Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-june">JUNE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Nocturne23_Artist_LionelRichie_DSC01360-1200x800-1.jpg" alt="BLENHEIM PALACE NOCTURNE LIVE" class="wp-image-158983" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nocturne Live at Blenheim Palace</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brightfest-brightwell-cum-sotwell-8-june"><a href="https://www.brightfest.org.uk/">BrightFest</a>, Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell, 8 June</h3>



<p>Head to Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in Oxfordshire for entertainment for all ages – there’s a bouncy castle for kids and refreshments from the Red Lion pub for the grown-ups (or the young at heart). Back by popular demand, this year’s headline act is Brightwell local DJ Giles, who will be spinning the vinyl old-school style. Tune!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nocturne-live-blenheim-palace-12-16-june"><a href="https://nocturnelive.com/">Nocturne Live</a>, Blenheim Palace, 12 – 16 June</h3>



<p>The Duke of Marlborough’s Oxfordshire seat becomes a palatial open-air live music venue in June. Head to the Great Court to pay court to pop royalty: this year’s line-up includes the Sugababes, Mel C, Chaka Khan, Soft Cell and Sister Sledge. Be quick off the mark though – Sunday night (Crowded House and Sheryl Crow) has already sold out.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beacon-festival-watlington-hill-farm-21-22-june"><a href="https://www.beaconfestival.net/">Beacon Festival</a>, Watlington Hill Farm, 21 – 22 June</h3>



<p>This&nbsp;cheerful knees-up in the Chilterns&nbsp;is billed as Oxfordshire’s most family friendly music festival – and Muddy’s tempted to take the kids along to watch The Smokin’ Pilchards with a local cider or three in hand. Named after the beacon that is lit on the hilltop as night falls, this is a magical way to spend the Summer Solstice weekend.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-festival-milton-keynes-28-30-june"><a href="https://www.hiddenfestival.co.uk/homepage">Hidden Festival</a>, Milton Keynes, 28 – 30 June</h3>



<p>Urban Milton Keynes more than holds its own on the festival front with a three-day electronic weekender billing everything from house to drum n’ bass, garage and jungle. Who needs to schlep to Ibiza when you’ve got MK’s hidden secret in the Fred Roche Gardens five mins from the train station?</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rock-bottom-marlow-bottom-29-june"><a href="http://www.marlowrockbottom.com/">Rock Bottom</a>, Marlow Bottom, 29 June</h3>



<p>Muddy spent a happy afternoon watching an Abba tribute act at Rock Bottom – a low-key festival in Marlow Bottom where toddlers roam free among the street food stands. It turns ten this year and – hold the front page – Pure Abba is back! They’re joined by Coldplay tribute Coldplace, U2-a-likes U2Baby and Rock Bottom regulars The Echo, bringing the best of British power pop. Supergrass covers? Yes please!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-july">JULY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1416" height="944" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Treehouse-stage.jpeg" alt="Treehouse Music Festival Uffington" class="wp-image-158984" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Treehouse-stage.jpeg 1416w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Treehouse-stage-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Treehouse-stage-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Treehouse-stage-400x267.jpeg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1416px) 100vw, 1416px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treehouse-music-festival-uffington-4-7-july"><a href="https://treehouseaf.com/">Treehouse Music Festival</a>, Uffington, 4 – 7 July</h3>



<p>The star of the show at this quirky festival in the Oxfordshire countryside is a splendid treehouse in the heart of the woodland site. It’s a small independent shindig on privately owned land – but owners Ruth and Jonathan de Wilton keep the show going year after year. Its wellness sideline, the Saunaverse, provides the obligatory hot tubs. If you really get your groove on, there’s a sauna disco.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-elementary-festival-ipsden-4-8-july"><a href="https://elementaryfestival.co.uk/">Elementary Festival</a>, Ipsden, 4 – 8 July</h3>



