Never miss a thing in Bedford ever again. From theatre to film, live music to art exhibitions, The Bedford Clanger what’s on guide lands every Wednesday and is the only guide you need to find out what’s on and what’s happening across the Borough for the next 11 days.
The Bedford Clanger’s What’s On Guide is kindly sponsored by Bedford Esquires.
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Quiz: Esquires’ monthly music quiz
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
£2 per person/maximum of six per team
Head to Esquires for their monthly music quiz on the first Thursday of every month. Teams of up to six people compete in the quiz featuring music from the 50s to the present. Cash prize for the winning team.
Friday, 6 March – Thursday, 19 March 2026
Exhibition: BLOOM! by Mo Lea
The Arc, Howard Street @ 9am – 5pm (Mon – Sat) 10am – 3pm (Sun)
Free
Brighten up your day with a visit to this colourful exhibition of large flower pictures at ‘The Arc’ by artist Mo Lea. The private view is on Thursday, 5 March, when you will be able to enjoy a free glass of prosecco as you stroll amongst the blooms.
This exhibition is a fundraiser for the Centre for Women’s Justice.
Friday, 6 March 2026
Art & culture: Bedford Art Society Meeting
Putnoe Heights Church, MK41 8EB @ 7.15pm for 7:30pm start
Matt Waruszynski will be demonstrating how to create a pencil portrait
Contact Jean Paterson on 01234 307210 or bedsartsociety.co.uk for further information.
Friday, 6 March 2026
Live music: The Cords
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £12
C86 indiepop sensations The Cords will be appearing at Bedford Esquires this month. Tipped for big things in 2026, the teenage sisters released their absolutely ace self-titled debut LP earlier this year to universal acclaim and will be supporting The Charlatans on their upcoming UK tour.
Friday, 6 March 2026
Live music: eXTC
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
XTC’s legendary drummer, Terry Chambers, is back on the road with his band EXTC (named and approved by XTC frontman, Andy Partridge).
Emerging out of the post-punk and new-wave explosion of the late 70s, XTC experienced global success touring with the likes of The Police and Talking Heads. Sadly, their legions of loyal fans would be left in limbo when in 1982 XTC stopped touring, becoming a studio-based entity.
EXTC were formed in 2019 by XTC’s drummer Terry Chambers, performing classic XTC material such as Making Plans For Nigel, Senses Working Overtime, Mayor of Simpleton, Generals and Majors, Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me), Love on a Farmboy’s Wages and many more.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Creative community: Bedford Artists’ Social
Albero Lounge (upstairs), Riverside Square @ 10.30am – midday
Free to attend
A regular informal gathering of like-minded visual artists to network, share aspirations and chat. There will be information on the community art gallery project, too and how you can get involved.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Morning Ramble meeting place: Cranfield Community Centre, MK43 0FZ @ 10am
Afternoon walk meeting place: Wootton Village Hall, MK43 9EU @ 1.30pm
The morning ramble is a leisurely five-mile exploration of Marston Thrift, while the afternoon walk is along the John Bunyan Trail to Longcroft Spinney (6.5 miles).
Please bring a drink, snack or lunch as the group always stops for a break. Check out the North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ excellent website for further information.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Theatre: A Walk in the Park
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £16
70% of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment in public. Meanwhile, a social media poll finds that, in a hypothetical world without men for a day, the overwhelming majority of women said they’d use the opportunity to go for a walk alone after dark.
Taking these findings as a starting point, A Walk in the Park is a participatory performance combining authentic conversations, startling statistics and choreographed movement to create an atmospheric exploration of what it can feel like to walk alone in the dark. The performance ends with an invitation to the audience to leave the space together and walk through a nearby park or green space.
Audience members are free to participate as much or as little as they wish.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Live music: Blender presents – International Women’s Day
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10
An International Women’s Day special lands at Esquires this Saturday, courtesy of Blender and self-styled alt rockers A Void will be bringing their DIY punk aesthetic fuelled by Boursin Cheese and pickle juice.
Yes, they hail from Paris, France, citing influences from Sonic Youth to Charles Aznavour and their new single ‘Fish in Your Pocket’ is out now, available just about everywhere. The band will come armed with acoustic guitars for this one, as they have lost the drummer under the fish head and are currently seeking a new one… could it be you? Check out their socials and get in touch if you think you’ve got what they need.
A Void will be supported by a cast of the area’s best girl bands: Kate Gore and The Screamers (ok, with a couple of chaps), a Jasmine Burns solo set, Apollo, making their Esquires debut and the Twice Over twins.
Sunday, 8 March 2026
Family fun: Spring Lambing Day
Manor Farm, Wilstead MK45 3DS @ 11am – 5pm
Tickets: £5/person / under 2’s free
Enjoy a day on the farm filled with adorable lambs and fun activities.
Tickets are £5 each and under twos are free. Available from Eventbrite or cash on the day.
Sunday, 8 March 2026
Live music: Generation 5pan play the Sunday afternoon session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Formed in 2017,the band members span three generations and perform music enjoyed by all.
Monday, 9 March 2026
Community: Mindful walk for those bereaved by suicide or mental health-related loss
Meeting point: Outside the front of The Swan Hotel, Bedford @ 6.15pm
Free / no need to book
Join a gentle, supportive mindful walk for anyone who has experienced this type of loss.
This is a quiet, reflective walk by the river – no one is expected to share their story.
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Classical music: Lunchtime recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ 1pm
Free with retiring collection
Step into the beautiful surroundings of St Paul’s church to enjoy a free lunchtime performance by Fumi Otsuki (violin) and Natalie Bleicher (piano).
