Hoorah for Henley, The UK’s Poshest Festival
Now that lockdown restrictions have finally lifted, it’s time to get into the festival spirit and celebrate at Henley Festival 2021 which returns this week to its spectacular setting on the riverbank in Henley-on-Thames with its full black-tie splendour.
Forget the mudfest of Glastonbury or moshpits of Reading, Henley even makes Wilderness look a bit, well, wild.
The Henley Festival is unapologetically posh, and we love it for that. lack tie, champagne bars, arrival by boat and a floating stage – this is what decadence is all about post-covid.
And we’re in for a treat this year with an epic line-up of award-winning comedy, critically acclaimed artists and the biggest names in popular, world, jazz and classical music.
The historical Great Gatsby vision meets a lively carnival for a party like no other. Headliners taking to the floating stage for 2021 include Seminal British pop band Madness, multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter James Blunt, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, legendary Kathy Sledge, Sara Cox and the English National Orchestra for Sunday’s unforgettable show Don’t Stop Me Now featuring West End musical stars and a full rock band.
After an incredibly challenging 18 months, the return of a physical event will once again see festivalgoers arriving by boat as they step onto the green lawns of the festival which will be transformed as black-tie clad revellers spill across the site, champagne in hand, while fireworks explode overhead.
A sparkly sight we are all looking forward to seeing and experiencing after the troubles of 2020!
Established 39 years ago as a classical music charity event, Henley Festival is the UK’s only black-tie festival – glamour personified – and continues to run as a non-profit organisation, supporting charitable projects at both a national and local level. Winner of Headline Performance of the Year in 2016, Henley Festival 2021 is undoubtably the UK’s most glamorous festival.
The Henley Festival is also one of very few festivals in the UK to showcase artworks from some of the UK’s most talented artists, photographers and galleries. Focusing largely on local talent this year, the festival is host to a string of up and coming makers and craftsmen, including artisanal jewellers of Studio 35 and Cristo Design’s striking wooden furniture. The festival welcomes back Tommy Burr’s urban art that repurposes mundane materials like traffic signs into vibrant pieces of art, and will also collaborate with the internationally recognised Bishopsland Educational Trust for the first time, celebrating the craftmanship of the recent jewellery graduates.
And in case you’re hungry, Michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett will be returning to run Europe’s biggest field restaurant, creating a bespoke menu exclusively for Henley at the Riverside Restaurant. Hartnett’s astonishingly creative, flawlessly executed dishes focus on purity of flavour and reverence for ingredients. 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, Green Box, Oink, BBQ Club, Hotel Chocolat, Jessecco Prosecco, Black Cab Coffee Company and many more.
- Belle has been advised that there are a few tickets remaining for the Henley Festival. General admission tickets are priced from £50 and seated tickets from £75. For all ticket information visit the festival website at http://henley-festival.co.uk/.
- For the latest Henley news, follow on social @HenleyFestival.
