Your weekly what’s on guide for Bedford and the surrounding area from the Bedford Clanger.
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 Thursday and is the only guide you need to know what’s on and what’s happening across the Borough for the next 10 days.
The Bedford Clanger’s What’s On Guide is kindly sponsored by The Cellar Bar.
Every Thursday in August
Family fun: Crafty Thursdays
John Bunyan Museum @ 11am – 3pm
£2 per child
From secret agents to pop-up puppets, there are activities galore for children at the John Bunyan Museum this summer.
Check out the website for full details.
Every Tuesday in August 2024
Family fun: August Activities
Bunyan Meeting @ 11am – 2pm
Free plus free lunch for children
Bunyan Meeting is running craft and activity sessions every Tuesday in August. With a Noah’s Ark theme, each week make a different animal to take home and help Noah fill his Ark!
Have a go at trails around the museum, and summer exhibition in the basement. 11am-2pm in Bunyan Meeting completely free. Free light lunch for children completing all three activities on the day.
John Bunyan Museum, Mill St, Bedford MK40 3EU
Until Thursday 29 August 2024
Family fun: Children’s activities
The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane – times vary, check website for details
Tickets: £3.50 – £5.50 per child
This summer, journey back in time to 800 years ago and explore the thrilling siege of Bedford Castle with a variety of exciting family activities at The Higgins Bedford.
Until Thursday, 29 August, children of all ages can unleash their creativity and delve into history through a range of castle-themed workshops and craft sessions.
Thursday 1 August 2024
Live music: Limehouse Lizzy
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
Now in their third decade, Limehouse Lizzy continue to keep the spirit of Thin Lizzy alive, bringing the inimitable, unique and irresistible rock and pop greatest hits homage to Philip Lynott and his band, Thin Lizzy.
Thursday 1 August 2024
Live music: Irish Folk Night
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Head to the Castle for a fun night of Irish tunes by the pub’s resident musicians, playing some classic foot-tapping Irish tunes for all to enjoy.
Thursday 1 August 2024
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring Chris Lord & Her Blues Express
The Dance Hall, Wixams Retirement Village, Bedford Road, Bedford, MK42 6EA @ 8pm – 10.30pm
Tickets: £12.99
An evening for dancers and music enthusiasts alike. Cashless bar, plenty of seating (night club set up) and dance floor. Book in advance and come along at 7.15pm for a 45 minute dance class in Balboa, one of the original swing dances of the era. For the main event, just turn up – pay cash at reception – have fun, no booking needed.
Friday 2 August 2024
Family fun: Puggle Club – creative activities for children aged 2 – 5 years
The Higgins Bedford @ 10.30am – 12 noon / 1pm – 2.30pm
Free
A chance to get creative, have fun, and socialise!
No need to book, just pop in any time between 10:30am and 12 or between 1pm and 2.30pm and stay for as long as you like.
Children must be accompanied by an adult come. All activities are subject to availability, if the room is getting a bit full, you might be asked to wait until there is space. For more information click here.
Friday 2 August 2024
Live Music: Danny Barton
The Cellar Bar @ 6pm til late
Free entry
The wonderful Danny Barton returns to The Cellar Bar, playing a mix of acoustic rock and pop crowd-pleasers and new material.
Friday 2 August 2024
Live music: The Smyths
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £17.50
Following their previous sell out appearances at Bedford Esquires, The Smyths will return to Bedford Esquires in August 2024.
More than a mere tribute band, The Smyths are a joyous celebration of arguably the greatest band of all time. Thrillingly accurate, the group have amassed a huge following and regularly sell out huge venues both here and abroad. You may also know them from the massively popular festival appearances.
2024 will mark the 40th anniversary of The Smiths debut album and also the (arguably superior) compilation Hatful of Hollow. To celebrate this anniversary, The Smyths will be playing tracks from both records, as well as all the hits and classics you would expect.
No support. The Smyths will perform two sets on the night.
Friday 2 August 2024
Live music: Sophia Soul
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
An amazing night of entertainment in store by the talented soul singer Sophia Soul, singing various acoustic covers to get you dancing.
Saturday 3 August 2024
Live music: Mattfest 2024 in aid of Macmillan Cancer
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10
The ever-brilliant annual MATTFEST returns on Saturday, 3 August, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Matt Esposito.
