Shipston Proms 2026 a Triumphant Success
The magical two weeks of music that is the Shipston Proms wound up on Saturday July 4th with a spectacular ‘Last Night of The Proms.’ The town square was converted to a full-on music venue and was packed with party goers of all ages having the time of their lives from 7.00pm until midnight. First up on stage were the winners of the solo and duo section of ‘Shipston Introducing’ the town’s very own X Factor competition that was held the previous week. Charlie and Sam, aged 14 and 15, rocked the audience with their amazing guitar playing. Next up were Satellite, winners of the band section of the competition, who delivered immaculate rock songs. After this, the Last Night’s three outstanding local bands kept the vibe high with amazing music.
To start the party were Orange River Remedy from Stratford, drawing on their Americana catalogue of favourites such as Neil Young, The Doors, Bob Marley and many others. They were superb with wonderful harmonies. Second on were the ever-popular and energetic Texan Peacocks, who had the audience singing along to fantastic covers of Blur, Blondie, Bowie, Oasis and other chart classics. Last, but certainly not least, up were The DropOuts who were absolutely on fire, and kept the audience on their toes dancing and singing to rock anthems such as Summer of 69, Highway to Hell and Ace of Spades. The crowd loved them, and the band certainly delivered. The night was a spectacular finish to what has been an amazing festival.
There are too many wonderful events to mention here, but there was something for everyone. Rock, Jazz, Folk, Opera, Musicals, Dance, Disco, plus some wonderful children’s events, such as the Young Musicians, The Schools, and Calypso Kids Concerts.
New events for 2026 included a musical comedy night, a Dance Fusion event, the Talton Lodge Feast with music from the Albert George Collective, the Cotswold Distillery session with the Wldflwrs, and the opening night ‘Studio 54’ 70’s disco. Another highlight was the now established Saturday ‘Pubs Trail’ with live music at seven pubs throughout the day until late into the evening, and of course the sold-out Ibiza on Stour with four fantastic DJ sets which was a huge success. Songs from the Shows at The Townsend Hall saw local rising star Henry Clarke and other young people give wonderful renditions of songs from musicals such as Les Miserable, Oliver, My Fair Lady, and other popular theatre productions and films.
Overall, there were 32 events over the two weeks with 21 of them free to attend, and the Shipston community turned out in force at each one of them. There are many people to thank, including the two Headline sponsors, Sheldon Bosley Knight and Ryse 3D, plus the Spotlight sponsors Go HR, Thirst Edition, and Sydenhams Builders Merchants. The Proms also thanks all the Soundwave and Melodymaker sponsors, supporting businesses, and of course Shipston on Stour Town Council who support the event year on year. The two weeks were a tremendous success and the Proms committee of volunteers are already looking forward to Shipston Proms 2027.