Henley Festival

About Henley Festival

On the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames, Henley Festival 2027 runs as a black-tie arts festival inside the Henley Royal Regatta riverside enclosure.

The event was set up in 1982 as a charity staging music and arts for the local community. It runs from 7 to 11 July 2027, and recent main festival nights have been reported at around 6,000 people per evening.

Black tie is part of the format. The festival describes itself as the UK’s only black-tie festival.

Lineup and Programme

The bill draws from jazz, pop, classical and world music, with comedy and visual arts elsewhere in the programme.

The Floating Stage sits on the River Thames. Named stages and spaces include:

• Floating Stage
• Pure Heaven
• RISE Emerging Talent Stage
• The Bedouin
• The Paradiso
• Jazz at the Paradiso
• Comedy at the Paradiso

RISE, launched in 2022 for the festival’s 40th anniversary, covers emerging talent. Fireworks run on festival nights, and Sunday morning Playdate includes entertainers and face-painting for children.

Who Is It For?

The evening programme is adult-leaning and black-tie. On Wednesday to Saturday evenings, entry is 16+; under-18s must be accompanied by an adult, and under-16s including babies are not admitted.

Sunday evening is 12+, with under-18s accompanied by an adult and no under-12s including babies. Playdate has no age limit and is aimed at children roughly aged 3-12.

The Venue and Site

The site uses the Henley Royal Regatta riverside enclosure by Henley Bridge, with the Floating Stage set on the Thames.

Facilities listed for the enclosure include restaurants and hospitality dining, bars and food concessions, medical facilities near the entrance gates, a cloakroom, a water point between the Terrace Restaurant and Floating Stage auditorium, and moorings for boat arrivals.

Car Park 1, Car Park 2, VIP, Patrons, Blue Badge and Artist parking are listed for the site. Overnight stays in the car parks are not allowed.

Henley-on-Thames railway station is the nearest rail stop, about a 10-15 minute walk from the festival enclosure.

• Rail: Reading to Henley-on-Thames takes about 20 minutes by train; London to Henley-on-Thames takes about 1 hour.
• Road from M4 J8/9: A404(M) and A4130 into Henley.
• Road from M4 J10: A329(M), A4, A321 through Wargrave, then A4130.
• Road from M40 J4: A404 to Marlow, then A4155.
• Local access: White Hill, Leander Way and Remenham Church Lane.
• Parking: Car Park 1, Car Park 2 and designated VIP, Patrons, Blue Badge and Artist parking are listed; Car Park 2 is also used for on-the-day sales, and overnight stays are not allowed.