Henley Festival Henley Festival The Henley Festival of Music and the Arts is held, at Henley on Thames, each July, on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames, at the same spot and using adapted facilities from the Henley Royal Regatta, which is held the week before. The main stage floats on the river and the audience use one of the grandstands. Each evening it normally features a light classical music concert, with jazz later in the evening. There are other smaller stages, art exhibits, roving performers, outdoor restaurants, etc. Performers during 7–11 July 2010 include Nigel Kennedy, Bryn Terfel and Will
Henley Royal Regatta of its history, Henley Royal Regatta has only been open to male competitors but this has changed more recently. Women coxswains of male crews were permitted from 1975 and as such the first female competitor in the regatta was Christine Paul, cox of Furnivall Sculling Club in the Thames Challenge Cup in that year. There was much discussion about the introduction of events for women. The Stewards felt that they faced a dilemma: on the one hand it was argued that women's rowing would never flourish while there were no women's events at Britain's premier regatta; on the other it