The Bedford River Festival returns to the banks of the River Great Ouse this weekend, with over 250,000 visitors expected to join the celebrations.
The free outdoor event begins on Saturday, 18 July 2026 and ends at 8pm on Sunday, 19 July 2026, featuring live music, river displays and family entertainment.
To help local people plan ahead, here is the complete guide to travel arrangements, public transport discounts, and parking options.
Read: Full Bedford River Festival 2026 programme (Bedford Borough Council .pdf)
Bus travel and passenger discounts
Stagecoach East is offering a 25 per cent discount on its Bedford Group DayRider tickets on Saturday and Sunday.
Read: Bedfordshire Police deploy facial recognition for 250,000 Bedford River Festival visitors
To claim the discount, passengers must purchase their tickets through the Stagecoach app using the code EARVRFESTGROUP25R46V between 15 July and 20 July 2026.
David Boden, commercial director of Stagecoach East, said: “We know parking can be both difficult and expensive, so we wanted to make a special effort to support the town and make it quick and easy to get to all the fun.”
Stagecoach has also scheduled additional evening bus services to help visitors return home safely.
On Sunday, services 1, 5 and 6 will run extra evening buses until 9.30pm.
Service 9D will operate hourly to Hitchin and Stevenage until 9.30pm on Sunday, with additional hourly services running on Saturday.
For those driving from outside the town, Grant Palmer is running its dedicated 744 Park and Ride service from Elstow Park and Ride (MK42 9XF or what3words: lungs.roof.crowd).
The service operates every 15 minutes from the site, which is located at postcode MK42 9XF or what3words lungs.roof.crowd.
Fares are priced at £2.40 for a single, £4.40 or £4.80 for a return, or £7 for a group ticket covering up to five people in one car.
Thomas Manship, commercial manager at Grant Palmer, said: “The Bedford River Festival is one of the highlights of the town’s calendar, and we’re delighted to once again provide the dedicated 744 Park & Ride service.”
Local passengers should note that on Saturday, Grant Palmer buses cannot serve the stops at St Paul’s Square or Horne Lane.
Services 42, 44, 53, 68, 72, 73 and 74 will start and finish at Bedford College instead, while services 25 and 41 will run normally from Bedford Bus Station.
Grant Palmer’s full timetable can be viewed at their website.
Rail travel and strike disruptions
While Thameslink and East Midlands Railway expect to run trains to Bedford station (what3words: lawn.grab.relate), passengers on other lines face disruptions.
Industrial action will disrupt services on the Marston Vale Line between Bletchley and Bedford.
London Northwestern Railway has confirmed that no train services will run on Sunday, 19 July 2026, due to industrial action.
Passengers should check their journeys on the London Northwestern Railway website before setting off.
For those arriving by train, the festival is a short walk from Bedford station.
Pedestrians should follow the signs to Borough Hall by turning right when leaving the station onto Ashburnham Road, left at the roundabout and right at the next roundabout to cross the bridge and enter the festival.
Town centre car parking
Several town centre roads will be closed for the festival, and drivers are asked to park in designated areas rather than residential streets.
On Saturday, the Allhallows (MK40 1LX or what3words: other.means.smashes) and Lurke Street (what3words: talked.vibe.scar) multi-storey car parks are free for the first two hours.
Normal parking fees apply until 6pm at both locations; after 6 pm, an additional overnight charge applies between 6pm and 8am.
The Queen Street car park (MK40 2HA or what3words: punk.doll.swift) is free for the first two hours and after 6pm on Saturday.
River Street car park (what3words: hats.blur.manliness) is free for the first two hours on Saturday, with normal rates applying until 8pm and an overnight charge between 8pm and 6am.
On Sunday, the Lurke Street and River Street car parks are free all day, alongside several other council-owned town centre car parks.
Dedicated event parking is available at Everard Meadow (what3words: sides.solved.mini) and Bedford International Athletics Stadium (what3words: drain.slick.harp) for £10 per vehicle per day, with card payments only.
Blue Badge holders can park at Everard Meadow and the Athletics Stadium, though both locations are grass fields.
Additional disabled parking is available at Longholme Way (MK42 0BX), and Cauldwell Street (MK42 9AP or what3words: behave.woke.audit). A Blue Badge will be required.
Walking, cycling and taxi drop-offs
Secure bike storage is available at the Horne Lane cycle shelter (what3words: fluid.vital.still) for cyclists who register in advance.
To register, local cyclists should email sustainable.transport@bedford.gov.uk with their full details to receive access instructions via the OneKey app.
Licensed taxis and pre-booked private hire vehicles can pick up and drop off passengers at Borough Hall or the Everard Meadow car park.
Regular taxi ranks will also operate throughout the town centre during the weekend.
