Goalhanger has announced The Rest Is History Festival, a new two-day, members-only event taking place at Hampton Court Palace on 4 – 5 July.
It’s been created in response to growing demand from a podcast community that has outgrown traditional live show formats.
The festival is built around The Rest Is History podcast, hosted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, which now has more than 120,000 paying members worldwide and has expanded beyond theatre tours and small-scale member meetups.
Goalhanger says audiences are increasingly looking for more time with the hosts and, just as importantly, more opportunities to connect with each other, something that standard live shows have struggled to provide as the membership continues to grow.
Developed in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, the festival will welcome thousands of members each day to Hampton Court’s Home Park and East Garden for an extended weekend combining live show recordings, guest historians, historical re-enactments and – most importantly – time for the community to come together.
“Our members have been crystal clear about what they want: more time with Tom and Dominic, and more time with fellow The Rest Is History fans,” said Conrad Withey, Chief Commercial Officer at Goalhanger, who said the festival format was created to allow friendships to form at scale.
A large social area on Hampton Court’s East Lawns will act as the centre of the festival, giving members space to meet other listeners between main stage sessions, with food, drink and relaxed picnic-style seating throughout the site.
Dan Wolfe, Commercial Director at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “We’re delighted to host The Rest Is History Festival at Hampton Court Palace, bringing together an exciting meeting of past and present.
“History podcasts are transforming how people connect with the past and with each other – through shared curiosity and powerful storytelling. Against the backdrop of this extraordinary place, the festival will offer a unique way to discover the past in a spectacular historic setting.”
Tom Holland said: “Hampton Court isn’t just a beautiful venue – it’s where Henry VIII held court and shaped English history.
“Now it’s history that will be holding court – or should I say our listeners will be? People are always telling us they wish they could spend more time at our live shows, meet other listeners and swap book recommendations. This festival makes that possible.”
Dominic Sandbrook added: “At a theatre show, you see the audience for two hours and then everyone scatters.
“We wanted to create something where Friends of the Show can actually become friends – debating the Tudors over lunch, discovering they live 20 minutes apart, and planning to meet again at the next event. That’s what a real community should feel like.”
Goalhanger and Historic Royal Palaces say they plan for The Rest Is History Festival to become an annual event, with the company also exploring similar formats for other shows across its portfolio as membership communities continue to expand.
Ticket details will be announced soon, including how members can enter the ballot for access. Full information on ticket allocation across each Club membership tier is available at: TheRestIsHistory.com.
