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 The Cellar Bar Bedford
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Wellbeing: Bedford Mindful Embankment Walk
Meet outside the Swan Hotel @ 6pm
Free and just turn up
Join like-minded individuals for a mindful walk based on the teachings of Vipassana meditation and other mindfulness techniques.
The walk begins with an introduction and wellbeing check in, before walking to the Butterfly Bridge. At the bridge, walkers will be guided through the meditation practice before walking towards and finishing at the riverside bar.
This will be in complete silence and you will pause to have some time of stillness by the two bridges where you can hear the peaceful sounds of the water. The silence will be broken by ending with a gratitude prompt. This is a safe space and community for everyone. Monthly walks all year round.
Organiser Rachel Hegarty, said: “I am a trained mental health advocate. If there are any barriers or access needs to you attending groups like this, you are welcome to message privately via the Facebook group.”
Reclaim your peace and freedom with every step!
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Refugee Week: Market Stall
Bedford Market @ 11am – 3pm
Meet staff and volunteers from BRASS (Bedford Refugee & Asylum Seeker Support), and find out about all of the events happening for Refugee Week 2025.
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Karaoke: Drag karaoke and Bingo hosted by Drag Queen Fanny Burns
The Cellar Bar @ 8pm / bar opens at 7pm
Free entry
Guaranteed to be a very funny evening with Fanny Burns at her spiritual home – The Cellar Bar.
Joining us every month, drag queen Fanny Burns will bring her own spin on karaoke and bingo. It’s hilarious and good fun. The bingo cash jackpot has been well over £100. £2 per card of 6 tickets, meaning 6 chances of winning. Raffle tickets for Fanny’s Flaps game are just £1. £2 tickets for Fanny’s Flaps, with a cash jackpot of up to £250 to be won.
The Cellar Bar is a safe, inclusive environment for all customers. Entry is free; just turn up.
Make sure you’re there early enough to get drinks and bingo tickets. The bar opens at 7 p.m. This show contains adult humour and swearing and is strictly an over-18s event.
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Live music: Karaoke
The Cellar Bar at 8pm
Free entry
The ONLY place you need to be for karaoke on a Thursday night – The Cellar Bar on the High Street. Pure karaoke with over 50,000 songs to choose from.
Perform like a pro with the Cellar Bar’s professional lighting, sound and a proper stage, with the best-sounding performers and acoustics on the High Street. Sing with your friends using multiple microphones and hosted by Cameo and Sarah Ellen.
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The Last Chance Ragtime Band
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 20 June – Sunday 22 June 2025
Refugee Week: Community exhibition
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
Enjoy the displays of artwork by local people on the theme of ‘Community as a SuperPower’.
Friday, 20 June 2025
Live music: Ozric Tentacles + Omnivibes
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £22.50
Ozric Tentacles are regarded as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK’s festival scene, formed during the solstice at Stonehenge Free Festival in 1983, going on to become psychedelic staples at Glastonbury and other festivals. The creative vision of multi-instrumentalist Ed Wynne, the Ozrics’ uniquely trippy soundscapes connect fans of progressive rock, psychedelia and dance music culture.
Over the years, the band has undergone numerous line-up changes, with only Ed Wynne (guitar and keyboards) maintaining a consistent presence. The sonically illustrated excursion through the musical realms the band have explored has resulted in 17 albums to date, with their latest, Lotus Unfolding, released in their 40th anniversary year. The band maintains its identity and continues to tour worldwide, producing intriguing albums.
Friday, 20 June 2025
Live music: Samantha Hughes
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm
Free entry
Local musician Samantha has become a regular at The Cellar Bar, having previously performed at Twinwood Festival and the Festival of Vintage. She was previously a British champion on the mandolin and banjo too!
Samantha’s set will be part acoustic so you are in for a treat as she plays a selection of Rock n Roll, Country, 50s/60s and 80’s party tunes, spreading some good old-fashioned music from years gone by!
Friday, 20 June 2025
Live music: Bar Stool Preachers
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
The Bar Stool Preachers are a dynamic and ground-breaking band, set to revolutionise the music scene. With their unique blend of punk rock, ska, and reggae, the Bar Stool Preachers are poised to captivate even more audiences worldwide.
The band quickly gained recognition for their electrifying live performances and their ability to connect with audiences on a profound level. Their music is a powerful reflection of the world we live in, tackling social and political issues with a refreshing honesty and authenticity. With their catchy melodies and anthemic choruses, the Bar Stool Preachers have created a sound that is both timeless and relevant.
Saturday, 21 and Sunday, 22 June 2025
Family fun: Bedford Kite & Motoring Festival
Russell Park and Mill Meadows @ 10am – 4pm
Free entry
Bedford’s skies will once again be filled with colour and creativity as the Bedford Kite and Motoring Festival returns to Russell Park, The Embankment and Mill Meadows this month.
