Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Music
Charlbury Riverside Festival
A free two-day music festival by the River Evenlode at Charlbury in July, run by volunteers; in 2026 on 18 and 19 July, its 30th year; the 2027 dates are to be confirmed.
Charlbury Riverside Festival is a free weekend of live music in the fields by the River Evenlode below Charlbury, held each July. The most recent was on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026, the festival's 30th year. The organisers have not yet announced the 2027 dates: the last two festivals fell on the third weekend of July, which in 2027 would be Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July, but treat that as a guide until the festival's website confirms it.
What happens
In 2026 the music ran from 1pm to 10pm on the Saturday and midday to 8pm on the Sunday, across Simon's Stage, Gary's Stage, a Fringe Stage and a Busking Stage, with a Green Room for talks about green ideas, new for the 30th year, and a Kids' Area. It is run by volunteers, who take nothing from it; the festival's income, much of it from the bars, pays for the stages, sound, lighting and security, and in 2026 the organisers asked for donations to cover rising costs and keep it free.
What to know
Entry is free and needs no ticket, though entry is not guaranteed once the site reaches its licensed capacity. Bags are searched at the gate, and you cannot bring in glass or alcohol; fires, barbecues and camping stoves are not allowed either. Dogs are not allowed under the festival's licence, except assistance dogs, and there is no camping on site, though the organisers point to two campsites nearby, Cotswold Camping and Cotswolds View. The festival suits families on the Saturday afternoon and anyone who wants a summer evening of music by the river without paying for it.
Getting there and parking
The festival entrance is on Dyers Hill, OX7 3QG. Charlbury station, on the line from Oxford and London Paddington, is at the bottom of the town by the river, so the train is the easy way in. Drivers park in a field next to one of the entrances at the bottom of Pound Hill, OX7 3QN, signed in the town, and pay a small charge to the landowner; from Chipping Norton the field is on the right just before you enter Charlbury. From there it is a short walk across a bridge to the festival.
For a meal or a bed afterwards, the Bull and the Bell are both in the town, a climb up the hill from the river.
Next in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds' summer is the Big Feastival at Kingham, over the August bank holiday weekend.
Offers from businesses near this event
Offers are published by the businesses themselves, which pay to be listed here. We have not checked them, and you deal with the business directly.
Where to stay for Charlbury Riverside Festival
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Amarelo Apartments
Self-catering · Charlbury
Two one-bedroom holiday apartments for two above a restaurant at 8 Market Street, Charlbury, a short walk from the station.
Car-free
Verified Nov 2026
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Cotswolds Camping
Camping · Charlbury
A family-run campsite on the Spelsbury Road just outside Charlbury, with pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, glamping pods, stable barns, gypsy wagons and two private fields for groups.
Dog-friendly · Family-friendly · EV charging
Verified Oct 2026
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Banbury Hill Farm
B&B · Charlbury
A former farm on the Enstone Road a mile outside Charlbury, with eight ground-floor B&B rooms in a converted piggery, four self-catering cottages and a seven-bedroom farmhouse.
Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly · EV charging
Verified Nov 2026