Henley Festival 2026
08 July to 12 July
About Henley Festival 2026
Mark your diaries. Henley Festival 2026 will take place from 08 to 12 July 2026.
Henley Festival is an exclusive boutique black-tie festival that takes place over five days, celebrating the best of the UK and International music and arts.
The festival is a truly unique event. It embraces a vibrant programme from pop to world music, classical to jazz where art and gastronomy share equal billing with music.
Indulge in a whole range of dining and drinking options at Henley Festival, from riverside fine-dining to grazing, plus a wealth of bars throughout the site.
This event listing still contains information from previous festivals to give you a sense of what to expect in 2026. The page will be updated with information about the 2026 festival when it becomes available.
Tickets
You’ll be able to purchase your Henley Festival tickets as follows:
- Patrons – Monday 27 January 10.00am
- Platinum Friends – Thursday 30 January 10.00am
- Gold Friends – Friday 31 January 10.00am
- Silver Friends – Monday 03 February 10.00am
- Bronze Friends – Tuesday 04 February 10.00am
- General Public – Thursday 06 February 10.00am
Please see important booking information below.
Henley Festival 2025 lineup
Floating stage headliners
Diana Ross: A Symphonic Celebration
McFly | Rick Astley | Hacienda Classical
And on Sunday… Matteo Bocelli | Jamie Cullum
Pure Heaven – The Festival Club
Jo Whiley: Festival Anthems | Yolanda Brown: Bob Marley Songbook | Ellie Sax
Comedy at the Paradiso & Riverside
Ed Byrne | Ivo Graham | Matt Forde | Rob Auton
Rise by Henley Festival
Creating opportunities for emerging talent to learn, perform and flourish
Westcoast Rising Star Award Winner Hetta Falzon
Leila McKenzie | Darcy Winter | Jonny Morgan | Conor McLain
Naima Adams | The White Lakes | High Windows | Tony Mac
Jazz & swing at the Paradiso
Megan McConnell | Jazz & The Tonics
Natty Congeroo & The Flames of Rhythm
World in the Bedouin Tent
Wonder 45 | The Dominos | BB3 | Luisa Santiago | Datura Roots Collective
Andres Cruz | The Revue | Tor Hills | No Limit Street Band | Kavalla
Visual arts in Henley Festival’s Galleries & Sculpture Garden
Haut de Gamme | The Barker Gallery
Circus Gallery | Harriet Gosling | Catriona Wood
Rock Legends Live | Hypergallery | The Drang Gallery
Amber Gallery | Tommy Gurr | Superstars | James Marshall
Playdate @ Henley Festival
The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen | Mr Sleepybum | Pang On
Yolanda Brown Band Jam | Fred in the Shed | Bubbleologist | Twistina & Twistopher
Oxford Face Painter | The Party Poppers | Face Painting for All | Esa Lau
Happy Heart Bike | Doodle Jam | Abbey School
Roving Troupe at Henley Festival
As you explore the Henley Festival site, you will once again be dazzled and amazed by a roaming troupe of entertainers. Here’s what’s in store for when you arrive…
Acro Chaps (a trio of mustachioed acrobats), Bad Nana’s (Granny Turismo), Cirque Pyromantic (Electroglide Butterflies), Elton Wrong (rock/pop icon driving along on a piano at a speed of 4 mph), Super Tenants (band and interactive party starters), The Bouncers (stilts), The Miniscule of Sound (The Worlds Smallest Nightclub), Tommy Gurr Painting Live
Art at Henley Festival
The visual arts programme will see stunning contemporary art, sculpture and installation right across the site. There will be remarkable installations from artists all over the world with artwork like you’ve never seen before.
Family Sunday at Henley Festival
Family Sunday is a daytime ticketed fun-filled music, comedy, visual and performance art event for our younger audience. Entry to the evening festival event is not included. Family Sunday opens at 10.00am and closes at 1.30pm. There is free parking for Family Sunday only between 9.30am and 2.00pm.
Tickets
Please see important ticketing information below.
Booking information
General public booking will be available from February 2026.
See the FAQs section below for information about the various ticket options available for you to experience Henley Festival.
Good to know
Dress code:
The Henley Festival has a dress code of Black Tie. Everyone is encouraged to get dressed to the nines – think dinner jackets, evening trousers and bow ties for men, long or short evening wear for ladies, sequins and sparkle! The only exception is for the Henley Symphony Orchestra Saturday Lunchtime Concert and the Family Sunday children’s event.
