Jasper Carrott, Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe are among the stars set to perform at this year’s Wight Proms, which for the very first time will be held during Cowes Week as part of the regatta’s historic bicentenary celebrations.
The boutique open-air festival will return to Northwood House from 31st July to 9th August, with organisers confirming that, for the first time, the event will take place during Cowes Week.
Festival founder Mike Christie has announced 3 headline shows for the 2026 programme, which will celebrate comedy, musical theatre and the traditional Last Night of the Proms style finale.
‘The Godfather of Comedy’ Jasper Carrott will make a rare Isle of Wight appearance for the ‘Wight Laugh Comedy’ night on Sunday 2nd August, joined by tribute act Strictly ABBA.
The festival will open on 31st July with ‘Hooray for Hollywood!’, starring Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe performing songs from productions including The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, West Side Story and La La Land.
The event will conclude on Sunday 9th August with ‘Last Wight of the Bicentenary Proms’, headlined by Mike Christie alongside the Wight Proms Concert Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Butcher. The finale will feature patriotic classics including Jerusalem and Pomp & Circumstance.
Organisers say Christie will also perform his song ‘Walk the Wight With You’, written for Walk the Wight, as well as the premiere of ‘The Voice of Nature’, composed to mark the 100th birthday of David Attenborough.
Support acts across the festival will include Theatretrain, winners of the Isle of Wight Music, Dance and Drama Festival and BBC Chorister of the Year finalist Barney Valentino. Musical theatre workshops for children aged 7 to 18 will also be held, with participants performing on the main stage during the opening night show.
The Wight Proms Festival will continue its partnership with Independent Arts, which uses the arts to help reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing across the Island. Organisers say more than £10,000 was raised for the charity during last year’s festival through raffles.
Mike Christie said:
“I am absolutely thrilled that the Wight Proms Festival continues to flourish in this its eighth year, thanks to such incredible local support.
“To welcome legendary performers such as Jasper Carrott, Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe to the Isle of Wight, alongside our spectacular Proms finale with the Wight Proms Concert Orchestra, is incredibly exciting.
“This year is even more special as, for the first time, the festival will take place during Cowes Week to tie in with its historic 200th anniversary, making it a truly unique moment for the Island.
“I am proud that the Wight Proms Festival continues to celebrate local talent and support Independent Arts, for which I am an Ambassador, and I cannot wait to welcome audiences back for another unforgettable summer.”
Tickets are now on sale at https://www.wightproms.co.uk/buy-tickets-2026.
He used to be very funny I’m sure he still is..