Christopher BarrettCuffe & Taylor and IMG are working on the launch of a new festival at Blenheim Palace next year, following the departure of Nocturne Live.
The Live Nation-owned promoter, and event producers IMG Arts & Entertainment, have teamed to create new five-day music and arts event Blenheim Palace Festival at the UNESCO World Heritage Site next year.
The announcement follows the news that event series Nocturne Live, which has been staged at the Oxfordshire historic venue for the past decade, will not return there next year. Formerly promoted by Neapolitan Music, Nocturne Live was acquired by Eventim as part of its acquisition of Vivendi’s ticketing and festival interests last year.
Blenheim Palace Festival’s organisers said the new event will showcase immersive cultural programming and innovative culinary experiences: “creating a unique destination event rooted in creativity, heritage, and community”.
Cuffe and Taylor is launching two new event series this year, the 35,000-capacity Blackweir Live show series in Cardiff’s Blackweir Fields and Chelmsford City Live (cap. 30,000); a four-day festival at Chelmsford City Racecourse next month, that will feature headliners including Justin Timberlake and Olly Murs.
Cuffe & Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor said the latest launch is an important moment for live events in the UK: “Blenheim Palace is one of the most extraordinary locations in the country. To launch a major new festival here is incredibly exciting. We’re building an experience that will bring together music lovers, families, and cultural adventurers from across the country and beyond.”
“We are proud to be selected, alongside our partners Cuffe & Taylor, to produce the next evolution of live events at Blenheim Palace,” said IMG Arts & Entertainment EVP & MD Stephen Flint Wood. “We are excited to combine our experience creating world-class events with this iconic heritage site setting to deliver an exceptional festival that blends tradition, entertainment and unforgettable moments.”
Blenheim CEO Dominic Harris said, “Our historic landscape will offer a spectacular backdrop for a new kind of festival – one that’s rooted in tradition but designed for the future. Blenheim has been synonymous with hosting live music events for over 20 years and we hope that the new collaboration will continue that tradition. We thank our outgoing promoter and their team who have successfully staged Nocturne for the past ten years. We are already discussing some very exciting artists to come to the venue in 2026 and announcements will follow later this year.”