Henley Festival presented by Westcoast is set to showcase the exceptional ‘RISE’ line-up of emerging talent appearing at this year’s festival, which returns to the beautiful banks of the Thames for five magical summer nights from 09 to 13 July.
The UK’s only black-tie music and arts festival is truly an experience like no other: world-class music set alongside stellar comedy and cabaret, stunning art galleries and sculpture installations, roving performers, as well as dining, drinks, dancing and simply jaw-dropping fireworks.
But it’s more than just an unmissable event: the Festival’s RISE programme gives a unique platform for aspiring professionals in music (who perform on the dedicated RISE stage), visual art (with artists exhibiting in the Audi High RISE gallery) and production (with backstage students working across the site with the best lighting and sound companies in the industry).
The 2025 ‘RISE’ line-up presents an extraordinary range of new talent: Spanning genres from pop and classical to folk and jazz, the line-up of trailblazing musicians will feature this year’s recipient of the Westcoast RISING Star Award – celebrating outstanding achievement and great potential – Manchester-based singer-songwriter, Hetta Falzon.
Known for channelling honesty and vulnerability into her song-writing and music, Hetta draws on jazz, pop and classical influences to inspire a unique melodic style, driven by a desire to move people.
Further acts appearing on the RISE stage include outstanding emerging artists who have had millions of streams on social media, a Welsh-Jamaican singer/song writer tipped to be the new face of pop R&B, a Roundhouse resident artist who has performed at Glastonbury, bands with European tour experience, and award winning, emerging musicians.
The line-up features performances from Welsh R&B singer-songwriter Leila McKenzie, Jazz-Pop artist Darcy Winter, Bath-based indie folk singer-songwriter Jonny Morgan, South London-based R&B vocalist Naima Adams, Birmingham three-piece indie rock band The White Lakes, guitarist and vocalist Tony Mac, and London-based indie pop band High Windows.
To finally close the stage on the Sunday of the festival is Irish singer-songwriter Conor McLain, who uses his music to spread positivity and discuss complex topics through a fusion of pop and folk.
Alongside music, the Festival also champions visual artists in the early stages of their careers. New for this year, Henley Festival launched the RISE by Henley Festival Emerging Artist Prize, which gives recognition and awareness to outstanding visual artists aged 18 and over who are in the early stages of their careers, or who have not yet established a reputation among art curators, buyers and critics.
In addition to receiving a financial prize, the winner and two runners-up will be exhibiting their brilliant work in the Audi High RISE Gallery.
The winner of this year’s prize is Raoul Orzabal, a London-based painter of complex and intricately detailed landscapes and cityscapes. The two runners-up are Curtis Chan, a Hong Kong-born and London-based painter of dream-like compositions imbued with nostalgia and present-day desires, and Susan Kellaway, presenting her vibrant and subversive paintings of the female figure.
Succeeding in the creative industries is notoriously difficult, and breaking in is harder than ever. This is why Henley Festival’s mission is to support the next generation of talent through the RISE programme, creating opportunities for emerging talent to learn, perform and flourish. Now in its fourth year, RISE by Henley Festival provides aspiring artists with funding, exposure, mentoring and professional advice, in addition to a fantastic, receptive audience.
The RISE programme invests in a creative future by championing up-and-coming artists and enabling them to explore their talent in a fabulous setting. RISE actively works with local and national colleges, as well as performing arts academies, to find talented individuals and groups, whatever their story, who will benefit from the opportunities provided.
Jo Bausor, CEO of Henley Festival, said, “It’s an honour to be continuing our RISE programme into yet another year, supporting young and emerging artists by offering paid opportunities to perform, exhibit or complete work placements.
It’s at the core of everything we do as a festival, and there is no greater privilege than helping these incredible young artists and students kickstart their careers in roles across the cultural spectrum.”
