Friday 20th August - Cafe Mambo Ibiza

Saturday 21st August - Castle Howard Proms

Sunday 22nd August - Queen Symphonic

The government’s roadmap to recovery has given hope that audiences can return to three of Yorkshire’s largest al fresco events. Castle Howard’s live music weekend – featuring the chilled sounds of Ibiza, flag-waving proms and an orchestral performance of Queen’s greatest hits – is set to take place from 20 – 22 August 2021.

“We were always cautiously optimistic that these events, postponed from last summer, would be able to take place this August, and the latest government roadmap gives us reassurance that we can deliver all three events safely this year,” comments Nicholas Howard. “A combination of the vaccination programme and our concerts taking place outdoors with plenty of room for responsible social distancing – whether that is required or not – provide us with the reassurance that we can put tickets on sale with a degree of confidence that we will not need to postpone or cancel due to the pandemic.”

Tenor Wynne Evans – who now appears as himself alongside Gio Compario in the famous car insurance TV advertisements - and soprano Victoria Joyce will headline Yorkshire’s most prestigious al fresco Proms on the evening of Saturday 21 August, with orchestral accompaniment from the London Gala Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Bell. This will be Castle Howard’s 30th Proms event, making it one of the longest-running outdoor Proms in Britain. The evening will incorporate a Spitfire fly-past, and conclude with flag-waving, lasers and fireworks.

“We are looking forward to welcoming all our 2020 ticket holders, and thank them for bearing with us at this unusual time, and anyone else keen to enjoy live music again this year is able to buy tickets at our discounted Early Bird rate until the end of March,” comments head of marketing and communications for Castle Howard, Abbigail Ollive. “We also hope that we will welcome a host of new ‘Bridgerton’ fans to Castle Howard events this year– having seen a spike of interest since the Netflix period drama aired over Christmas and became an instant global hit. Castle Howard plays the part of the Duke of Hastings’ Clyvedon Castle in the series.”

A number of corporate packages are also available, and expected to be snapped up by companies wanting to bring together and thank their workforces for their commitment during the pandemic. “So many Christmas parties and team-building events were put on hold over the last year, and Proms is a superb event to enjoy great company and wonderful music in a safe, outdoor environment – a wonderful time for teams to reconnect after working from home for so many months,” adds Abbigail. “We have a number of places available for our VIP experience, too, which includes a champagne reception in the House before the concert, and deckchairs in a separate area with the very best view of the stage – the ultimate way of spoiling a loved-one for Mother’s Day perhaps?”

Opening Castle Howard’s big music weekend will be the vibrant Café Mambo Ibiza, an opportunity to relive the soundtrack of the Balearics included a star-studded line-up of DJs in an evening that will have everyone up on their feet. “We know how much people have missed dancing the night away in clubs around the country, and this is a perfect way to experience the party atmosphere without being tightly packed onto a dancefloor – plenty of room to relax, unwind and forget the last 18 months,” says Abbi. Gates open at 5pm, with the music continuing until 11pm. Tickets are £35.75 including booking fees, available here.

The closing act for the weekend has been seen by audiences around the world, from Tokyo and Tel Aviv to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Combining the sensational sound of a symphony orchestra with incredibly talented rock vocalists, Queen Symphonic will see the greatest hits of Queen performed from the lakeside stage. The audience is invited to bring a rug and a picnic for an epic night of classic rock performed as the sun goes down. Early bird tickets are available until the end of March priced at £30.25 including fees, available here.

Even with most Covid-19 measures expected to have lifted by the summer, organisers are planning measures for managing visitors on site which will reduce queuing, including more time between the gates opening and the concerts starting to allow a steady ingress of the audience, and supplementary catering and toilet facilities.

Castle Howard Proms tickets are available here.