Battle of the Proms
Saturday 1 August 2026
Highclere Castle, Newbury, RG20 9RN
Uplifting celebrations of iconic music, dazzling fireworks and breathtaking displays!
Treat yourself to a fresh picnic or bottle of prosecco, chilled for collection on arrival at the concert.
And pre-order your furniture or opt for a table in the Concert Pavilion for the ultimate hassle-free Battle of the Proms experience!
This year they are celebrating a remarkable 25 years at Highclere Castle!
The Battle Proms takes place directly overlooking this impressive and iconic building, the central character in the ITV period drama ‘Downton Abbey’ which has achieved extraordinary international fame.
Given the ‘picnic’ nature of the concert, the audience at the Battle Proms are genreally all seated and therefore wheelchair users are able to view the concert from the same level as the rest of the crowd.
For this reason, they do not provide a viewing platform as seen at large music gigs and festivals, and instead invite visitors to find a position that suits them best.
There will also be a large screen next to the stage which will be showing close-ups of all the entertainments.
The Battle Proms Concerts are all held on open air grass arenas which usually have little or no hard-standing or pathways.
The concert will go ahead in wet conditions and they ask all audience members to come prepared for the unpredictable British weather!
Generally the arenas are flat, and are very well kept areas of the estates.
While they do their best to ensure the accessible car parking, entrance and toilets are easy to access, the ground conditions will inevitably vary according to the weather during and prior to the event.
Stewards are positioned throughout the auditorium and will assist where they can if necessary.
They have been running the Battle Proms at various venues over the last 20 years and have never experienced issues with wheelchair access.
If you have any issues or queries during the event please see staff at the Info Point on site.
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle has been transformed from its roots in Anglo Saxon Times to a medieval palace, a Tudor place house, a Georgian house and today this iconic Victorian Castle.
It sits within a park designed by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century.
During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon.
Then, in the Second World War, Highclere Castle was home to children evacuated from London.
There are between 250 and 300 rooms in the Castle Saloon and during your tour you will explore the main state rooms so familiar from “Downtown Abbey”.
You will see some of the bedrooms after which you will follow the stairs down to the cellars and old staff quarters where you will find the Egyptian Exhibition, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
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