Two of English folk’s best-loved voices, Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden, return to the Oxford Playhouse on Friday 14 November with a candle-lit evening of Wassail; a warm, witty tour through centuries-old seasonal songs and stories.
Following last year’s sell-out tour and their album Glad Christmas Comes, the pair revive the pre-carolling tradition of wassailing, from orchard blessings in the countryside to door-to-door toasts of “waes hael” (“be well”) in town. Expect handsome harmonies, fiddle and guitar fireworks, and a stage dressed for mid-winter: a timely dose of goodwill as the nights draw in.
Between them they’ve helped shape the modern folk scene: Carthy (twice Mercury-nominated, MBE for services to folk) and Boden (Spiers & Boden, frontman of Bellowhead, multiple BBC Folk Awards) bring seasoned chops and easy charm to a set of timeless songs, with audience-friendly chat and a few surprises.
“Join them for a night of festive cheer, timeless music and a heartfelt celebration of tradition.”
Need to know
- Date/time: Fri 14 Nov, 7.30pm (doors/house times per venue)
- Venue: Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford
- Tickets: £29 (booking fees may apply)
- Box Office: 01865 305305 • oxfordplayhouse.com
- Running time: 2 hours (with interval)
- Age guidance: 14+
What is wassailing?
Long before church carols, neighbours traded songs for food, drink or a few coins; in orchards, revellers sang to the trees to bless the coming harvest. The word “wassail” comes from Old English waes hael (“be well”) and the toast still threads through this music with humour and heart.
About the artists (in brief)
- Jon Boden – Spiers & Boden co-founder; former Bellowhead frontman; prolific solo and theatre composer; widely acclaimed across press and radio.
- Eliza Carthy – Mercury Prize double nominee; collaborator with Paul Weller and the Waterson-Carthy family; broadcaster and bandleader; MBE (2014).
Eliza Carthy & Jon Boden festive wassail UK Tour 2025
| Date (2025) | Day | Venue | Town/City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov | Sun | Pavilion Arts Centre | Buxton |
| 12 Nov | Wed | Theatre Royal | Winchester |
| 13 Nov | Thu | St George’s | Bristol |
| 14 Nov | Fri | Oxford Playhouse | Oxford |
| 15 Nov | Sat | Corn Exchange | Stamford |
| 16 Nov | Sun | Epic Studios | Norwich |
| 17 Nov | Mon | Theatre Severn | Shrewsbury |
| 18 Nov | Tue | Huntingdon Hall | Worcester |
| 26 Nov | Wed | Brewery Arts | Kendal |
| 27 Nov | Thu | Queen’s Hall Arts Centre | Hexham |
| 28 Nov | Fri | Halifax Minster | Halifax |
| 29 Nov | Sat | Pavilion Theatre | Whitby |
| 30 Nov | Sun | Tung Auditorium | Liverpool |
| 1 Dec | Mon | Warwick Arts Centre | Coventry |
| 2 Dec | Tue | Warwick Arts Centre | Coventry |
| 10 Dec | Wed | The Apex | Bury St Edmunds |
| 11 Dec | Thu | The Stables | Milton Keynes |
| 12 Dec | Fri | Union Chapel | London |
| 13 Dec | Sat | Assembly Hall | Worthing |
| 14 Dec | Sun | Haymarket | Basingstoke |
| 15 Dec | Mon | Arts Centre | Colchester |
| 16 Dec | Tue | St Dunstan’s | Cranbrook |