This year’s lineup includes Female Tsunami, Dois Padres, FaceDown and Green 182.
Saturday 3 August 2024
Live Music: Double header – Cameo + Five Five Six with Roxze
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry.
** DOUBLE HEADER **
Five Five Six with Roxze are back at The Cellar Bar. Get ready for a rocking night of legendary tunes!
They will be supported by Cameo. Not to be missed!
Sunday 4 August 2024
Walking: “The Silent Faces of Bedford” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
Bedford has many impressive statues and memorials. They cannot speak for themselves but our guides can tell you their story and why they take their place in Bedford’s history.
Join the Association of Bedford Tour Guides for one of their fascinating weekly walks. Each walk is of 90 minutes to two hours duration and covers a distance of one or two miles. Most walks are suitable for people who are less mobile.
Children of all ages are most welcome on all of the walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £4 per adult or £2 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 4 August 2024
Bandstand: Music in the Meadows featuring Bedford Town Band
Mill Meadows Bandstand, Bedford Embankment, MK @ 3pm – 5pm
Free
Music in the Meadows returns to the picturesque Mill Meadows Bandstand this summer. Throughout August, come along with your family and a picnic, for two hours of delightful traditional bandstand music.
The season kicks off with a rousing performance from Bedford Town Band. Established in 1894 Bedford Town Band promotes traditional English brass banding and musical arts.
There will be a limited number of deckchairs for visitors and people are welcome to bring along their own chairs too. The concerts are completely free and open to everyone. The bandstand is located in Mill Meadows, Bedford, easily accessible by foot, bicycle, or public transport.
It can be found between the Suspension Bridge and Bedford Lock. It has the What3Words location of https://w3w.co/mild.skips.loudly. The closest car park is Longholme Way.
The perfect soundtrack to a relaxed Sunday afternoon by the riverside.
Sunday 4 August 2024
Live music: Indi Forde
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Free entry
Singing solo pop, rock and soul covers.
Sunday 4 August 2024
Live music: High Fade
Bedford Esquires @ 6.30pm
Tickets: £15
On a three-man crusade to set dance floors alight with their inimitable brand of razor-sharp funk and disco, High Fade can already count Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes and Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine as fans.
Honing their sound on the streets of their native Edinburgh, the band are at their best when up close and personal with audiences; with over a thousand gigs now under their belt, their refined, infectious live performance has become an integral part of the band’s DNA, allowing them to put on a show that supersedes anything their fans have experienced before.
Sunday 4 August 2024
Live Music: Sunday Afternoon Chillout Session – Rob Le Tash
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm til late. Happy Hour 3pm – 9pm
Free entry
Rob makes a welcome return to The Cellar Bar and will be playing an eclectic mix of songs from the past and present including Alanis Morissette, Fleetwood Mac, Ed Sheeran and many more.
In the words of George Ezra ‘Let’s have a party!’
Wednesday 7 August 2024
Walking: “Tales of the Tower and the Steeple” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
St Paul’s and St Peter’s churches have a fascinating history and many stories to tell. Join us on a brief tour of each church and discover why they have played such an important and integral part in the development and the history of the town itself.
Join the Association of Bedford Tour Guides for one of their fascinating weekly walks. Each walk is of 90 minutes to two hours duration and covers a distance of one or two miles. Most walks are suitable for people who are less mobile.
Children of all ages are most welcome on all of the walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £4 per adult or £2 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Thursday 8 August 2024
Family Theatre: Mama G: The Magic Bookmark
The Place Theatre @ 2pm
Tickets: from £8
Audiences are invited to join Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Mama G on a brand new panto adventure for the whole family! Families are sure to love this storytelling show full of panto fun, interaction, song and dance, puppetry, and some of the finest picture books currently on the market!
Friday 9 August 2024
Live music: Tom Hingley plays Inspiral Carpets + Carbon Daydreams
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £12
Tom Hingley is the former lead singer of Manchester band Inspiral Carpets. He sang on all the band’s major label albums and hit singles -This is How it Feels, Saturn Five, Dragging Me Down, She Comes in the Fall and I Want You – to name a few. What a catalogue!
Tom performs solo or with two of his bands MacKayHingley (with a school friend who he was in the pre-Inspirals band Too Much Texas back in the 1980’s) and the Karpets – his Inspirals tribute band.
