Our Story: From a Single Note to a Summer Tradition
The Regent’s Park Music Festival began in 2016 with a single performance on the Holme Green bandstand and has grown into a summer tradition in Regent’s Park. In 2026, over 22,000 music lovers enjoyed our free bandstand concerts and the three-day Music in the Secret Garden ticketed series. Over 4,200 musicians performed this season.
The Bandstand Concerts
Every Saturday and Sunday from June to September, we bring the park to life with music. Our 2026 season featured 43 bands across the two bandstands in the park, spanning a diverse range of genres. From soulful jazz to shining brass — and even live swing dancing lessons — there is something for everyone.
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, these concerts remain Free and Open to All.
Bandstand Memorial Day
A cornerstone of our festival is a day of reflection and remembrance. On July 20, 1982, the Regent’s Park bandstand was bombed by the IRA, tragically claiming the lives of seven bandsmen from the Royal Green Jackets.
Each year, on the Sunday closest to the anniversary, the festival joins Royal Green Jackets veterans to host a memorial service. Attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the Mayor of Camden, and military officials, the ceremony honours those lost in both Regent’s Park and Hyde Park.
A Moment of Healing: In 2026, the buglers of the Waterloo Band (successor regiment to the Royal Green Jackets) performed music from Oliver! — the very set being played when the 1982 explosion occurred — returning those melodies to the park after four decades.
Our Patron
We are honoured to have Sir Karl Jenkins CBE, one of the world’s most performed living composers, as the Patron of the Regent’s Park Music Festival. Following a moving 2025 performance of his masterpiece, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Sir Karl will be joining us again for the 2026 season.
Regents Park Bandstand History
The Bandstand was originally located in Richmond Park and was moved to Regent’s Park in the 1970s. There was an earlier bandstand which stood near the southeast corner of the boundary of London Zoo.
The bandstand was the target of a IRA terrorist attack on 20 July 1982. Seven bandsmen were killed and 24 others were injured during a concert by the Royal Green Jackets. Eight members of the public, watching the performance were also injured and taken to hospital.
Sometimes the bandstand is called the “Memorial Bandstand” in memory of the dead bandsmen. A plaque that commemorates the seven bandsmen who were killed is located on the base of the bandstand. Each year the attack’s survivors, and the families of those who were killed, gather at the Bandstand for a memorial service,
The composer George Lloyd wrote Royal Parks For Brass two years after the bombing, the second movement of which, In Memoriam is dedicated to the bandsmen who died. Many bands feature this piece in their playing selections.