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, 2 July 2025
Walking: “Bedford in WWII” 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)
A walk that reveals the way of life in Bedford and some of the little-known facts about the role it played during World War II. Learn how Bedford became the main hub of the BBC during the war and how it also became a centre of wartime entertainment. Discover a ‘secret’ Bedford and the connections of the town to the code breakers at Bletchley park.
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, 2 July 2025
Food & drink: How frozen food waste is heating up sustainability
Gastronomica, Colworth Science Park @ 12.30pm
Free entry
Can innovative freezing turn food waste into opportunity?
Discover why frozen is the ‘hottest’ sustainability focus in 2025. Mitch Lee – Podcast host and senior NAM PACK’D explores how the world’s most wasted foods are being reframed. You’ll also experience a tasting session with sensational plant-based goodies. This is a FREE event – come to learn, taste and discuss.
Wednesday, 2 July 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 3, July 2025
Live music: Bedford School Creative Arts Festival Concert
The Chapel and the Great Hall, Bedford School @ 6.30pm
Free
Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival is delighted to present a wonderful showcase of the talent and creativity of the musicians in the Upper School.
An evening not to be missed! Part of Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival 2025.
Thursday, 3 July 2025
Quiz: Esquires’ Monthly Music Quiz
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
£2 per person / max six people per team
Brain cells at the ready, it’s Esquires music quiz and everyone’s welcome. Featuring music from the 50’s to the present, it’s £2 per person to enter with teams of up to a maximum of six people.
Cash prize for the winning team.
Thursday, 3 July 2025
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring The Fabulous Miss Jones Trio
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 (nightclub 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.
Thursday, 3 July 2025
Live music: Irish Folk Night
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Great fun evening of foot-tapping Irish tunes to sing long to on the first Thursday of every month. Free entry and the craic is sure to be mighty!
Thursday, 3 July 2025
TK Maxx Summer Sessions Presents: Simple Minds, Alison Moyet, KT Tunstall
Bedford Park
Tickets: £64.40
The legendary Simple Minds will be kicking off this year’s TK Maxx Presents Bedford Summer Sessions this Thursday, with their open-air gig in Bedford Park.
Support comes from the equally brilliant Alison Moyet and KT Tunstall.
Read: Simply brilliant support acts announced for Simple Minds Bedford Park gig
Friday, 4 & Saturday, 5 July 2025
Youth theatre: Love Alters Not – a showcase of classic love stories through time
Sharnbrook Mill Theatre
Tickets: from £15
Love Alters Not is a devised project taking scenes from works spanning ancient Greece, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare to modern day, channelling them into one complete showcase of how love and heartbreak go with the times. Performed and created solely by a group of eager young artists and creatives. sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk/tickets/
Friday, 4 July 2025
Family fun:Puggle Club
The Higgins Bedford @ 10.30am – midday / 1pm – 2.30pm
Free / no need to book
A chance to get creative, have fun, and socialise at this free, drop-in activity at the Higgins. Please be aware some activities might not be suitable for children under 36 months. Children must be accompanied by an adult and all activities are subject to availability; if the room is getting a bit full, you might be asked to wait until there is space. Come along and enjoy the fun!
Friday, 4 July 2025
Live music: Bedford School Creative Arts Festival presents: A Jazz Evening with Bedford School Jazz Orchestra
The Quarry Theatre @ 7pm
Tickets: £60 for a table of 6, £5 for upper tier seats
The Bedford School Jazz Orchestra will perform a huge variety of music, from swing classics to contemporary funk/groove. There will be something for everyone!
Also on show will be some smaller jazz chamber groups and the New Jazz Collective, plus a mystery special guest, with the Quarry Theatre transformed into a Jazz Cafe for one night only. Part of Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival 2025.
Friday, 4 July 2025
Live music: Glam Rampage
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm
Free entry
Glam Rampage are making their debut at The Cellar Bar this week. This four-piece glam rock band playing hits from the early 70’s by T Rex, Sweet, Mud, Slade, Bowie and more.
Saturday, 5 July 2025
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Wilstead, Whitworth Way Car Park, MK45 3DY @ 10am
Wootton Upper School, MK43 9HT @ 1.30pm
At 10am join the North Beds Ramblers’ morning ramble for a leisurely five-miler towards Haynes.
In the afternoon, they’ll walk a six-mile circular route starting at Wootton Upper School.
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, 5 July 2025
Double header of live music: Cameo & Five Five Six
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm / Happy Hour @ 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
They are back!
