Never miss a thing in Bedford ever again. From theatre to film, live music to art exhibitions, The Bedford Clanger’s 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.
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Community: Bedford Morris Men – summer on the road
The Crown, Willington @ 7.30pm
Free
Free to watch, turn up, grab a pint (and perhaps some food), and enjoy some traditional morris dancing.
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Reminiscence Session: Brewing in Bedford
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am-12.30pm
Free / drop in
2026 marks 150 years since Charles Wells opened his brewery in Bedford.
Read: 150 years of Bedford’s brewing heritage on display at The Higgins
Come along to this session to remember favourite beers and ales, local pubs and breweries.
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Art & culture: Edward Bawden Archive Session
The Higgins Bedford @ 2pm-3.30pm
Tickets: £14.60 per person, concessions £11.60 / booking essential
Hidden in secret drawers inside the Edward Bawden Gallery are hundreds of prints, drawings and ephemera from the artist’s archive.
Join the Keeper of Fine and Decorative Art for a delve through some of them. The session is a perfect opportunity to see well known works, as well as pieces that have never been on display before.
Thursday, 16 July – Saturday, 18 July
Community Theatre: Alice’s Adventures
The Place Theatre @ various times
Tickets: from £10
Take a tumble down the rabbit hole this summer with Alice’s Adventures — an open-air family show inspired by the beloved tales of Lewis Carroll.
Don your top hat and goggles, and prepare for an enchanting adventure filled with curiosity, charm, and clockwork magic!
Thursday, 16 July 2026
Gardens: Kathy Brown’s Garden – special event
The Manor House, Church Road, Stevington MK43 7QB @ 2pm – 5pm
Tickets: £30 | Booking required
Come and enjoy a relaxed afternoon with a tour of the garden, a chat about Kathy’s special cakes from the garden, then the chance to enjoy afternoon tea with savoury scones and Kathy’s special homemade cake.
Choose from a varied selection of drinks; tea, tisanes, coffees, and apple and pear juices made from fruit from the garden.
Gluten- and dairy-free options are only available for the cakes, not the scones – please email Kathy in advance if needed.
Thursday, 16th July 2026
Bedford Skeptics: What an I Can Do That AI Can’t with Professor Neil Lawrence
The North End Social Club, Roff Avenue @ 7.30pm
Donations appreciated
Join Prof Neil Lawrence to find out about the limitations of artificial intelligence, why he finds the notion of artificial general intelligence absurd, and how there’s a part of us that can never be replaced by the machine.
The inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge, Neil has been working on machine learning models for over 20 years and recently returned to academia after three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon.
Friday, 17 July 2026
Live music: Big Truck
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £14
Big Truck is the sound of Laurie Vincent stepping into a different light. Known for the raw intensity of SOFT PLAY, here he trades abrasion for atmosphere – creating songs that move between indie-pop melody and candid lyricism.
Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 19 July 2026
Family fun: River Festival 2026
Various locations throughout Bedford and along the Embankment
FREE!
Bedford River Festival is back, and across two packed days, the riverside, Russell Park, and the town centre will once again be home to the UK’s second largest FREE outdoor festival.
At the heart of the festival is the River Great Ouse, so don’t miss the boat parades on both Saturday and Sunday, and the illuminated boat parade on Saturday night. Saturday sees the welcome return of the Dragon Boat Race in aid of Sue Ryder, while Sunday’s Raft Race promises the usual chaotic homemade flotilla of crafts vying for victory – and raising money for local charities.
St. Mary’s Gardens is home to the family area, with accessible activities and workshops for all ages. Over on Sports Island, festival-goers can get stuck into everything from canoeing and climbing to rugby, gymnastics and paddleboarding.
As ever, music is at the heart of this year’s line-up. In Russell Park, the main stage acts are curated by Esquires, and on the Embankment, the new BBC Music Introducing Stage will shine a spotlight on emerging artists from Bedford and beyond, so catch some future stars in the making. The Community Stages in Mill Meadows will showcase local acts of all ages.
Take a turn down the High Street to enjoy the Bedford Festival of Motoring and relax on Town Bridge – an ideal location to view the river activities, and also host to traditional bands performing in the ‘Bands on the Bridge’ area. Pull up a chair and relax to some rousing classical tunes performed by some of the best bands in Bedfordshire.
Over in Harpur Square, Bedfordian Suzanne Tanser is hoping to create the town’s ‘Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever’ at midday on Saturday. The aim is to bring together as many people as possible dressed in red to take part in a synchronised dance to Kate Bush’s 1978 hit.