Age limits:
There is a lower age limit for the festival. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, it is 14+ years, and on Saturday and Sunday, it is 12+ years. Those under 18 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
Weather:
The Henley Festival gates open at 6.00pm. There are many covered areas within the enclosure, but if you are on the Lawn or have a General Admission ticket, make sure you bring some protective outerwear for the Main Stage concert. In exceptional weather, no umbrellas are allowed, but Wellington boots are welcome – the more colourful, the better.
FAQs
There are various ticket options for you to experience Henley Festival.
Grandstand (A, B and C) tickets offer the opportunity to see everything at the festival and enjoy the Floating Stage concert from an allocated, undercover seat in the Grandstand. These tickets are priced according to their view (in varying degrees) of the Floating Stage.
Lawn (Premier, A, B, C and Restricted View) tickets give you the chance to see everything at the festival and view the Floating Stage concert under the stars in an allocated seat on the grassed Lawn area. These tickets are priced according to their view (in varying degrees) of the Floating Stage.
General Admission tickets provide a perfect way to enjoy the events, performances, restaurants and bars around the site – a great ticket if you want to wander around. Please be aware that this is not a ticket suitable for viewing the Headline Floating Stage concert and will not give access to the Lawn and Grandstand seats. General Admission ticket holders will be able to hear the performance and may be able to see the stage from a distance, but this is not guaranteed.
What is an Under 18’s ticket?
Henley Festival offers an evening ticket for visitors aged under 18. Age limits for this ticket type are 14 to 17 years on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 12 to 17 years on Saturday and Sunday. An Under 18s wristband will be allocated at the festival entrance upon arrival.
Yes, you can buy tickets throughout the festival week, either online or at the box office during opening times (subject to availability).
Yes, everyone must have their own individual tickets ready to be scanned at the front gates. Please keep your ticket safe and remember to bring it to the event with you.
You will need to keep your ticket with you throughout the night, particularly for the Floating Stage concert as Lawn and Grandstand ticket holders will need their seat and row number. You may be asked by security to show your e-ticket at any point during the evening.
Wristbands will be given out at the Festival gates upon presentation of a valid ticket.
The Box Office is unable to help customers with the re-sale of any spare tickets. Please ensure you buy only the amount of tickets you need. You are welcome to pass them on to Friends or Family.
The car park opens at 4.00pm. The festival gates open at 5.00pm.
The Henley Festival has a dress code of Black Tie. Everyone is encouraged to get dressed to the nines. So dig out your best frock. You can never be overdressed at Henley!
Dining reservations are only available to those who have purchased a valid festival ticket. Reservations can be made (subject to availability) when booking your tickets, by telephone or online. Please contact the Box Office on 01491 843404 if you have already purchased your festival tickets and subsequently would like to make a dining reservation.
Yes, and you will be able to purchase a car park pass at the time of your booking, which will then be sent to you via your e-ticket in June.
If you have booked in advance, you will be directed to either Car Park 1 or Car Park 2 as requested. Once there, you will be pointed to the next available car parking space.
Festival guests who purchase a Car Park Pass on the night will be directed to the next available area in Car Park 2 (subject to availability).
Each evening the car parks will open from 4.00pm.
On Family Sunday, Car Park 1 will open at 9.30am, and all cars must be removed by 2.00pm. Free parking is available for Family Sunday only.
There are limited moorings within the Henley Festival enclosure available to purchase and for the exclusive use of festival ticket holders only. All guests on board must have a valid festival ticket and abide by the Black Tie dress code.
Available moorings must be paid for at the time of booking. Following on, you will be contacted by the Henley Festival Mooring Team and asked to complete and return a mooring form. Mooring positions are allocated by Henley Festival and cannot be chosen by the customer. Moorings are not transferable or refundable.
Boats with pre-booked moorings may arrive from 3.00pm on the day of their booking and must leave by midday the following day. You can access your boat throughout the evening – you must retain both ticket and wristband to regain access to the festival.
You can get into the festival from the riverbank if you have a valid ticket and a wristband which can be collected from one of the wristband exchange points on the towpath.
Please contact Hobbs of Henley on 01491 572035 for further advice.
The Henley Festival Site Box Office is located on the left-hand side, towards the festival entrance.
The site Box Office is open from 2.00pm to 9.00pm from Wednesday to Sunday during festival week.
Gallery
