Alex James’ Britpop Classical at Henley Festival
The widely acclaimed Alex James’ Britpop Classical is going to be taking to the famous Floating Stage alongside some very special guests during the 2026 iteration of the prestigious and iconic annual Henley Festival this year.
Led by Blur’s Alex James, he will be joined by Phil Daniels, as well as Saffron of Republica, and finally, by Gary Stringer from Reef. This performance will also feature other vocalists, a full orchestra, and a live band, and it will take place on the evening of the fourth and penultimate day at 8:45pm on Saturday, 11th July 2026 at the Henley Festival.
The line-up, alongside the aforementioned Alex James, has been known to include the likes of Simon Fowler (Ocean Colour Scene), Dougie Payne (Travis), Myleene Klass, and finally Chris Moyles, who has done a DJ Set.
It is a celebration of some of the best songs in British Music history, whilst the incredible and unique fusion of rock and orchestral music takes beloved classics and turns them into exceedingly cinematic performances. The blend of melodies and incredible classical arrangements is unforgettable.
Songs performed during a show by Alex James’ Britpop Classical has included a number of iconic tracks, such as Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Oasis’ ‘Supersonic’, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, and ‘Wonderwall’, as well as Blur’s ‘There’s No Other Way’, The Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, Pulp’s ‘Common People’, The Stone Roses’ ‘Fool’s Gold’, The Charlatans’ ‘The Only One I Know’, The Kinks ‘Waterloo Sunset’, New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’, The La’s’ ‘There She Goes’, Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’, Morcheeba’s ‘The Sea’, and Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’.
Alex James is a widely renowned musician whose best known as the bassist for the iconic rock band Blur. James was one of the founding members of Blur, formed in December 1988, after he joined Damon Albarn in the band Circus. The name did change to Seymour before the band, which also included Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree, eventually became known as Blur, and the rest is history.
Blur are known for a number of iconic songs, including, but not limited to, ‘Song 2’ (1997), ‘Girls & Boys (1994), ‘Parklife’ (1994), ‘Coffee & TV’ (1999), ‘Universal’ (1995), ‘Country House’ (1995), ‘Beetlebum’ (1997), ‘Best Days’ (1995), ‘Sing’ (1991), ‘Battery In Your Leg’ (2003), ‘Young and Lovely’ (1993), ‘Ong Ong’ (2015), ‘To The End’ (1994), and ‘No Distance Left To Run’ (1999).
Moving on to the iconic Phil Daniels, he provided some spoken vocals to the Blur track ‘Parklife’, but he is, of course, famous in the worlds of music and acting. Other singles involving Daniels include ‘Kill Another Night’ (Phil Daniels and The Cross, 1979), ‘Penultimate Person’ (Phil Daniels and The Cross, 1980, Europe Only), and ‘Free Rock and Roll’ (From Film Vinyl, with Keith Allen and The Alarm, 2013). Just like he had before, Daniels has also provided spoken-word vocals for 2003’s ‘Me, White Noise’, another song by Blur.
He has also appeared in many films and TV shows. Some of the films that Daniels has appeared in include 1976’s ‘Bugsy Malone’, 1979’s ‘Quadrophenia’, ‘Scum’, and ‘Zulu Dawn’, as well as 1985’s ‘The Bride’, 1998’s ‘Still Crazy’, 2000’s ‘Chicken Run’, 2012’s ‘Vinyl’, and 2017’s ‘The Hatton Garden Job’.
Phil Daniels has also appeared in episodes of ‘The Pickwick Papers’ (1985), ‘One Foot in the Grave’ (1995), EastEnders (2006 – 2008), Agatha Christie’s Poirot (2009), ‘New Tricks’ (2009 – 2010), ‘Midsomer Murders’ (2010), ‘Endeavour’ (2018 – 2023), ‘Call The Midwife’ (2020), ‘I Hate Suzie’ (2020 – 2022), ‘The Mallorca Files’ (2021), ‘House of the Dragon’ (2022 – 2024), ‘Beyond Paradise (2023), ‘Inside No. 9’ (2023 – 2024), ‘Gangs of London’ (2025), ‘Waiting for the Out’ (2026), and ‘Father Brown’ (2026).
Moving on to Saffron of the rock band ‘Republica’, she had performed as part of the musical ‘Starlight Express’ before the Brit went on to join the band in 1994, taking lead vocals and playing tambourine and guitar. She left in 2001, only to then return in 2008, and still performs with the band to this day, as well as being part of ‘N-Joi’ since 2002.
With Republica, songs produced during her two stints with the band include ‘Ready To Go’ (1996, Remix in 1997), ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ (1997), ‘Ready To Go 2010’ (2010), ‘New York’ (2023), and ‘Hallelujah’ (2024).
