Every bright and busy English Summer brings weekends that live in the calendar while others live in our memory. Henley Festival, with its floating stage, black-tie code, and champagne sunsets, manages to do both, and in 2025, its return is set to be nothing short of iconic.

Over five days in July (9–13), Henley-on-Thames sheds its regatta whites and steps into something darker, glossier, and a touch more theatrical.

The Roseate Reading, just a short and scenic journey away, offers the kind of calm, well-dressed luxury that is perfectly suited to a blend of cultural indulgence like this festival demands.

What is Henley Really Like?

Henley Festival is a rare combination of refinement and revelry and a place for fashion, fireworks, dinner jackets and sequins. Every evening opens up to ethereal art installations and Michelin-starred menus designed to delight- a celebration of the senses full of music, art, and theatre. It becomes a place to celebrate life’s milestones, or simply the joy of getting dressed up and saying yes to a summer night.

For many, it’s an annual tradition. For others, it quickly becomes the start of one.

What Should I Expect Night to Night?

Each evening brings a different rhythm and it is this carefully curated variety that makes Henley such a standout:

• Wednesday, 9 July: Diana Ross sets the tone with pure legend status.
• Thursday, 10 July: McFly and Ellie Sax offer a punch of pop and energy.
• Friday, 11 July: Rick Astley followed by Jo Whiley brings soulful nostalgia and dance floor energy.
• Saturday, 12 July: Hacienda Classical reinvents club classics with orchestral drama.
• Sunday, 13 July: Matteo Bocelli and Jamie Cullum close with soul, jazz, and cinematic beauty.

The festival brings together a line-up where a couple can dress to the nines for a soul legend one evening, and dance under fireworks the next. Each night has its own style, its own crowd, and its own pulse.

A Weekend That Works Across Generations

On Sunday, the festival softens its tempo. The black tie gives way to colour and movement, and the programming opens up to younger guests with Playdate — a daytime event designed for children, full of light-hearted, interactive moments, yet still part of the festival’s thoughtful spirit.

Back in Reading, The Roseate Reading offers the ideal setting for families seeking comfort and ease. The suites are spacious, the atmosphere calm,the service helpful and flexible and perfectly suited to those travelling with children or older relatives.

Why Stay in Reading?

While Henley-on-Thames may be the heart of the festival, Reading is just under 30 minutes away and offers a gentler, more considered base for your luxury weekend break near Henley-on-Thames. If you are considering options for where to stay for Henley Festival 2025, from The Roseate Reading, guests can arrive without the rush and return to a space defined by calm and quiet elegance. For first-time visitors in particular, it takes the pressure out of planning, allowing the weekend to unfold at its own unhurried pace.

At the heart of the town, close enough to feel connected, yet far enough to offer a welcome sense of retreat, the hotel’s interiors are refined and serene, the service attentive and discreet. As the best spa hotel near Henley Festival, the in-house Aheli Spa provides a grounding counterpoint to the festival’s sparkle and spectacle. The Aheli Experience including an overnight stay, a 60-minute signature treatment, and a beautifully prepared English breakfast is designed to restore and recentre, leaving you perfectly in tune with the weekend’s rhythm.