One of this year’s festival highlights will be the Green Earth Vegan Lounge on Castle Mound. Head here for a chilled-out vibe, vegan food, nature-themed children’s activities, live willow weaving and wood-turning demonstrations, and music from Bedford’s own Remedy Collective, featuring performers from across the UK.
If you want to find an oasis of calm among the festival excitement, the Lounge offers chill-out spaces with sessions including Reiki, Qigong and sound baths.
Add in Castle Mound’s unbeatable views of the river action – including Saturday evening’s Illuminated Boat Parade – and it sounds like the perfect place to pause, soak it all in, and enjoy a picnic or a bite to eat.
Download the full programme here.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Gardens: Kathy Brown’s Garden
The Manor House, Church Road, Stevington MK43 7QB @ 10.30am – 1pm / 2pm – 4.30pm
Tickets: £11/£5.50 | Booking required
Enjoy a guided walk around the beautiful gardens of the Manor House in Stevington, which have been created by Kathy Brown and her husband Simon over the last 30 years.
You can choose either a morning or afternoon slot, but numbers are limited to ensure the best visitor experience – and that there is enough cake!
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Walking: Marking 40 years of the Greensand Ridge Walk
St Leonard’s Church, Old Warden
£10 to support The Greensand Trust
2026 marks the 40th anniversary of The Greensand Ridge, and to celebrate they have curated a programme of walks from May to September including Old Warden Circular Walk.
This eight-mile guided walk takes you through Old Warden and Ickwell onto the Greensand Ridge Walk before heading back towards Old Warden.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Venue/where to meet: Riseley, MK44 1DT @ 1.30pm
Three morning walks, all starting from Ravensden Village Hall
Seven-and-a-half-mile walk from Riseley towards Knotting Green through Strawberry Hill.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Dance music: River Festival After Party
Bedford Esquires @ 10pm
Tickets: £6/£7/£10
It’s River Festival weekend, and as ever, Bedford Esquires is running the biggest after party in town until the early hours.
One ticket covers all – spread over two rooms, with two different flavours, they’ve put together a bit of a stonker to keep you dancing.
In Room 1 is a Silent Disco: three singalong channels of Brat Pop, Brit Pop, Hip Hop, Dance, Cheese & Indie Sleaze
Over in Room 2 it’s the Roll Your Own Records takeover. The RYOR crew are in the building, with a melting pot of the finest DJs from the area, from House to D&B and 140BPM goodness.
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Live music: Hey Pixies
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £14
Hey Pixies are the UK’s most gigantic Pixies tribute band, striving for the original authentic Pixies sound and playing the classics as close to the original recordings as possible.
Expect to hear all the timeless indie-defining tracks such as Monkey Gone to Heaven, Here Comes Your Man, Debaser, and Where Is My Mind?, as well as a load of loud-quiet-loud magic in the form of Hey, Gouge Away, Holiday Song and more…
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Gardens: Kathy Brown’s Garden
The Manor House, Church Road, Stevington MK43 7QB @ 10.30am – 1pm / 2pm – 4.30pm
Tickets: £11/£5.50 | Booking required
Enjoy a guided walk around the beautiful gardens of the Manor House in Stevington, which have been created by Kathy Brown and her husband Simon over the last 30 years.
You can choose either a morning or afternoon slot, but numbers are limited to ensure the best visitor experience – and that there is enough cake!
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Summer holiday activities: LEGO workshop
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am – 4pm
Free, drop-in
A free drop-in event featuring four mini activities for children and their carers to collaborate and create using LEGO bricks.
No booking required but, if the room is busy please wait a short time until there is space.
Suitable for ages six – nine.
Wednesday, 22 and Thursday, 23 July 2026
Bedfringe presents: The Inclusive Performing Arts Festival is for EVERY BODY
The Quarry Theatre
The award-winning Inclusive Performing Arts Festival is returning this summer with its biggest and most ambitious programme yet. Taking place over two days, the festival brings together disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists, audiences and communities from across Bedfordshire and beyond for a joyful celebration of creativity, accessibility and inclusion.
And for added excitement, there will be an event hosted by the comedian and disability advocate, Rosie Jones at 6pm on Wednesday.
Read: Bedford’s Inclusive Performing Arts Festival returns for EVERY BODY
Read: Exclusive: Rosie Jones to host ‘Party, Not Pity’ at Bedford’s Inclusive Performing Arts Festival
There will also be children’s activities, creative workshops, sensory spaces and opportunities to connect with artists and community organisations.
