Upcoming Festivals 2009

Oxford and the surrounding area has some exciting festivals lined up for 2009. Here they are in chronological order. Festivals that have already occurred in 2009 are listed to the right.

80's Rewind Festival

Friday 21 August - Sunday 23 August

80s Rewind Festival is the country’s newest boutique festival celebrating the greatest music from the coolest decade with the biggest line up of eighties acts since Live Aid. Acts include Kim Wilde, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Billy Ocean, Belinda Carlise, Gloria Gaynor, Sister Sledge, ABC, T’Pau and many more. As well as fantastic music, the festival will feature a host of other entertainment to keep everyone entertained throughout the weekend. Funfairs, The Comedy Store Tent, The Big Top Nightclub, street entertainers and much more all brought together in a beautiful riverside setting near Henley on Thames. Indeed we are probably the only festival where festival goers can bring their boats for the weekend and book moorings alongside the festival site. If boats are not your thing we have a full range of camping options for you to enjoy a fun-packed weekend by the river.

Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

Elder Stubbs Festival

Saturday 22 August

Elder Stubbs Festival is special: last year saw animals, magicians, belly dancers, bagpipers, weavers, martial artists, poets and rock stars standing shoulder to shoulder amongst flowers, sculptures and vegetables. Set on the Elder Stubbs allotment site, this celebrated Cowley event boasts a diverse array of attractions from performing arts and workshops to stalls, speakers, children’s activities and the vegetable show, as well as a wide choice of fine foods. Around 50 different stallholders use the festival as a forum to share information about local groups and organisations, sell home-made goods, run an activity or vend an assortment of world cuisines. The festival, held by RESTORE and Elder Stubbs Charity to raise awareness of mental health issues and provide positive images of mental health, attracts more than 3,000 people each year. A unique festival for a unique community, all for a £1 entry fee. 12.00 - 5.00 pm

The festival is held at Elder Stubbs Allotments on Rymers Lane, OX4 3LB

Towersey Music Festival

Thursday 27 August - Monday 31 August

This major folk arts festival, returning for its 45th year, features a professional programme of folk and roots music, ceilidhs, international dance teams, family entertainers, workshops and a Children’s Festival which incorporates entertainment, music, puppetry, circus skills and craft workshops. Weekend and Day Tickets available - see website below for further information

Towersey, Thame, Oxfordshire

Woodstock Live!

Friday 28 August - Monday 31 August

2009 sees the 40th anniversary of the greatest music festival of all time. ‘Woodstock’, like only a handful of historical events, has become part of our cultural lexicon. Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and from these shores The Who (playing the entire Tommy album), Joe Cocker with his devastating rendition of ‘With a little help from my friends’, The Incredible String Band and Ten Years After amongst others played. ‘Woodstock Live 2009’ celebrates the spirit of the anniversary by bringing an eclectic mix of artists into the town square, to perform for free over the Saturday and Sunday of the late August Bank Holiday.

Woodstock

First Three-County Local Flavours Festival

Tuesday 01 September - Wednesday 30 September

Join us in celebrating the best of locally-produced food and drink during the first three-county Local Flavours Festival in September. Organised by BBO Food Group CIC, the Festival will be a compilation of events staged by various food and drink businesses. The public will enjoy the true taste of local food and drink and will boost local business. Throughout this wonderful month of harvest there will be many events going on across the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire – all celebrating their finest food and drink.

Various venues - check website for details

Livestock Festival

Friday 11 September - Sunday 13 September

Livestock is three years old, and bigger and bolder than ever. If you haven’t been before, Livestock is a pint-sized festival in the garden of a country pub, with live music from all around the world, fine food, drink and company, and all in aid of an excellent cause, the Anthony Nolan Trust. Day Tickets £12 & £15; All 3 Days £38.

The Red Lion, Stratton Audley, Oxfordshire

Oxford Open Doors

Sat 12 and Sun 13 Sep 2009

Part of Heritage Open Days, Oxford will open its doors for you to discover and enjoy some of its most interesting buildings and spaces, little known corners and unusual places.

With over 30 venues from town & gown taking part, we hope there is something here to interest and inspire everyone and all free of charge.

The Independent Woodstock Literary Festival

Wednesday 16 September - Sunday 20 September

Now in its fifth year, the 2009 festival includes over 50 talks and events held in venues throughout the town of Woodstock. As a festival partner, Blenheim Palace is the site of many of the talks, including the magnificent annual festival dinner.

Oxford Chamber Music Festival

30th September - 3rd October

You can hear some of the greatest pieces in the history of chamber music: from Bach and Beethoven to Berio and Cage as well as many other iconic composers and renegade iconoclasts. All opposed the conventions of their time - they rejected tradition and produced something new. Their work and vision continues to provoke and compel us to look at music and the world in new ways.

Le Festival aux Quat'Saisons

1 - 3 October

Now in its 18th year, Le Festival aux Quat' Saisons, created by Raymond Blanc, is well established, showcasing many internationally acclaimed artists from the worlds of opera, classical music and jazz. It is a unique gastronomic and musical extravaganza.

Jocelyn Brown - Thursday 1st October
Chloe Hanslip - Friday 2nd October
Bryn Terfel and Rebecca Evans - Saturday 3rd October

Le Manoir, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

Henley Literary Festival

01 - 5th October

This five day celebration of the written word is packed with ideas from novelists and historians to comedians and commentators. Among the forty authors appearing this year are BBC presenters Jeremy Paxman and Libby Purves, philosopher Alain de Botton and actress Diana Quick. There will be poetry readings on the river, creative writing workshops, events for children and a special tribute to the playwright John Mortimer at the Kenton Theatre.

Various venues, Henley-on-Thames

OX4 Festival

10 October 2009

Taking place across ten venues the festival showcases an array of local talents emerging in cinema, comedy, poetry, art, theatre and music whilst also showcasing a truly unique part of Oxford - The Cowley Road

Various venues along the Cowley Road

Oxford Lieder Festival

16 - 31 October 2009

Oxford Lieder exists to promote and celebrate song. Each year it puts on The Oxford Lieder Festival, an extravaganza of song which takes place in the last two weeks of October, as well as other events throughout the year.

Oxford Castle Unlocked Ghost Fest