve gathered an impressive list of festival appearances around the world, ranging from Glastonbury to Sziget Festival in Hungary. Trio Zimbora are ready to bring the rhythms of Brazil to Henley through their extatic blend of virtuosic instrumental Choro music from Rio de Janeiro, right through to the uplifting songs from the Forró and Afro-Brazilian traditions in the northeast of Brazil. French musical virtuosos of Plantec are the leading group working in Celtic Music.
 
Afrosamba are a Brazilian band covering styles such as Afro Brazilian Jazz, Samba and Bossa Nova. Based in the UK, the group is fronted by Brazilian born Pilo Adami and comprises of seasoned musicians from Mozambique and the UK. Hailed as “the voice of Cajun” by Rolling Stone, French accordionist icon in the making Sarah Savoy will bring her thrilling live set to Henley. King Cassady are a gypsy jazz trio with flamenco tendencies whose high energy will undoubtedly make the festival goers look for their dancing shoes. Legendary UK heavyweight DJ Chris Tofu will also be playing an electrifying closing set on Saturday night.
 
FOLK MUSIC IN THE BEDOUIN TENT 
 
Henley will be presenting up and coming folk music names in the Bedouin Tent including the alt-folk duo Stables whose heartfelt songs give a subtle nod towards the likes of Bon Iver and The Lumineers. UK’s leading ceilidh band Bowreed mix traditional ceilidh with contemporary touches and will be taking the stage on Friday evening. Johnny Cash Converters describes themselves as a band who play “country music for people who hate country music” and cover dance anthems from the 70s to the present day in the style of Johnny Cash, with a heavy weighting of rave classics from Dangerous Dave Pearce’s ‘Dance Anthems’ 90s heyday. Hailed as the “the most original folk duo on the British folk scene” by The Guardian, husband and wife folk-duo Megson take the stage on Sunday evening. They will also be performing a special family folk set as a part of the Family Day ahead of their headline slot in the Bedouin Tent.
 
FOODIE FESTIVAL 
 
Michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett MBE will be returning to Henley Festival 2019 to run Europe’s biggest field restaurant, creating a bespoke menu exclusively for Henley, at the Riverside Restaurant. Angela Hartnett’s astonishingly creative, flawlessly executed dishes focus on purity of flavour and reverence for ingredients.
 
Angela said “I’m delighted to be working closely with Henley Festival again this year, creating menus from the food that I love for such a great and iconic event.”
 
 A festival for food lovers, Henley caters for all tastes offering a huge number of restaurants and pop ups from street food to fine dining. Restaurant’s popping up at the festival will include Garden Bistro by Jimmy Garcia, Game Keeper, Halloumi Guys, BBQ Club and Snob Lobster, Hotel Chocolat, Jessecco Prosecco, Tonbo Japanese Kitchen and many more.
 
VISUAL ARTS
 
Henley Festival is one of the very few festivals to showcase art work from some of Britain’s most talented artists photographers and galleries. Henley is hugely excited to announce Artist duo Mike Blow and Alison Ballard will bring their unique British Arts Council backed audio visual installation Colony to the festival. Consisting of seven large spherical, sonic sculptures, the installation allow the audience to experience the physicality of sound through listening, touching, and hugging.  Sculpture artists Brendon Hesmondhalgh and Laura Jane Wylder will also be providing major works that will be placed around the festival site in addition to a plethora of galleries taking part in this year’s festival.