Saffron’s solo career has included singles like ‘Solitaire’, ‘Losing Control’, and ‘One Love’ that were all released in 1992, as well as ‘Circles’, ‘World of You’, ‘Fluffy Toy’, and ‘Mantra’, all of which were released in 1993.
She has also featured on The Cure’s ‘Just Say Yes’, The Prodigy’s cover of ‘Fuel My Fire’ by L7, Deepsky’s ‘Smile’, Jeff Beck’s ‘Pork-U-Pine’, as well as Junkie XL’s ‘Crusher’, ‘Spirits’, and ‘Beauty Never Fades’.
Finally, Gary Stringer is the lead vocalist for the English Rock Band ‘Reef’, alongside Amy Newton on Guitar, Jack Bessant on Bass, and Luke Bullen on drums. Stringer is one of the band’s founding members, alongside Bessant, in 1993.
Their debut album ‘Replenish’ has since been certified Gold, which features singles such as ‘Good Feeling’ and ‘Naked’. Then, their second album, ‘Glow’ in 1997, included tracks like ‘Place Your Hands’, ‘Come Back Brighter’, ‘Consideration’, and ‘Yer Old’. ‘Glow reached number one immediately in the UK Albums Chart upon release.
Other notable songs from the band in the years that have followed include ‘Set The Record Straight’, ‘Superhero’, and ‘Place Your Hands’.
They were active from 1993 to 2003, then took a long break before finally making their long-awaited return in 2010. A year later, in 2011, they played a set before the FA Community Shield Final at Wembley between local rivals Manchester United and Manchester City.
In 2016, they released the single ‘How I Got Over’ and performed at Coldplay concerts at the aforementioned Wembley Stadium in June that year. In 2025, Reef embarked on a Tour of the UK for the 30th anniversary of their debut album, ‘Replenish’.
Reef has appeared at various festivals. They performed at the Reading Festival in 1995, 1996, and 1999, as well as the iconic Glastonbury Festival in 1995, 1997, 2000, and most recently in 2010.
You will not want to miss a performance from Alex James’ Britpop Classical featuring Phil Daniels, Saffron, and Gary Stringer, who are set to take the Henley Festival by storm. They will be performing together on the famous Floating Stage in July 2026.
Alex James’ Britpop Classical will be performing at the much-anticipated 2026 Henley Festival on the fourth and penultimate day of this prestigious annual event, on Saturday 11th July 2026.
Alex James’ Britpop Classical Hospitality Henley Festival 2026 FAQs:
When is the performance from Alex James’ Britpop Classical taking place at the Henley Festival in 2026?
The famous Alex James’ Britpop Classical will, of course, feature James, a member of the band Blur, as well as guests Phil Daniels, Republica’s Saffron, and Reef’s Gary Stringer. Their performance will take place on the Floating Stage on the fourth day of the festival on Thursday, 11th July 2026, beginning at 8:45pm.
What tracks have featured in performances from Alex James’ Britpop Classical?
Tracks that have been performed by Alex James’ Britpop Classical over the years includes Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Oasis’ ‘Supersonic’, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, and ‘Wonderwall’, Blur’s ‘There’s No Other Way’, The Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, Pulp’s ‘Common People’, The Stone Roses’ ‘Fool’s Gold’, The Charlatans’ ‘The Only One I Know’, The Kinks ‘Waterloo Sunset’, New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’, The La’s’ ‘There She Goes’, Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’, Morcheeba’s ‘The Sea’, and Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’.
Are Hospitality Packages available for Alex James’ Britpop Classical at the Henley Festival in 2026?
Yes – our VIP Hospitality Packages are indeed available for the performance from Alex James’ Britpop Classical at the Henley Festival in 2026, featuring Phil Daniels, Saffron, and Gary Stringer.
They are available for you to purchase so you can experience top-class music in style with your guests/clients, though demand will be high for this performance. It is a trip down memory lane with plenty of iconic songs being performed from years gone by.
The packages we offer include Riverside Dining, Riverside Feasting, and Riverside Social.
How can I get in touch with Eventmasters regarding Alex James’ Britpop Classical Hospitality at the 2026 Henley Festival?
There are indeed plenty of great ways to get in touch with us here at Eventmasters Corporate Hospitality regarding our VIP Hospitality for the performance by Alex James’ Britpop Classical on the Floating Stage at the famous and iconic annual Henley Festival in 2026.
To get in touch, you will have to either fill in our contact form at the bottom of this page, or you can, if you would rather, call us directly on 020 7989 6500, where you can get in touch with a member of our dedicated sales team, if that is preferable, and they will be very happy to help you.