Read: Bedford Kite and Motoring Festival programme now live
The biennial event will bring together motoring enthusiasts, kite flyers, river adventurers and families for one of the Borough’s most-loved community celebrations.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Refugee Week: Community is a SuperPower creative workshop
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am – 3pm
Free entry
Join artist Bern O’Donoghue in a free creative workshop exploring the theme of this year’s Refugee Week, which is Community is a SuperPower.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Afternoon walk: Sharnbrook Academy Car Park MK44 1JL @ 1.30pm
Seven-mile walk though Sharnbrook to Felmersham Nature Reserve and Moor End.
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 21 June 2025
Film: Bedford Film Night presents The Peanut Butter Falcon
St Andrew’s Church Community Centre main hall, Kimbolton Road, Bedford, MK40 2PF @ 6.30pm / screening @ 7pm
Tickets: From £5
Join Bedford Film Night for an uplifting screening of The Peanut Butter Falcon, a heartfelt indie adventure starring Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, and Dakota Johnson.
This modern Mark Twain-style story follows Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, as he escapes a care home to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. A chance encounter with a troubled fisherman leads to an unforgettable journey of friendship, freedom, and self-discovery.
Expect good vibes and a welcoming space for all. For more info, booking and updates email ufpfilmclub@gmail.com.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Classical music: Bedford Choral Society
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: Prices vary
Come and celebrate the summer solstice with an evening of Bedford musical talent.
Michael Rose, a pillar in music making and education in Bedford over the last half century, wrote Songs of Innocence and Experience for Bedford Choral Society in 2004 and this year they commissioned a piece from Greg May, a young composer born in North Bedfordshire.
May’s Carved Anew takes inspiration from John Bunyan and other English poets. The whole concert has an English theme – Handel wrote The King Shall Rejoice for the coronation of English monarch George II. And Bedford Sinfonia will play John Ireland’s A Downland Suite, composed in tribute to his love for the Sussex Downs.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Live music: Bad Hombre
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Bad Hombre are returning to the Cellar Bar with another high-energy performance, cranking out some cracking surf, pop, rock, mod, indie, punk and New Wave covers.
Expect to hear your favourite tunes from The Jam, Stereophonics, The Kinks, The Fratellis and Kaiser Chiefs plus many more. The band’s energy is infectious; dancing shoes and drinking hats are recommended.
Sunday, 22 June 2025
Walking: “Bedford’s South Bank Show” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the What’s On Hub on Silver Street
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
The settlement south of the river is attributed in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle in 915 to King Edward the Elder. During the latter half of the 20th Century, the south of Bedford changed dramatically as modern development took place. This walk reveals the medieval past and the more recent lost industry, buildings, public houses and the importance of Bedford’s South Bank to the development of the town. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WALK CROSSES UNDER A LOW BRIDGE OF 4’ 9” HEIGHT TWICE ON ROUTE.
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, 22 June 2025
Live music: CMAT – It’s the Glasto warm-up tour!
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: SOLD OUT
Esquires is extremely excited to be hosting a Glastonbury warm-up show for none other than CMAT here in little old Bedford as part of the venue’s 35th anniversary celebrations.
International pop star. Writer of songs. Fearer of bugs. Girlboss of the Very Sexy CMAT Band. Once, twice, three times a loser at 2024’s BRITs, Mercury Music Prize and Ivors. Soon to release a new album, EURO-COUNTRY, which will rectify these errors.
This is undoubtedly the smallest show CMAT will have played in forever and will be a night to remember…
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Live music: Tuesday lunchtime concert
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ 1pm
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
Lunchtime cello recital with Ivan Carillo. Free with a retiring collection.
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Choral music: Cantamus at 40
St Leonard’s Church, Stagsden @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 on the door
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of choral singing by Cantamus Chamber Choir. Conductor Gary Mudd. For further details 07762 58974
Tuesday, 24 June – Saturday, 28 June 2025
Community Theatre: Hangmen
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £12
Harry Wade is a hangman who likes to keep his counsel. Until the momentous day when hanging is finally abolished in the UK and Harry is asked to give an interview to the local paper.
Surrounded by his acolytes and family, his vanity gets the better of him and he agrees to speak his mind. At the same time, a stranger walks into Harry’s pub who will set off a chain of events that will eventually spiral out of even Harry’s tight control.
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Art: The Circus of Illustration’s Drink and Draw – Summer Parties
The Park pub, Kimbolton Road @ 7.30pm
Free (£2 donation appreciated)
On the last Tuesday of every month, Bedford’s creative community meets up at the Park pub for the Circus of Illustration’s monthly Drink and Draw sessions. With a different theme each month, it’s open to absolutely anyone (over 18) of any skill level and there’s no need to book.