Tuesday, 10 March – Saturday, 14 March 2026
Community Theatre: Hamlet
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm each evening; Saturday matinée @ 1.30pm
Tickets: from £12
Hamlet remains one of the most powerful, unsettling, and timeless plays ever written. For over 400 years, the questions it poses about what it’s like to be human are as powerful today as they have always been.
In this Swan Theatre Production, the play is stripped back to its human essence. The setting is minimalist and stark, placing the focus on the characters themselves. Music, newly composed for this production and performed live, creates a soundscape that amplifies the intensity and atmosphere of the production.
The result is a Hamlet faithful to Shakespeare’s script and relevant to our time: a tale of a young man overwhelmed by grief, wrestling with moral choice, and searching for meaning in a collapsing world.
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Film: Bedford Film Society presents: Good One
University of Bedfordshire, Polhill Avenue @ 7.30pm
Tickets: Annual membership £70 / day member £5
Sam, a teenage girl, goes hiking with her father, Chris, and his friend, Matt. Her excitement for the trip soon starts to wear down due to the men’s problematic behaviour.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
British Science Week: Science Labs
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am onwards
Free entry (some events require booking)
Explore different aspects of science through a range of free, hands-on activities at The Higgins Bedford, as part of British Science Week.
From experiments to exploring nature; engineering to archaeology; rockets to rainbows, there’s something for everyone to try.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
Classical music: Organ recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ midday
Free with retiring collection
Step into the beautiful surroundings of St Paul’s church to enjoy a free lunchtime organ recital by Darren Williams.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Meeting place: Wilden Village Green, MK44 2PB @ 1.30pm
A seven-mile afternoon walk through the Bedfordshire countryside.Please bring a drink, snack or lunch as the group always stops for a break.
Check out the North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ excellent website for further information.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
Live music: The South
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £28.50
The South are back on the road and doing what they do best – performing the songs of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South, to the thousands of fans of these timeless classics.
The South are an impressive nine-piece band featuring former members of The Beautiful South, including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles.
Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007, this exciting live band have spent 14 years touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
Live music: The Workshop Boys
The Flowerpot, Tavistock Street @ 9pm
Free entry
The Workshop Boys are back at the Flowerpot – a true Bedford institution and a band that rarely needs an introduction.
Expect the very best in rock and blues classics, outstanding musicianship, and an unforgettable night of live music. You’ll be hard pushed not to sing along — or at least get those toes tapping!
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Community: St Patrick’s Day celebration
Harpur Square @ 11am – 5pm
Free
Bedford town centre will once again come alive with Irish culture, music and community spirit, as Queen’s Park Community Organisation (QPCO), in partnership with Bedford’s Irish community, brings its St Patrick’s Day craic to Harpur Square.
Read: St Patrick’s Day: a celebration of Irish community, culture and craic
The free, fun-for-all-the-family event takes place on Sunday, 15 March, and is part of QPCO’s Back to Our Roots programme, which celebrates the diversity of Bedford’s cultural heritage. Sláinte!
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Live music: Glam Rampage play the Sunday Afternoon
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free
Glam Rampage return to Esquires for the first time in 2026, packing the bar out with a stomping set of Glam Rock covers from Bowie, Slade, Sweet, T.Rex and more…
At the Higgins Bedford
Exhibition: Noel Carrington: Nothing Need Be Ugly
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
Curated by writer and publisher Joe Pearson, this exhibition tells the story of publishing’s unsung hero Noel Carrington (1895–1989). Schooled in Bedford with his sister Dora, Noel Carrington became one of the most influential figures in 20 th century design. Through the Puffin Picture Books and Country Life he commissioned, edited and published some of Britian’s most loved children’s picture books.
Read: Celebrating Bedford’s unsung publishing hero: Noel Carrington and Puffin Picture Books
He saw the genius in artists such as Kathleen Hale, publishing books about Orlando the Marmalade Cat and championed emerging artists such as Hilary Stebbing. With Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden and Mervyn Peake he commissioned books such as ‘High Street’, ‘Life in an English Village’ and ‘Captain Slaughterboard’.
Through beloved children’s books, forgotten gems and original artwork this exhibition will take Noel Carrington out of the footnotes and into the spotlight.
Family fun: Cardboard Clues – murder at the movies
The Higgins Bedford until 12 April
£25/team
Become a detective and unravel a series of curious, whimsical mysteries in your local museum.
Scour the Higgins Bedford to discover hidden clues and ‘cardboard’ characters, who could be suspects, witnesses or victims, guided by the Cardboard Clues app.
Connect the dots in the stories across the museum and test your wits and problem-solving skills. Perfect for families, friends, and curious minds looking for a unique experience in a fun setting.
Exhibition: Edward Bawden – Printmaker
The Higgins Bedford until 26 April
Free entry
Take a trip to the Higgins Bedford to explore the Edward Bawden Printmaker exhibition, which celebrates Bawden’s remarkable legacy as ‘The Master of the Linocut’ and offers visitors a chance to delve into his innovative techniques and artistic achievements.
At the Panacea Museum
Permanent exhibition: Discover the amazing story of a unique religious community
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd @ Thursday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Free entry
This fascinating hidden gem of a museum tells the story of the Panacea Society – a secretive Christian group formed in the early twentieth century that created its own ‘Garden of Eden’ in the centre of Bedford.
The Panacea Museum is located across several Victorian buildings that formed the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups.
As featured on BBC Radio 4’s Mark Steel’s in Town.
Every Tuesday
Community: Tuesday Chess Café
The Pavilion in the Park @ 2pm – 4pm
Free
If you’re a keen chess player or have always wanted to learn, then the weekly chess cafe at the Pavilion in the Park is for you.
Players meet every week and there’s no membership, no fee – just turn up. All you need to do is buy a coffee to support the venue. Any standard, from complete novice to Grand Master, welcome.