First up, Cellar Bar favourite Cameo is back for another solo performance, so expect a beautiful voice and some cracking party tunes from Dolly Parton to Fleetwood Mac to The Red Hot Chili Peppers and so much in between.
If you’ve not seen Five Five Six at The Cellar Bar before, you are in for a treat, get ready for a great night of legendary rock tunes!
Saturday, 5 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: Rag n Bone Man + Gavin James + Elles Bailey
Bedford Park
Tickets: £57.15
BRIT award-winner, Rag’n’Bone Man, is headlining Bedford Park this Saturday..
The singer, who broke onto the music scene in 2016 with his single ‘Human’, is known for blending blues and hip hop with raw emotion and joins Simple Minds on this year’s Summer Sessions opening weekend lineup.
Read: Rag’n’Bone Man announced as latest headliner of Bedford Summer Sessions 2025
Saturday, 5 July 2025
Theatre: The Hundred-Year-Old Letter
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £12
In 1916, Christabel Mennell writes a letter of apology to Katie Marsh. It is finally delivered in 2021 and becomes a global news sensation. Travelling from Bath to London, via two world wars and two pandemics, the unreceived letter of apology sparked people’s imaginations.
After a year of speculation and research, Good Wolf peels back the layers of time to reveal a funny, moving story of history, war, faith, friendship and porridge oats.
Sunday, 6 July 2025
Walking: “I Never Knew That” 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)
“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, 6 July 2025
Cruising: Afternoon Tea Cruise on the John Bunyan Boat
Departing from Priory Marina @ 2pm
Tickets: £42.40
Enjoy a Special Afternoon Tea Cruise on the John Bunyan Boat, complete with vintage crockery from local caterer Crème Brew Lait.
You’ll be welcomed aboard with a glass of fruit juice, before settling down to an afternoon tea while cruising Bedford’s picturesque countryside along the River Great Ouse.
Discover abundant wildlife and view the picturesque countryside from a whole new angle, looking out through large picture windows or standing out on the John Bunyan Bow.
Sunday, 6 July 2025
Bingo: Bingo Night
The Kent Arms, Salisbury Street @ 7.30pm for 8pm start
Enjoy an exciting new Bingo Night in the heart of the Black Tom/Prime Ministers area. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a total beginner, this fun and friendly event is open to all. Expect great prizes, a raffle during the break, and plenty of laughs.
Entry is just £10 for a five-page bingo book and if you book online, you’ll receive a free dabber. Dogs are welcome too, so feel free to bring your furry friends along!
Sunday, 6 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: Proms in the Park with Russell Watson & Lesley Garrett
Bedford Park
Tickets: £57.15
The much-loved Proms in the Park is set to return to Bedford Park this Sunday, as part of the Bedford Summer Sessions – and this year’s lineup promises an unforgettable evening of classical favourites.
Leading the bill is Russell Watson, the UK’s most prolific classical recording artist. Known for his record-breaking albums The Voice and Encore, Watson is the only classical vocalist to sell over a million albums in the UK alone, achieving platinum status worldwide.
Joining him on stage will be Lesley Garrett CBE, one of Britain’s most celebrated sopranos. With a career spanning over 40 years, Garrett has captivated audiences across opera, musical theatre, concerts, and television.
Read: Russell Watson and Lesley Garrett to headline Bedford Proms in the Park 2025
Tuesday, 8 – Saturday, 12 July
Theatre: Unleashing creativity – BRAVEFEST
The Place Theatre
Pay what you can
The Place’s Brave Youth Theatre team (aged seven to 17) has been hard at work creating exciting pieces to share with the public during this summer’s inaugural Brave Youth Theatre festival week. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, and William Golding, they look forward to sharing their work this July.
Tuesday, 8 & Thursday, 10 July 2025
Theatre: BRAVEFEST presents – playground Plays – Romeo and Juliet
The Place Theatre
Tickets: pay what you can
Class Montague and class Capulet rival each other in the hopes of winning their school’s annual talent competition. But when a student from each of the rival classes decides to join forces, how will the staff and pupils of Shakespeare Junior High react?
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Live music: Tuesday lunchtime recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ 1pm
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
A recital by the English Piano Trio. Free with a retiring collection.. Free with a retiring collection.
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Quiz night: The Castle Quiz Night
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 7.30pm
Free entry
The Castle quiz is every second Tuesday of the month at the pub on Newnham Street. Teams can be made up of a maximum of six players and entry is £2 per person.
