LAST WEEK, some of the biggest names in music and comedy graced the stage at Henley Festival, with the likes of Nile Rodgers and Chic, Boney M, Westlife, Jo Brand, and Marcus Brigstocke making appearances on the riverside.
Five days of performances, art, and entertainment began with Charlotte Campbell on the garden stage, who brings an effortlessness to her performances of classic tunes and modern-day anthems, deftly weaving between crowd recommendations and old favourites with an acoustic guitar.
She was followed by Robyn, also on the Garden Stage, and comedy stalwart Marcus Brigstocke at The Spiegel before Rag’n’Bone topped off the bill with an accomplished set on The Floating Stage.
Thursday saw Tom Speight perform in The Bedouin Tent, with stellar comic Jo Brand also performing a set ahead of Westlife’s dazzling headline performance.
Chris McCausland delighted audiences with a sparkling stand-up set on Thursday before Nile Rodgers and Chic took over the Floating Stage.
Their set was a who’s who of some of the greatest musicians and anthems from the last 50 years, featuring performances of iconic songs by David Bowie and Daft Punk, among countless others, charting Rodgers’ indelible influence on rock, pop, funk, and soul during the last five decades.
The set was full of energy, with members of the crowd invited to join Chic on stage during their closing few songs, and marked a consummate, unmissable show from peerless musicians at the very top of their game.
Saturday saw stand-up from Adam Kay, author of the critically-acclaimed This Is Going to Hurt, before the Ministry of Sound and DJ Danny Rampling combined for a classical set on The Floating Stage.
Boney M returned to the festival along with lead singer Liz Mitchell to close out the weekend’s musical offerings, with the legendary Jack Dee rounding out the headline acts with a set at the Riverside Cabaret.
