A giant, glittering shoe greets you as you walk through the main entrance. Before long you encounter men on stilts, angels on wheels, silver dinosaur-like creatures, black-shrouded figures and men dressed as dogs. Then there's a musical milk float, an Astroturf-covered VW Golf and a moving dinner table. Quirky, yes, but it is these delightful absurdities that give Henley Festival its unique character.

After all the rain, the final day of the festival was, thankfully, bathed in sunshine, and it was still warm as the crowds gathered on the Riverside Lawn in front of the Floating Stage for the main event of the evening, rock legends The Proclaimers (pictured). After their heyday in the 1980s - which saw the release of their biggest hits Letter from America, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and I'm On My Way - I thought the Scottish duo's popularity had dwindled, but the expectant buzz and excited chatter among the packed crowd soon convinced me otherwise. The band arrived onstage promptly, to huge cheers from the audience, and launched into an energetic, high-octane set that lasted for an hour-and-a-half and included a satisfyingly rich mix of old hits and recent hits, all delivered with verve and panache.

The Proclaimers' musical excellence is matched by their easy rapport with the crowd, who responded with wild enthusiasm - especially when, at the end, they delivered a sizzling rendition of I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). This was what everybody had been waiting for. Almost as one, the audience rose to its feet, and clapped and danced through a memorable finale. By now it was almost dark; the water reflected the lights from the stage and the occasional boat floated lazily by, in marked contrast with the pulsating energy from the band and audience. It's all part of that special Henley atmosphere.

Elsewhere, there were plenty of other treats on offer. To emphasise the party mood, there was the Bahamian carnival band Junkanoo, a 30-piece percussion band, whose costumes formed a kaleidoscope of deep, vivid colours. Parading on the Riverside Lawn, with the early evening sunshine on them, the band provided a stunning visual feast that was simply magnificent.

In the Dome, the quartet Stringfever entertained with their unique mix of music and humour, while the comedy theme was continued in the Riverside Cabaret late in the evening by Punt and Dennis - the only duo, probably, who could come up with so many variations on the "why did the chicken cross the road?" joke.

And so, sadly, the curtain falls on Henley Festival for another year, but I have no doubt that director Stewart Collins will come up with another sparkling array of delights in 2009.