Catch Tom’s mix of Inspirals’ classics, originals and mean Blues slide at Esquires this August. Support comes from Bedford’s own Carbon Daydreams.
Friday 9 August 2024
Live Music: Vintage Stuff
The Cellar Bar from 6pm til late
Free entry
In the words of Vintage Stuff: “The reason we play is because we enjoy it and we want you to enjoy the experience too.”
Music is one of the few things that can recreate a time or place in your mind complete with the emotions and thoughts that were there, so let us transport you to a time when music was live and there to be enjoyed. Playing a wide range of rock and roll from the 50s/60s and 70s.
Friday 9 August 2024
Live music: The Black Charade x Fell Out Boy
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm
Tickets: £16
The ultimate Emo Night is coming to Esquires with headline shows from The Black Charade (My Chemical Romance) and Fell Out Boy (Fall Out Boy) who got an endorsement from the real FOB.
Playing all the hits from ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ to ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’ this night is not to be missed!
Saturday 10 August 2024
For families: Family Fun Day
Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, Bedford, MK40 3NX @ 11am – 4.30pm
Free entry
Come and enjoy the Panacea Museum’s very own ‘Garden of Eden’ with lawn games including throwing games, bubbles, giant chess, giant dominoes and Jenga.
There are also fun trails to complete around the museum with sticker prizes. The garden has plenty of shady trees, plenty of seats and visitors are welcome to bring a picnic. Special tea room deals are also available.
Saturday 10 August 2024
Festival: Patio Party 2024
Bedford Esquires @ midday – late
Free entry
It’s the return of Esquies’ Patio Party – a day in celebration of a tiny island that has shaped music in culture like no other.
Expect the finest Reggae, Dub, Roots and Ska sounds, with live artists on the main stage and Roll Your Own records providing the selectors outside, alongside a rum bar and street food stalls.
Bedford’s finest, CARUMBAR are setting up shop with the finest Caribbean food served throughout the day. Can’t handle the jerk? Hitchin’s finest CANTINA CARNITAS will be making a welcome return to Bedford with the best Mexican food you’ve ever eaten.
The outside bar will be stocked with Red Stripe and 12 artisan rums to sample, with a selection of mixers for a hot summers day.
FREE RED STRIPE!
Yep, actual free beer. Esquires’ brewery, Marstons have kindly given them 50 free pints of Red Stripe to give away to the first 50 people through the gates (1pp).
This is an all ages event
Saturday 10 August 2024
Live Music: Highstone
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm. Happy Hour 6pm – 9pm. 3am close.
Free entry.
Highstone are a four-piece band covering mostly 70’s and 80’s dance music with dancefloor fillers from Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees, Chic, The Temptations, Kool & The Gang, Luther Vandross, Earth Wind & Fire, Santana and more. Or if artists like Van Morrison, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Mavericks and Wilson Pickett are more your style, Highstone can deliver.
With Phil giving a show-stopping performance on lead vocals, Mickey on Bass, Dave on lead guitar and Mick on drums, Highstone will guarantee you good vibes, day or night.
Sunday 11 August 2024
Shopping: Bedford Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce Market
St Paul’s Square @ 10am
The perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday in Bedford.
Head to the Flea to browse the stalls, pick up a bargain, enjoy the live music and a grab a bite to eat. Combine with a stroll along the river, do a spot of shopping at some of Bedford’s amazing independent shops or just soak up the atmosphere.
Sunday 11 August 2024
Walking: “Tales of the Tower and the Steeple” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
“I Never Knew That” – the most commonly heard phrase after the completion of a Guided Walk. This Walk encompasses all that information about Bedford and its many features that YOU never knew!
Join the Association of Bedford Tour Guides for one of their fascinating weekly walks. Each walk is of 90 minutes to two hours duration and covers a distance of one or two miles. Most walks are suitable for people who are less mobile.
Children of all ages are most welcome on all of the walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £4 per adult or £2 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 11 August 2024
Bandstand: Music in the Meadows featuring May Blossom
Mill Meadows Bandstand, Bedford Embankment, MK @ 3pm – 5pm
Free
Music in the Meadows returns to the picturesque Mill Meadows Bandstand this summer. Throughout August, come along with your family and a picnic, for two hours of delightful traditional bandstand music.
