About Kenton Carols

Kenton Carols began in 2023 as a small festive community event featuring just five local school choirs. Since then, it has continued to grow each year, with 2025 marking our most successful programme to date.

Across two joyous evenings, 11 schools from our local community took to The Kenton stage, bringing together hundreds of young people, their families, teachers and friends for a wonderful celebration of Christmas.

What happens at Kenton Carols?

Each school performs one traditional Christmas carol and up to two other Christmas-themed pieces of their choice.

That means every evening is different. Previous performances have included songs from school productions, instrumental pieces, solos and group performances, a ukulele ensemble, a brass band repertoire, a carol accompanied by sign language and even a snowball fight. Not as messy as it sounds!

At the end of each evening, all the young people come together on stage to perform two specially selected group numbers, with simple choreography arranged by Steph Maxwell of Divas & Dudes Dance School.

It is this combination of individual school performances and everyone coming together at the end that makes Kenton Carols such a special event.

The Spirit of Christmas Award

Each evening we are joined by either the Mayor of Henley or another local councillor, who has the difficult task of choosing one choir to receive our Spirit of Christmas Award.

The award celebrates the performance that, for them, best captures the joy, energy and festive spirit of the evening.

Free for schools to take part

Kenton Carols is completely free for schools to participate in.

The event is organised and funded by The Kenton with the generous support of The Abbey School Reading and Divas & Dudes, helping us give young people from across our local community the opportunity to perform on our historic stage.

Each child taking part also receives a souvenir Kenton Carols programme and an ice cream during the interval.

For many pupils, it is their first opportunity to perform on a theatre stage. For others, it is a chance to return year after year. For all of us, it has become a very special part of Christmas at The Kenton.