My Top 5 Oxfordshire Festivals this Summer
As we start to see rays of sunshine stream across Oxfordshire fields and feel the warmth of spring on the landscape, my mind starts to dream of my ultimate summer day out – a festival in the sun.
Luckily we don’t need to look further than our very own county, to catch big name acts and artists perform in 2024.
Here are my top 5 Oxfordshire Festivals not to miss in 2024...
Kite, 7-9 June 2024
KITE is a fabulous festival of music and ideas that takes place at Kirtlington Park in Kidlington, just north of Oxford city. Headliners haven’t been announced yet, but if last year is anything to go by, think era-defining icons, contemporary stars and emerging talent driving the music scene forward, across four stages.
Focused on alternative music, KITE draws from indie, folk, soul and musical traditions from around the world. Music to make you dance, to help you think and lose yourself in the moment. From intimate shows allowing you to get up close and personal with artists to open arenas where the biggest acts in the world can spread their wings.
There will be talk about the major forces shaping the world we live in, today and in the future. Together, you’ll explore answers to big questions relating to power, our planet, technology, identity, living and culture. In-depth interviews and keynotes will sit side by side with discussions and debates where you, the audience, get to have your say.
Wilderness, 1-4 August 2024
A shimmering four-day party like no other, this multifarious gathering in the wild of Cornbury Park is back for a deluxe and divine thirteenth edition. Unleashing stellar artists from around the globe to perform amidst a magical nature reserve, Wilderness is an incandescent celebration in the most blissful of settings. Michelin-starred chefs, performers, professors and practitioners. Stadium headliners meet backroom bar bands, newly discovered acoustic talent sits beside mighty electronic virtuosos.
Designed to nourish, to thrill and to inspire, Wilderness has evolved, delivering a glittering, heady dose of glamour, excitement and escapism - with a generous side of the surreal. You’ll find performances across the most epic and intimate of dance floors, from atmospheric and left-field hideaways to the euphoric Valley and the mighty Wilderness Stage. There’s a new and extended comedy programme; an increased focus on pursuits in the wild; a lineup of culinary experiences which continues to surprise with its scale and ambition; more to discover within the parades, walkabout theatre, interactive artworks, and micro-venues and the most glamorous themes to date.
Headliners: Michael Kiwanuka, Bicep, Jessie Ware, Faithless, De La Soul, Alison Goldfrapp, DJ Craig Charles, the Van Morrison Alumni Band and Ibibio Sound Machine.
Henley Festival, 10-14 July 2024
The sensational line-up at the UK’s only black-tie music and arts festival this year features a world-class music programme of pop, world, classical, folk and jazz set alongside stellar comedy, stunning art galleries and sculpture installations, as well as gourmet dining, dancing and jaw-dropping fireworks – with headliners including and much more across five unmissable summer nights.
Headliners: Nicole Scherzinger, Gladys Knight, Dave Stewart’s Eurythmics Songbook, House Gospel Choir, Ministry of Sound Ibiza Anthems with Ellie Sax, Nigel Kennedy and Sam Ryder. Plus comedy from Mark Watson, Angela Barnes, Dara O Briain, Sara Pascoe and Flo & Joan.
Truck Festival, 26-28 July 2024
Set on a rural farm in Oxfordshire, “The Godfather of the small festival scene” sees top bands play in idyllic countryside. This year there will a positive indie vibe, attracting music loving families and their indie kids, who can roam freely around.
Headliners: Jamie T, The Streets, Wet Leg and Idles.
Nocturne at Blenheim Palace, 12 -16 June 2024
Each year Woodstock's Blenheim Palace transform’s its Great Court into a spectacular open-air concert venue. Nocturne Live is a truly unique live music experience in heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a night with the stars in the picturesque surroundings of one of Britain’s most beautiful palaces.
Headliners: Sugababes, Melanie C, Shaznay Lewis, Chaka Khan, Sister Sledge,The Fatback Band, Crowded House, Sheryl Crow, Turin Brakes, Soft Cell, Heather Small and Heaven 17.
THE DETAILS
Or looking for some fun further afield?
You can’t go wrong with the fabulous SUMMERTIME LIVE FESTIVALS...
From dancing to tracks from the white isle, to listening to legends such as Nile Rogers, UB40 or M People, these hip gatherings will leave you feeling like you’ve drank a glass of summer. Neat.
Here’s the line-up of events…
Fri 7th June, Classic Ibiza, Maldon
Fri 14th June, Classic Ibiza, Reading
Fri 21st June, Classic Ibiza, Leeds
Friday 12th July, UB40 ft. Ali Campbell, Crawley
Saturday 13th July, Classic Ibiza, Crawley
Friday 19th July, Classic Ibiza, Swansea
Friday 26th July, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Cheltenham
Saturday 27th July, Summertime Live, Cheltenham
Friday 2nd August, UB40 ft. Ali Campbell, Bristol
Saturday 10th August, Summertime Live, Northampton
Friday 16th August, Classic Ibiza, Beckenham
Friday 16th August, Jools Holland, in Windsor
Saturday 17th August, Summertime Live, Windsor,
Friday 27th Sept, Classic Ibiza, Gateshead
Friday 30th August, Classic Ibiza, Kempton
Saturday 31st August, Dizzee Rascal, Kempton Park
Handy links list
Read more of my blogs and articles
CLICK HERE
