Woman dies after being found unconscious inside tent at UK's 'poshest' music festival beloved by Kate Middleton

Published: 18:29, 11 August 2026 | Updated: 18:30, 11 August 2026 Police are investigating the death of a woman at an up-market music festival which was held in the grounds of a stately home last weekend. The woman, who has not been named, died on Sunday evening in a tent on a campsite on the last day of the Houghton Festival at 18th century Houghton Hall in north Norfolk. The four-day festival is known for its rave-style dance and electronic music, played around the clock, and was attended three years ago by the Princess of Wales. Police are treating the death of the woman as 'unexplained' while they await the results of a post mortem, although there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. This year's festival featured music played 24/7 on stages set across the grounds of the estate including surrounding woodland. Around 10,000 people attended the event at the home of David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and his wife Rose Hanbury who are friends and neighbours of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Houghton Hall is less than two miles from Kate and William's country retreat at Anmer Hall on the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate. Kate reportedly sipped on spicy margaritas when she attended the music festival and enjoyed the soundscape of 24-hour techno in August 2023. Houghton music festival, where a woman was found dead on Sunday, has been dubbed the UK's 'poshest' and is held near the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk The Princess of Wales, a friend of David Cholmondeley, at whose estate the festival is held, was pictured at Houghton in 2023 Norfolk Police confirmed the death of the woman at this year's event in a statement saying: 'We were called to Houghton Festival at 8.11pm on Sunday 9 August following concerns for the safety of a woman found unconscious inside a tent. 'Officers attended with the on-site medical team, but despite efforts she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her next of kin have been informed. 'The death is currently being treated as unexplained but is not believed to be suspicious. Our enquiries are ongoing.' The Houghton Festival released a statement on Instagram this morning, saying: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that a person has passed away at Houghton 2026. Our thoughts are entirely with their family and loved ones at this difficult time. 'We are grateful to our onsite medical team, event response team and to Norfolk Constabulary, who all responded immediately. 'We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to support in any way we can with their investigations.' Houghton Festival is the UK's only 24-hour music festival, which means that some form of techno, house, or drum and bass or jazz is playing at every point on at least one of its stages throughout the weekend. It was set up in 2017 by DJ Craig Richards, the longest-serving resident DJ of the infamous London nightclub Fabric, who has played over 700 Saturday night sets at the club since 1999. Houghton is the UK's only 24-hour music festival and features techno, house, drum and bass and jazz Attendees at the festival, paying between £280 and £330 for weekend tickets, are said to don fluffy bucket hats, skin-baring rave gear, and side bags as they dance the days and nights away on the 1,000 acre site. It is regularly dubbed as the UK's poshest music festival, attracting wealthy and high society ravers determined to let their hair down in the north Norfolk countryside. The Princess of Wales is said to have made her visit on the Saturday evening in 2023, accompanied by security guards and a group of friends, after having dinner with the Cholmondeleys in Houghton Hall. According to reports, Kate was hesitant, but eventually agreed to go into the festival, although there was no sign of Prince William being with her. The mother-of-three is said to have shunned the food trucks, instead opting for the upscale on-site restaurant, Turntable & Napkin, where festivalgoers could treat themselves to a four-course meal, featuring burrata, panzanella, short rib ragu, and affogato, for £60 a head. The festival regularly attracts wealthy and high society ravers to the north Norfolk countryside A source at the restaurant told the Evening Standard that Kate, who was wearing an understated black off-the-shoulder top, black skinny jeans and Veja trainers, was in high spirits. She was seen ordering spicy margaritas, eating affogato, and speaking with the other members of her party who enjoyed a balthazar-sized bottle of AIX rosé. The group with Kate were reported to have left a £700 tip to the festival restaurant staff before she left via the festival's Pavilion stage. It is unknown if she toured the rest of the festival site or saw any of the acts that night, which included DJ Stingray, DMX Crew, Shanti Celeste, and Radioactive Man. The line up for Houghton 2026 event included major names from the dance music scene, including Ben UFO, Helena Hauff, Objekt, CCL, Underground Resistance & Saul Williams and Paquita Gordon. The news of the death at this year's event comes just over a week after a 17-year-old girl also died from a 'medical episode' at the Kendal Calling festival in the Lake District.