Wombats bring joy to Englefield ahead of Beach Boys only UK date

The first of four great nights of music launched with a set headlined by The Wombats.

Englefield Live returned to the West Berkshire village on Thursday, July 17, with a great bill of music.

And the fun continued across the weekend with performances from, among others, the Ministry of Sound, The Jacksons, Lulu, and The Beach Boys.

Set in the stunning grounds of the Englefield Estate, each night features an incredible lineup, with The Wombats being just one example.

Heritage Live, which organises the events, stages shows in some of England’s most beautiful and culturally significant venues.

These historic landmarks, stately homes and showgrounds showcase the very best of England’s unique heritage and serve as stunning backdrops to their evening events.

In addition to Englefield, they are hosting events at English Heritage’s Audley End House & Gardens in Essex, as well as the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

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The final show is on Sunday, July 20, with gates opening at 2pm.

The day opens with a performance from tribute band Buddy Holly and the Cricketers at 3pm. The band comprises stars from the West End musical Buddy.

There is then an hour’s break before Lulu takes to the stage at 5pm.

David Essex then joins in at 7pm, with The Beach Boys performing at 9pm.

It goes without saying that The Beach Boys are one of the most recogonised bands in music history. This is their only UK show this year and is part of their global Sounds of the Summer tour.

The weather forecast for Sunday is a wet start, with the possibility of thunder between 10am and 11am. However, it is sunshine and showers from 10am onwards, with it being dry from around 4pm onwards.

Temperatures will reach a high of 21ºC around 6pm, cooling down to 16ºC by the time the memorable night of music ends.

For more details, or to book tickets, log on to: https://www.heritagelive.net/whats-on/the-beach-boys

Here is what we made of the acts on Thursday’s night of music, in performance order.

Hard-Fi

British Indie rockers Hard-Fi came in strong to a crowd clearly familiar with hits like Cash Machine and Living for the Weekend, from their debut album Stars of CCTV and harking back 20 years to 2005.

The band, hailing from Staines, were performing in the elegant surroundings of Englefield Estate, a touch that added a light-hearted contrast to their urban-themed lyrics.

There were a few guitar changes, and the famous mouth organ solo during Cash Machine brought a melodic twist that stood out.

Their sound remained punchy, and the vocals were strong and polished, proving they’ve still got it live.

Doves

Harking back to 1998, Doves were on top form, playing hits from their six albums.

There was a slight change to the usual lineup as frontman Jimi Goodwin is currently taking a break from their 2025 tour.

Nonetheless, this Manchester/Cheshire indie rock band delivered a powerful set, including fan favourites like There Goes the Fear and Black and White Town.

They drew a mature crowd, and their big, atmospheric sound resonated across the festival field – classic Doves style.

The Wombats

The evening’s headlines were The Wombats, who pulled in a younger, energetic crowd, reflecting the growing resurgence of UK indie rock – possibly boosted by the buzz around the Oasis comeback.

However, these are not Madchester boys, they hail from Liverpool.

Their bassist was a livewire, running up and down the stage, feeding into the high energy of the set.

The crowd was in full voice for sing-alongs to hits like Moving to New York and Let’s Dance to Joy Division.

It was a fitting, euphoric close to the night.

Pictures: Dijana Capan/DVision Images