This month, it’s a celebration of all our favourite summer celebrations! Are you hosting a barbie? Seeing the sunrise at the stones? Putting on a kite and car fest? Let everyone know what’s going on with your own poster or invite
Equipment and resources are provided in a no-pressure, relaxed atmosphere to chat, drink and doodle.
Drink and Draw is for all grown ups!
– Chat with new people who like creative stuff
– Do some no-pressure doodling and get inspiration from others.
– Equipment provided
– All abilities welcome
– No membership, no signing up, it’s free to just turn up and join in.
– £2 donation welcome!
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Walking: “A Tour of St Peter’s Church” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the What’s On Hub on Silver Street
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
St. Peter’s church is one of the oldest Saxon churches in Bedfordshire. It has withstood attacks by the Vikings and the Normans and two world wars and has played an important part in the history and development of Bedford. Join our guides on a tour of this historic church and discover 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.
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
On the river: Anchor Lunch Cruise
Priory Marina @ 11.15am
Tickets: £47
Enjoy a cruise on the River Great Ouse, departing from Priory Marina by coach at 11.15am, to Great Barford for a pub lunch at The Anchor and return via a three-hour cruise on the John Bunyan Boat to Priory Marina. Enjoy a drink or snacks available onboard from our Galley Bar.
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Quiz: A1 SpeedQuizzing
The Cellar Bar @ 8pm Bar opens at 7pm
£3pp to enter the quiz. Rolling cash jackpot of £150 plus £60 cash for the winning team and other prizes to win
Quiz nights will never be the same again as SpeedQuizzing comes to Bedford town centre. Get your team of up to six players together and enjoy a fun, interactive night of entertainment hosted by Owen.
There’s a £60 bar tab to the winners and there is a rolling jackpot each week.
Walk ins are allowed on the night until the venue is full. Reserve your table online and get a 20 point head start.
Thursday, 26 and Friday, 27 June 2025
Theatre: Bedford School Creative Arts Festival presents – A Servant to Two Masters
The Quarry Theatre @ 7pm
Tickets:£9.00 (£7.00 concessions)
This slapstick play revolves around the wily, greedy servant Truffaldino, who, in trying to fill both his purse and his stomach, attempts to serve two masters simultaneously. Meanwhile, his mistress disguises herself as her dead brother to claim the dowry from his bewildered, bereft fiancée.
The plot is full of mishaps and mix-ups, confusions, disguises and mistaken identity, before the murder and entangled romances can be resolved. Lee Hall’s contemporary, faithful version is fast-paced, funny and idiomatic. This show will have you rolling in the aisles! Part of Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival 2025.
Friday, 27 June 2025
Children’s Theatre: Exploring Summertime with Kaye Leidoscope
The Place Theatre @ 10am
Tickets: from £2
Join Kaye Leidoskope for these monthly lively and lovely interactive sessions for children aged two to five years and their grown-ups. At each session, a new subject area like transport, animals and weather, is explored.
You can expect play, songs, crafts, and there are always bubbles… perfect for little ones to creatively learn through play!
Friday, 27 June 2025
Live music: Skinnyman
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm
Tickets: £14.25 / £16.96
Skinnyman is one of the few British emcees who needs almost no introduction.
After the period of incarceration, he released his masterful solo debut album, “Council Estate of Mind”, in 2004 with a deal via Low Life Records. Heavily autobiographical and socially analytical, the album makes much use of samples from “Made in Britain”, a British film from the early 80s.
Friday, 27 June 2025
Live Music: Generation 5pan
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Generation 5pan are back to The Cellar Bar this month, playing a mix of rock/pop and blues covers from the 50’s to modern day. These guys know how to rock a venue and they’ll definitely be rocking The Cellar Bar.
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Live music: Cockney Sing-a-long
The Wellington Arms, Wellington Street @ 7pm
Free
If you like a right old Cockney knees up, then the Welly is the place for you this month. On Saturday, 28 June, Tom Carradine will be hosting a Cockney sing-along for anyone that is ready to roll out the barrel and get their knees up, Mother Brown.
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Dance music: Betty Boo + Catlea
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £26
Hip Hop pioneer and 90’s icon Betty Boo is a platinum-selling, Brit, and Ivor Novello Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper. In 2022 after a 30 year hiatus, Betty Boo made an unexpected return with the critically acclaimed Boomerang and is back on the road to celebrate 35 years of Boomania.
Read our interview with Betty Boo here.
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Live music: The World Famous Elvis Show
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £30
Starring and produced by world-renowned Elvis performer Chris Connor, with his 12-piece live band ‘The Steels’, and backing vocals by ‘The Sweet Harmonies’, this production recreates two iconic Elvis Presley concerts.
If you were not lucky enough to see Elvis live, you will walk away from this concert feeling that you have!