<p>It’s back to basics for&nbsp;the Elementary Festival, which is setting up camp in a new spot in a Chilterns AONB on the fringes of Ipsden near Wallingford. There’s a hippie vibe here, with didgeridoo workshops, sound baths and cosmic meditation alongside banging trance tunes. Peace and love – but not for dogs, though. Canines are NFI’d.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-henley-festival-henley-10-14-july"><a href="https://henley-festival.co.uk/">Henley Festival</a>, Henley, 10 – 14 July</h3>



<p>You can never be overdressed at the Henley Festival, so swap Regatta week’s striped blazer get-up for black tie glitz on the banks of the Thames. Queen of the floating stage on opening night is Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, followed over the five (hopefully) balmy summer nights by the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Gladys Knight and violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy. Chin chin at the Moet champagne bar!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-riverside-festival-charlbury-20-21-july"><a href="https://www.riversidefestival.charlbury.com/">Riverside Festival</a>, Charlbury, 20 – 21 July</h3>



<p>A wallet-friendly alternative to nearby Wilderness, the Riverside Festival in Charlbury is Oxfordshire’s biggest free music festival. The bar tab (Pimms at £20 a jug and £5.50 for a pint of Cotswolds pale ale) won’t break the bank either. Muddy will raise a glass or five to that.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-truck-festival-steventon-26-28-july"><a href="https://truckfestival.com/">Truck Festival</a>, Steventon, 26 – 28 July</h3>



<p>The Truck Festival on Hill Farm near Didcot is zooming towards another sell-out weekend – so be quick to get one of the last tickets for what organisers call the birthday party that got out of control. Big names topping the bill are The Streets, The Kooks, Wet Leg and Jamie T. Book a pre-pitched tent on the glampsite if you’d like a more luxurious ride.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-august">AUGUST</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="798" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Wilderness_2023_Sarah_Louise_Bennett_03870-2.jpg" alt="WILDERNESS FESTIVAL" class="wp-image-158982" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Wilderness_2023_Sarah_Louise_Bennett_03870-2.jpg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Wilderness_2023_Sarah_Louise_Bennett_03870-2-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Wilderness_2023_Sarah_Louise_Bennett_03870-2-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Wilderness_2023_Sarah_Louise_Bennett_03870-2-400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wilderness</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wilderness-festival-cornbury-park-1-4-aug"><a href="https://www.wildernessfestival.com/">Wilderness Festival</a>, Cornbury Park, 1 – 4 Aug</h3>



<p>Expect an uber-posh car-park (Audi sponsors this year’s fiesta) at the Wilderness festival, where David Cameron was famously spotted in the VIP tent. It’s the Soho Farmhouse of British festivals with prices to match – so if you can stomach shelling out for the gourmet F&amp;B, get set for a weekend of Cotswolds high-jinks c/o the likes of Alison Goldfrapp, Faithless and Jessie Ware before crashing out in a perfectly pitched luxury yurt. Pilates is one of many optional wellness extras, but fancy dress is compulsory. Theme tbc…</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reggae-land-milton-keynes-3-4-aug"><a href="https://reggaeland.co.uk/">Reggae Land</a>, Milton Keynes, 3 – 4 Aug</h3>



<p>Don’t worry about a thing – Milton Keynes has the reggae vibe covered.&nbsp;Reggae Land, at the Milton Keynes National Bowl, will celebrate Caribbean culture with a line-up of 100-plus reggae, dub, dancehall and jungle acts. Sounds massive!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fairport-s-cropredy-convention-cropredy-8-10-aug"><a href="https://fairportconvention.com/">Fairport’s Cropredy Convention</a>, Cropredy, 8 – 10 Aug</h3>



<p>British folk-rock band Fairport Convention has been enticing rockers and rollers to this superb two-day festival in the north Oxfordshire village of Cropredy since 1976. The band is mourning the recent passing of its legendary drummer Gerry Conway – so expect a tribute or two as Fairport Convention and friends take to the stage in August.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astonbury-festival-aston-clinton-10-aug"><a href="https://astonburyfestival.co.uk/">Astonbury Festival</a>, Aston Clinton, 10 Aug</h3>



