RISE at the Henley Festival
720
pieces of coverage
44%
increase in coverage from previous year
127
pieces of social coverage
The Brief
Midas has run the PR for Henley Festival since 2015. In 2026, our tenth year working with Henley, we were appointed to build national, regional and sector coverage while promoting RISE, the festival’s official charitable initiative supporting the next generation of emerging creative talent. RISE offers paid opportunities across three areas: gallery space for visual artists to exhibit and sell work, music performances on a dedicated stage, and backstage training in sound, lighting, PR and marketing.
The Work
We ran a year-round campaign spanning line-up announcement, previews, listings, talent interviews and on-site coverage. We put RISE’s Visual Artists programme and Music Award at the centre of our pitching, targeting arts, music, luxury, travel, family and lifestyle media. We managed talent liaison, organised launch events and handled press, influencers, interviews and photography on site.
The Results
The campaign generated 720 pieces of coverage, a 44% increase on 2025, with particularly strong growth in national and regional media. RISE and its visual artists became an integral part of the festival narrative, alongside Henley’s black-tie glamour, riverside setting and world-class programme. Eleven influencers attended and produced 127 pieces of social coverage, bringing Henley to new audiences.