Nicole lights up festival opening night

NICOLE Scherzinger won the crowd over with her powerful vocals and noughties hits on the first night of the Henley Festival (Wednesday).

Despite arriving nearly half an hour late, the American girl band singer turned west-end star, quickly brought the crowd in front of the floating stage alive with instantly recognisable classics and dance-along numbers.

Dressed in a glistering baby pink dress and fur shawl Scherzinger opened with the bond Anthem Diamonds Are Forever before singing mid-century hits, Nina Simone’s I Put a Spell on You and Sway With Me by Bill Haley & His Comets and finishing with You Make Me Feel My Love by Adele.

To the crowd’s delight, following a quick costume change, Scherzinger reappeared in a military-style coord and launched into a medley of some of her best-known songs from her Pussycat Dolls era.

The audience screamed loudly upon hearing the opening chords to Jai Ho! and danced all the way through the band's top hits including Buttons and Don't Cha and Scherzinger's 2011 single Right There.

Not wanting to snub England’s Euros semifinal win that was reported mid-way through her set Scherzinger reappeared after a third and final costume change dedicating her covers of ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All and Queen’s We Are the Champions and to the Three Lions.

Following two covers of Kings of Leon anthems Sex on Fire and Use Somebody Scherzinger performed her final song Purple Rain by Prince, leaving the festival without an encore.

After watching the festival's riverside fireworks display, revellers flocked to the festival's Pure Heaven circus tent for the late-night entertainment, The Bootleg Beetles.

The tribute act played the British boy band's top hits spanning their early years right up to their final Abbey Road album.

With their penultimate song, the band gave their own tribute to England win, dedicating their White Album hit, Hey Jude, to England's star midfielder Jude Bellingham.

For a full round-up of the festival, including pictures and reviews, pick up a copy of next week’s Henley Standard, out next Friday.