Blenheim Palace Summer Picnic Proms – Oxfordshire – 13 July 2013
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Blenheim Palace

The 2013 Battle Proms will take place in its original setting overlooking the impressive South Front of the Palace.

Home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and a World Heritage Site.

The unique Palace, a world-renowned visitor attraction, is set in 2100 acres of formal gardens and 'Capability' Brown landscaped parkland, and provides the dramatic backdrop for the Battle Proms Concert. 


Blenheim Palace official website: www.blenheimpalace.com.

How to Book

open air concert ticket

Ticket Prices

Per Adult:

£29.00 if booked before 31 January 2013 (Online purchase only)
£31.50 if booked between 1 February 2013 and 30 April 2013
£34.00 if booked from 1 May 2013 until the day before the concert

Child aged 5 to 15:
£16.00 (children aged 4 and under are free, and do not require a ticket)

Concert Pavilion:
£240.00 for a table of 4
£340.00 for a table of 6

 

Battle Proms Concerts are proud to offer a £2 discount per ticket to serving and retired military personnel - please call the Box Office on 01432 355 416 to redeem . 

Ticket Information

  • On the Day In the event that tickets remain available on the day, these can be purchased on the gate at £39 per adult.
  • POSTAL INFO Please note that tickets are not sent straight away, but will be posted in batches: one in early April and then again in early June. Please see your confirmation e-mail for further details. 
  • Group Discount Advance group bookings of 10 or more qualify for a £2 reduction per ticket.
  • Military / Venue Discount Serving and retired members of the Armed Forces and concert venue membership holders are entitled to a £2 discount on their ticket. Please note: These discounts are only redeemable on advance telephone bookings.
  • Any Extra Charges? You'll be pleased to know there is no booking fee and no postal charge!
  • Hospitality Options We can provide fantastic party packages for your group or company, offering bespoke or all-inclusive hospitality to meet your needs. Please click here to find out more or call on 01432 355416 to discuss your requirements.
  • Voucher Holder? Activity Superstore voucher holders only please click here to redeem your voucher online, or call Activity Superstore on 0871 384 1800.
  • Ts and Cs Click to see our booking terms and conditions.

Buy from local Tourist Information centres

  • Buckingham Tourist Information Centre
  • Aylesbury Tourist Information Centre
  • Bicester Village
  • Banbury Tourist Information Centre
  • Burford Tourist Information Centre
  • Witney Tourist Information Centre
  • Cirencester Tourist Information Centre
  • Bourton on the Water Tourist Information Centre

Location



Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PX

For detailed directions and public transport information please click here.

To see Battle Proms special guaranteed accommodation rates at the nearby Holt Hotel, please click here

For a list of places to stay in the area, please click here.

Picnic Hampers and Furniture Hire

picnic proms - good food, good music, spitfire, cavalry, cannons!

 

Order here online and collect on arrival at the concert.

You can also hire chairs, tables and pre-erected gazebos to help make your Battle Proms evening extra special.

Order here online and pick up on arrival at the concert.

(NOTE - Strictly limited availability on gazebos - please book early to avoid disappointment) 

Partners

 


Battle Proms supports Combat Stress

Programme

Food, Drink, Friends 
Music, Spectacle, Ambience 

Discover a unique experience at the 9th annual Blenheim Palace Battle Proms Concert:

4.30pm Gates Open

Relax with your hampers and champers, win a prize at the traditional fairground stalls, visit the Napoleonic re-enactors at their encampment and get in the party spirit as warm-up act The Rockabellas take to the stage!


7.00pm Napoleonic Cavalry and Infantry displays

There’s a thundering of hooves as the mounted cavalry invite you to discover the colour and chivalry of the Napoleonic era, demonstrating battlefield skill-at-arms with lances, rifles and superb horsemanship.

7.40pm Evening Gun Salute

The gunners of the English Field Artillery Company herald the commencement of the evening’s musical programme with a volley of shots from an authentic vintage field gun.

7.45pm-10.15pm The Musical Programme

The evening continues with an uplifting and inspiring celebration of soul-stirring classical favourites, performed by the New English Concert Orchestra conducted by Douglas Coombes, and hosted by popular BBC presenter Pam Rhodes.

The historic and unmistakable sound of the Spitfire engine rumbles overhead in accompaniment to the concert’s opening piece. This meticulously choreographed and tear-jerking aerial display is performed in the skies above the arena by Carolyn Grace in the legendary Grace Spitfire

Let battle commence! The ground shakes for Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with live cannon fire, serving as a pyrotechnical warm up to the celebratory piece of music that gives the Battle Proms its name: Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory, more commonly known as the Battle Symphony’, performed with a staggering 193 cannons, musket fire and fireworks.  

The Battle Proms is the only regular open air concert in the world to perform this piece in full using live cannon with real black powder explosions, each fired electronically by the orchestra’s percussionist following the original score. This is classical music with unrivalled dramatic impact; an unforgettable spectacle that must be seen (and heard!) to be believed.

WATCH NOW: The Battle Proms cannons in action.

The perfect summer evening closes with the traditional sing-alongflag-waving proms finale, including favourites Jerusalem, Rule BritanniaGod Save the Queen and Land of Hope and Glory, culminating in a dazzling firework spectacular! 

 

Widely regarded as the most exciting summer proms concert in the country, the Battle Proms is a firmly established favourite that thousands of fans return to year after year. Pack up a picnic, stock up on fizz and join the party; whether you’re planning a romantic evening as a couple, a celebration as a group, or want to enjoy an informal concert as a family then this could be the unique experience you have been looking for.

 

FINISH APPROX 10.15pm


In beautiful rural Oxfordshire, the summer picnic proms at Blenheim Palace is an unforgettable event.  In an unrivalled position, with views over landscaped parkland, watch the sun set to stirring orchestral music and beautiful arias.

After exciting military displays, classical music, cannons and choreographed spitfire display, your summer picnic proms finishes with a breathtaking fireworks display.

Questions?

See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, or contact us using the details below.