Henley Festival

The Henley Festival boasts of being the only UK boutique black-tie festival, a dress code which is strictly enforced and sets the tone for five nights of elegant, but not necessarily sedate, entertainment on the banks of the river Thames.

This year's line-up is a wide-ranging selection of music, visual arts, comedy, dining and dancing, fireworks and lots more, spread over five summer nights, which we hope will be dry and balmy.

For a comprehensive listing of all the attractions at the festival click here. What follows is Culture Whisper's own selection of some of the more headline-grabbing acts and displays.

Nicole Scherzinger, fresh from her acclaimed lead performance in the West End revival of Sunset Boulevard, will headline the line-up on the Floating Stage (10 July), where festival goers will also have the opportunity to witness what promises to be the final ever performance by veteran soul diva Gladys Knight (12 July).

Gladys Knight
Big stand-up comedy names in the Paradiso & Riverside include Mark Watson, Angela Barnes, Dara Ó Briain and Sara Pascoe; there will be a Bedouin Tent with international acts, including Amuse Manouche, Jesse Smith and Charlotte Campbell, offering an opportunity to get to know artists with whom we are perhaps less familiar.

The visual arts component of this year's festival is particularly enticing, with a wide-ranging array of individual artists and galleries represented in the fields of painting, sculpture, photography and ceramics. Among the many artists whose work is on show is Fi Hunter.

Fiona Hunter
There are plenty of restaurants and bars, or you could opt for a picnic hamper; and of course, you need to get into the right mood by visiting the Moet & Chandon champagne bar.