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Live Music: New Harmony
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm / Happy Hour until 9pm /3am close
Free entry
Making a return to The Cellar Bar, New Harmony, are the ultimate crowd pleasers, bringing you the very best in Reggae, Motown and all the classics.
Sunday, 29 June 2025
Community: Armed Forces Day
Bedford town centre from 10am
Bikers will lead a parade down Bedford High Street this Sunday to begin the annual celebrations of Armed Forces Day in the town centre.
150 people will be taking part in the parade, which will begin at De Parys Avenue at 10am and culminate at Harpur Square for the special celebrations to honour serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military charities.
Read: Parade and festivities planned this month for Armed Forces Day
Sunday, 29 June 2025
Walking: “The Jewel in Bedford’s Crown” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the What’s On Hub on Silver Street
Tickets: £4/£2 (Please use the code HIGGINS30 to remove the transaction fee)
The Jewel in Bedford’s Crown is undoubtedly the River Great Ouse and its Embankment. This entertainig and informative circular walk takes you along the banks of the river, which has been described as one of the finest riverside settings in England. Learn the story of the Victorian Embankment development and enjoy a walk in the ornamental gardens.
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, 29 June 2025
Gardens: Howbury Hall garden opening
Howbury Hall, Renhold @ 2pm – 5pm
Tickets: £6 (in aid of St Paul’s Church Tower, Clock & Bells Appeal) / Free for children under 12
Visit Howbury Hall’s late Victorian garden with mature trees, sweeping lawns and herbaceous borders. The large walled garden is run as a cut flower business in one half and for growing a variety of vegetables in the other half. Tea and cake is available and all proceeds go to the St Paul’s Church appeal.
Entry via front drive off the A4280/St Neots Rd.
Sunday, 29 June 2025
Film: Premiere of It’s Time
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 5pm
Tickets: £10
It’s Time is a powerful, socially conscious independent Italian film directed by Matteo Pedone and Michele Creanza, making its UK premiere in Bedford.
Shot across Southern Italy and England – including scenes in Puglia, Campania, London, and Bedford – this independent production tells a compelling story of injustice, resilience, and the courage to say enough is enough.
More than just a film, It’s Time is a community project involving members of the Italian diaspora in Bedford, created on a small budget but with enormous heart and purpose. It features well-known Italian actors such as Gerardo Placido, Alvaro Vitali, and Ludovica Pedone, and touches on themes of oppression, dignity, and personal rebirth.
Italian (with southern dialects) with English subtitles
At the Higgins Bedford
Exhibition: Colour and Light
The Higgins Bedford until 2 November 2025
Free entry
Art from the 18th century right up to the present day will be on display at The Higgins Bedford in its new exhibition, exploring the fascinating relationship between Colour and Light.
Read: Exhibition: ‘Colour and Light’ illuminates The Higgins Bedford
Running until 2 November 2025, the exhibition will showcase works from The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery Collection, including iconic pieces by JMW Turner, John Singer Sargent, Sonia Delaunay, Peter Blake, and Chila Kumari Singh Burman.
Colour and Light will also feature a specially commissioned artwork by Bedford-based artist, Alison Goodyear, entitled ‘Light & Colour’, as featured on the front cover of the February issue of the Bedford Clanger. This immersive digital experience, created in collaboration with four Bedford community groups and is inspired by the works in the exhibition.
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, Bedford MK40 3NX
11am – 5pm (last entry 4.30) Thursday – Sunday
Free entry
This fascinating hidden gem of a museum tells the story of the Panacea Society – a Christian group formed in the early twentieth century who created their 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.
Exhibition: The Panacea Society and the Second World War
The Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, Bedford MK40 3NX @ Thursday to Sunday, 11am – 5pm
Free entry
A new social history exhibition has opened at the Panacea Museum this month, exploring the unseen story of this remarkable society and World War II.
Read: New exhibition: The Panacea Society and the Second World War
The beautiful gardens surrounding the Museum are currently filled with blossoming trees, birds, butterflies and bees, and a stroll through the grounds is a highly recommended in addition to a visit to the museum.
Occasional Wednesdays (please check website)
Quiz: A1 SpeedQuizzing
The Cellar Bar @ 8pm Bar opens at 7pm
£3pp to enter the quiz. Rolling cash jackpot of £150 plus £60 cash for the winning team and other prizes to winTo reserve your table –
Quiz nights will never be the same again as SpeedQuizzing comes to Bedford town centre. Get your team of up to six players together and enjoy a fun, interactive night of entertainment hosted by Owen.
There’s a £60 bar tab to the winners and there is a rolling jackpot each week.
Walk ins are allowed on the night until the venue is full. Reserve your table online and get a 20 point head start.
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 to the Cellar Bar from 7.30pm.
Theatre highlights by Paula Walker
The June issue of the Bedford Clanger is out now. Grab a copy at one of our many pick-up points throughout the Borough.
You can find your nearest one using our map here.