May Blossom takes the stage, bringing a touch of floral charm. Often found at 1940’s events across the UK, May Blossom performs a wonderful selection of remembrance, singalong and dance numbers.
There will be a limited number of deckchairs for visitors and people are welcome to bring along their own chairs too. The concerts are completely free and open to everyone. The bandstand is located in Mill Meadows, Bedford, easily accessible by foot, bicycle, or public transport.
It can be found between the Suspension Bridge and Bedford Lock. It has the What3Words location of https://w3w.co/mild.skips.loudly. The closest car park is Longholme Way.
The perfect soundtrack to a relaxed Sunday afternoon by the riverside.
Sunday 11 August 2024
Live music: Black and Gold Band
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 5.30pm
Free entry
Head to The Castle on Newnham Street for some serious foot-tapping music with this local Irish band. The craic is sure to be mighty!
At the Higgins Bedford
Exhibition: Rediscovering Black Portraiture
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
The newest exhibition at the Higgins began as a diversionary lockdown project in 2020 and can now be seen at Kensington Palace, the Bodeian Library in Oxford and now in Bedford.
It features the work of Manchester-born professional opera singer, Peter Brathwaite, who has lived in the Black Tom area of Bedford since 2018.
With all his singing work cancelled during the pandemic, Peter began looking for an outlet for his creative talents and started recreating famous and lesser-known Black portraiture paintings using as props whatever he could find around his house.
It was inspired by the Getty Foundation’s lockdown project, but quickly took on a life of its own, gathering a large international online following. You can explore the project at his Instagram page @peter_brathwaite.
And from Saturday, 18 May, they will form part of an installation at the Higgins Bedford which will lead visitors through the main collections and into Cecil Higgins’ house, with Peter’s interpretation of The Paston Treasure at its heart.
Read: ‘Rediscovering Black Portraiture’ at the Higgins Bedford this May
Exhibition: Edward Bawden & Me
The Higgins Bedford until
Free entry
Brand new work by some of the biggest names in contemporary British art, illustration and textiles are on display at an exhibition at the Higgins Bedford in celebration of the work of one of Britain’s most inventive and influential artists
Entitled Edward Bawden & Me, the exhibition has been curated by Bawden’s good friend, illustrator and printmaker, Chris Brown and also features work by local artists’ collective, the Circus of Illustration.
Read: Star-studded new Edward Bawden exhibition opens at the Higgins Bedford
You can also read the full article in the February issue of The Bedford Clanger.
At the Panacea Museum
Exhibition: ‘Panacea: A Cure for All Ills’
Thursday – Sunday @ 10am – 5pm
Free entry
The current exhibition at the fascinating Panacea Museum explores the ministry which gave the Panacea Society its name.
Originally titled ‘The Community of the Holy Ghost’, their more famous name came later, connected with their international Healing offer. The Society sent out linen squares, blessed by their leader Octavia, these were placed in water to make a therapeutic elixir.
This exhibition explains the origins of the Healing, how it became so well-known, and why it finally ended.
Entry to the museum and exhibition is free. More information about visiting the museum can be found on their website here.
Every Thursday
Cocktails, Quiz Night & Karaoke
The Cellar Bar from 5.00pm
Pit your wits against The Cellar Bar’s resident quizmaster to see if you can win the jackpot every Thursday from 8pm. £2 per person entry and a maximum of six per team. The winning team will win the jackpot PLUS a round of shots. Followed by Karaoke til close
Every Saturday
Food & drink: Cocktail mixology masterclass
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm / doors open at 12 noon
£30 per person
The Cellar Bar’s resident mixologist, Marley, will explain how to create some outstanding cocktails for your tasting enjoyment. Then, it’s your turn to put what you’ve learned into practice by making (and drinking) three cocktails!
Every Sunday
Live Music: Open Mic Night
The Cellar Bar @ 7.30pm
Free Entry
Every Sunday, join Mat Roberts for the Cellar Bar’s weekly Open Mic night. An opportunity for new and experienced performers to get up on stage and perform.
So whether you think you are the next Tom Grennan or just want a good night of entertainment, head the to Cellar Bar from 7.30pm.
Theatre highlights by Paula Walker