More information and tickets are available from bedfringe.com
Wednesday, 22 – Sunday, 26 July 2026
Festivals: Bedfringe 2026
The Quarry Theatre & The Place Theatre
Prices vary / some events are free
Roll up, roll up, the 19th Bedford Festival Fringe (Bedfringe to its friends) is back, with over 100 fabulous events at The Quarry Theatre and Place Theatre for your entertainment and enjoyment.
Read: Bedfringe Clanger – the best of this year’s festival
As ever, there are plenty of events that are either free to attend or ask for a voluntary donation, so there’s really no excuse not to come along.
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Summer holiday activities: Medieval Castle Craft with Atiya Vohra
The Higgins Bedford @ 12pm – 3pm
Free drop-In session
As part of the annual Council for British Archaeology Festival, the Higgins is hosting a free crafting session inspired by the medieval kiln display and the museum’s proximity to the former Bedford Castle.
Have a go at creating a heraldic shield design, make your own small clay pot, brass rubbing or calligraphy to produce your own illuminated letter in a medieval style. Suitable for ages five – 12 years.
Tiny Gardens with The Goodlife Garden
Thursday 23 July, £6.05 per child, suitable for ages 5-12
Workshops 11.15am–12.15pm, 12.45–1.45 pm and 2.15-3.15pm
Create a tiny garden to take home, perfect for fairies and elves to live in.
Thursday, 23 July 2026
Walking: “A Tour of St Paul’s Church” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the What’s On Hub in Silver Square
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
St. Paul’s church has been at the centre of Bedford’s life for over one thousand years and has many stories to tell. Join us on a tour of this beautiful church in the heart of Bedford as we tell its story.
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, 23 July 2026
Live music: EMF + Scant Regard
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
EMF are back in Bedford! Formed in 1989, the band exploded onto the global stage with their infectious blend of dance, rock, and pop, and within a year, they were everywhere, thanks to the smash hit “Unbelievable”.
The band are still creating, still touring, and still full of the life-affirming energy that made them unforgettable. EMF remain as vital and visionary as ever.
Sunday, 26 July 2026
Walking: “Bedford’s Movers and Shakers” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at St Loyes, opposite Bedford Prison
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
You will know of the ‘mugshot’, but did you know it was first introduced into the criminal justice system by Robert Evan Roberts, a reforming governor of Bedford Prison in Victorian times?
Join this walk and meet Roberts and others who made a difference in Bedford and in the world; an astronomer, a polar explorer, the first woman county councillor and discover how some of the most attractive private dwellings in Bedford came to grace this area of town. N.B. Please note that this walk starts from St Loyes, opposite Bedford Prison
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, 26 July 2026
Local history: Bedford History double bill
Eagle Bookshop, St Peter’s Street, MK40 2NN @ 4pm
Free but please book tel: 01234 269295
A summer double bill featuring two very different topics: The Town Transformed – Bedford 1939 – 1999, and The Great Siege of Bedford Castle, 1224.
Join local author Bob Ricketts talking about the huge social changes that took place in Bedford in the decades following the Second World War, followed by historian James Petre for a dive into The Great Siege of Bedford Castle – when for eight weeks in the summer of 1224 Bedford and its castle held centre stage in the history of England.
At the Higgins Bedford
Until 4 October
Exhibition: Children’s Art Competition and Exhibition
Sir William Harpur Gallery at the Higgins Bedford
The Children’s Art Competition features more than 100 pieces of artwork created by pupils from schools across Bedford Borough. The children aged 4 to 18 have created their artwork at workshops with professional artists visiting their schools.
The theme for the 2026 exhibition is ‘Aspire: Nurturing Potential’, based on their aspirations, goals, dreams, hopes and what they want to be or do in life.
Read: Young Bedford artists showcase big ambitions in ‘Aspire’ exhibition
The competition and exhibition are a collaboration between The Harpur Trust and The Higgins Bedford.
Until April 2027
Display: A Brewery in Bedford: Celebrating 150 Years of Wells & Co.
Somewhere in England Foyer, First Floor
Free entry
Founded in 1876 by Charles Wells, the business began at Horne Lane Brewery, brewing beers and growing a thriving pub estate.
Read: 150 years of Bedford’s brewing heritage on display at The Higgins
In 2019, it moved to Brewpoint and rebranded as Wells & Co., marking an exciting new chapter. Find out more about their 150 year journey.
Until 2 September
Exhibition: Noel Carrington: Nothing Need Be Ugly
The Higgins Bedford @ extended
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 20th-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.
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.