Winner gets the pot and a chance to win a bonus pot rollover too. To book a table call 01234 353295
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Live music: Press Club
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £14.50
Press Club is a four-piece punk rock band from Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, known for their high-octane energy and electrifying live performances. Fronted by the powerhouse vocals of Natalie Foster, the band has earned critical acclaim and a loyal following worldwide.
Bassist Iain MacRae says the band are “totally stoked to be heading back over to Europe for our sixth tour of duty. Time after time it just gets better, and we truly count our blessings to be able to meet so many incredible people and see so many new things – all in the name of rock and roll.”
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Local history: Geology Drop-in
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am – 1pm
Free entry but email to book your place
Do you have geology specimens that you would like identified? Bring in your rock, fossil, mineral and crystal finds and Bev Fowlston from Bedfordshire Geology Group will help to answer your questions.
To book your place, email thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk.
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Cruising: Kingfisher Hotel Afternoon Tea Cruise – Sovereigns Quay round trip
Departing from Sovereign’s Quay @ 2pm
Tickets: £42.40
Enjoy an afternoon cruise on the River Great Ouse, having afternoon tea at the Kingfisher Bedford, enjoying has fantastic views overlooking the river, before returning by boat to Sovereign’s Quay.
Thursday, 10 July 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.
Two for £12 on handmade cocktails all night.
Thursday, 10 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: The Human League, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Blancmange
Bedford Park
Tickets: £55.45
The Human League, one of Britain’s most influential synth-pop pioneers, are set to light up Bedford Park this summer as part of the 2025 Bedford Summer Sessions concert series.
The show will feature a line-up that also includes Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey and Blancmange, promising an evening of 80s electro-pop nostalgia and live energy.
Read: Synths, hits and a summer night: The Human League prepare for Bedford Summer Sessions
Friday, 11 July 2025
Theatre: BRAVEFEST presents – The Boys on the Island & Macbeth
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: pay what you can
“I think if we had stayed, he’d have killed us all.” A group of stranded students, one island, no food, no way of getting home.
Loosely based on the tale of Lord of the Flies, The Boys on the Island tells the survival story of students who cannot find an escape from a remote island.
Friday, 11 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: Café Mambo Ibiza with Melanie C, Jax Jones, Fedde Le Grand, Chlo, FivePast5
Bedford Park
Tickets: £47.60
The chart-topping DJ and producer Jax Jones and Dutch house music icon, Fedde Le Grand, will bring the Ibiza vibe to Bedford Park as part of the ever-popular Cafe Mambo night. Also on the line-up is former Spice Girl, Melanie C and FivePast5.
After sold-out shows in 2019, 2021, and 2022, Café Mambo Ibiza in the Park has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of the local dance music scene.
This year, the event returns to deliver the essence of Ibiza, containing Balearic beats, dazzling light displays, and a lineup of world-class DJs, all set to create an unmissable party under the stars.
Read: Cafe Mambo Ibiza back in Bedford as latest Summer Sessions headline announced
Friday, 11 July 2025
Live music: Kyri
The Cellar Bar at 8.30pm
Free entry. Bar opens at 6.00pm
Kyri Lillington will be back at The Cellar Bar as a solo performer, playing pop and rock classics.
Friday, 11 July 2025
Live music: Velvetine + Mary + Speakeasy
Bedford Esquires @
Tickets:
Velvetine are an alternative rock band. Through shifting around of rooms and short sublets in London the band formed towards the end of the pandemic through their shared interests in poetry, film, visual art and bonded over artists such as Nick Cave, Slowdive and David Lynch.
Musically, they blend influences of post-punk, shoegaze, goth art-rock and the soundscapes of the cinema they love. Their live shows continue to entice audiences, stirring up a ‘magnetic’ and ‘bewitching’ atmosphere through their immense wall of sound. Their songwriting has been compared to that Siouxsie and The Banshees, Mazzy Star and Sonic Youth.
Friday, 11 July 2025
Live Music: The Krakens
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry
The Krakens are back at the Cellar Bar, covering a variety of rock songs through the ages featuring songs from: Elton John, Queen, Nirvana, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day and many more.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Theatre: BRAVEFEST presents – The Girls in the Woods & The Boys on the Island
The Place Theatre @ 2.30pm
Tickets: pay what you can
An accusation that shakes the entire school from a student hellbent on getting her way – how far will Abi go? A tale of witchcraft and conspiracies, The Girls in the Woods explores the disastrous repercussions of a lie and how it affects both students and teachers alike.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Shopping: Bedford Craft Market
Silver Square & Silver Street @ 10am
From soap flower gifts to up-cycled jars and glasses, wax melts to handmade bags and clothes, hand-painted plant pots to knitwear, you will find high-quality and original produce that showcases local crafters’ passion and expertise.