<p>Missed out on tickets to Glastonbury? Never fear – there’s always Astonbury, Buckinghamshire’s answer to Somerset’s sprawling main event. Muddy hears this free community shindig has just been approved by the parish council – so the stage is set for Aylesbury tribute band Bad Penny and co.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewind-south-temple-island-meadow-henley-16-18-aug"><a href="https://south.rewindfestival.com/info/dates-times">Rewind South</a>, Temple Island Meadow, Henley, 16 – 18 Aug</h3>



<p>Generation Xers will love this step back in time as cover stars from the Smash Hits heyday (remember that?) trot out their greatest hits near Henley. Jason Donovan, Tiffany and Kim Wilde&nbsp;<a href="https://south.rewindfestival.com/lineup">will lead the nostalgia trip this year</a>, as their ageing fans grow misty-eyed after a few Rebellion ales.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stowaway-festival-stowe-16-18-aug"><a href="https://stowawayfestival.co.uk/">Stowaway Festival</a>, Stowe, 16 – 18 Aug</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Stowaway-festival-disco-lights.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145966" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Stowaway-festival-disco-lights.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Stowaway-festival-disco-lights-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Stowaway-festival-disco-lights-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/Stowaway-festival-disco-lights-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Boutique glamping area nestled among the trees? Don&#8217;t mind if we do! Not to mention the world-class comedy and a free play area to keep the kids amused. The Stowaway festival on Blackpit Farm is set up for true ravers, new ravers and little ravers – Leftfield and Groove Armada top the bill. Alternatively, enjoy a bottomless brunch and trot off to the woodland spa.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-big-feastival-kingham-23-25-aug"><a href="https://thebigfeastival.com/">The Big Feastival</a>, Kingham, 23 – 25 Aug</h3>



<p>Ever since Blur bassist Alex James bought a very big house in the country, he’s been throwing&nbsp;a lively annual festival for the Cotswolds crowd&nbsp;– Kate Moss is a regular. Fans say it’s like Glastonbury, but with better food. This August, expect Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons-worthy fare from Raymond Blanc’s local terroir served up with a side-order of Snow Patrol.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-towersey-festival-buckingham-23-26-aug"><a href="https://www.towerseyfestival.com/">Towersey Festival</a>, Buckingham, 23 – 26 Aug</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/TOWERSEY-FEST.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-147300" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/TOWERSEY-FEST.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/TOWERSEY-FEST-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/TOWERSEY-FEST-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/TOWERSEY-FEST-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Head to Buckingham’s Claydon Estate for the Towersey Festival, now in its 60<sup>th</sup>year. This friendly festival is all about helping people reconnect, so do bring the whole family – from babies to grandparents – and get stuck in to dance, yoga, comedy, crafts and workshops, plus an eclectic musical line-up from Billy Bragg to the London Welsh Male Voice Choir.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shambala-northamptonshire-22-24-aug"><a href="https://www.shambalafestival.org/">Shambala</a>, Northamptonshire, 22 – 24 Aug</h3>



<p>Get in quick for this lo-fi indie festival held on a secret country estate just over the border in Northants. This free-range festival offers more cabaret, talks, yoga, circus acts and comedy than you can shake a stick at – plus a rather adult pleasure parlour that’s not suitable for little eyes!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bunkfest-wallingford-30-aug-1-sep"><a href="https://bunkfest.co.uk/">BunkFest</a>, Wallingford, 30 Aug – 1 Sep</h3>



<p>Set on the banks of the Thames in South Oxfordshire, this is a free family folk festival with local bands and plenty of craft beer. This year’s headliners will be announced soon – but you can already&nbsp;book your glamping spot here. Will new Wallingford locals Boris and Carrie Johnson pitch up?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-september">SEPTEMBER</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-septembersong-wallingford-6-8-sep"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/septembersong-2024-tickets-729331970557">Septembersong</a>, Wallingford, 6 – 8 Sep</h3>



<p>Round off festival season by pitching your bell tent at this end-of-summer event in Braziers Park near Wallingford. It’s a folky gathering, with harmony singing workshops round the campfire and workshops in the craft of the ‘Old Ways’. Less happy campers (well, it is September) can book more weather-proof accommodation in a camper van.</p>


Make some noise! 21 summer music festivals to book now

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