There will be free workshops and performances in Silver Square too.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Local history: Festival Open Day
St Paul’s Church @ 10am – 5pm
An open day at St Paul’s featuring events and tours of the church and tower to give a flavour of Bedford’s town centre church and civic county church.
There will be displays of church furnishings, children’s activities, and you can even try your hand at bell-ringing – all in aid of the St Paul’s Tower, Clocks and Bells Appeal. For more information, check out their Facebook page or phone 01234 340163
Try bell-ringing by booking at thehigginsbedford.org.uk/Book_Online.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
History: Remembering Srebrenica Memorial Day
The Higgins Bedford @ 11.30am – 12.30pm
Free entry / booking essential
11 July 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide in which over 8,372 Muslim men and boys were murdered in the space of 72 hours. The date has been marked by the United Nations as an International Day of Remembrance and Reflection.
The date is marked by events at the Higgins with talks by Sue Beaumont and Paul Salver to mark this important moment of commemoration.
To book your place, please email thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk.
Saturday, 12 – Saturday, 19 July 2025
Exhibition: Where Earth Meets Sky
Eagle Gallery, St Peter’s Street
Free entry
Where Earth Meets Sky is a new exhibition at Eagle Gallery featuring work by Romanian-born artist, Greta Andreica. It brings together a series of landscape, seascape, and floral paintings by Greta Andreica, each one an intimate reflection of the natural world’s shifting moods and quiet power.
Come Meet the Artist: Greta Andreica will be present in the gallery every day of the show, from 2pm to 5pm so don’t miss the chance to hear more about her process, inspirations, and artistic journey.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Walk: Brewpoint pub walk and talk
Location will be confirmed when booking is made
Tickets: £25 (includes a half pint/soft drink at each pub)
A walking tour of five of Wells & Co’s pubs and venues in Bedford in the company of Brewpoint’s pub expert.
You’ll discover the history of the company and how each pub ties in with that story. Expect lots of interesting facts and anectodes plus try Brewpoint beers and bask in the ambience of our regional brewing culture.
The tour is limited to 15 people, so booking is essential. You can make a booking here.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Cruising: Fish and Chip Supper Cruise – Priory Marina round trip
Departing from Priory Marina @ 6pm
Tickets: £32.85/£18.55
Have a relaxing evening cruise as the sun goes down along Bedford’s picturesque river, enjoying our Fish and Chip supper.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: Supergrass, The Coral, Willie J Healey
Bedford Park
Tickets: £55.45
In a joint gig between Live Nation, national promoters Cuffe & Taylor and Bedford-based promoters The Pad Presents, Supergrass are coming to Bedford to headline at this year’s Summer Sessions 2025.
Known for their blend of humour, energy, and eclectic influences – spanning rock, mod, glam, and punk – Supergrass created a distinctly British sound and this summer they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their iconic debut album, I Should Coco.
Supporting Supergrass is The Coral, bringing their signature mix of ’60s garage rock, psychedelic pop, and folk-rock.
Also joining the lineup is Willie J Healey, a favourite of some of the biggest names in music, including Alex Turner, Joe Talbot of IDLES, Jamie T, Florence Welch, and Orlando Weeks.
Read: Supergrass to headline at Summer Sessions 2025 as part of debut album’s 30th anniversary
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Live Music: Danny Barton
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens at 6pm / Happy Hour until 9pm / 3am close
Free entry
The wonderful Danny Barton returns to The Cellar Bar, playing a mix of acoustic rock and pop crowd pleasers and new material. Always guaranteed to get the party started!
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Dance music: After the Park – Supergrass Aftershow Party
Bedford Esquires @ £10
Tickets: £5 / four for £15
It may be ‘Late In The Day’, but we’ll have the tunes ‘Pumping on our Stereo’ for a bit of an ‘Alright’ party that will keep you ‘Moving’… (sorry…)
The Pad Presents is bringing Supergrass, The Coral and Willie J Healey to Bedford Park this summer, alongside Bedford Summer Sessions and they’re carrying on the party afterwards back on the dancefloor.
Their Common People club night takes in 90s Indie, 00s bangers, Britpop, Madchester and Baggy Sounds across two rooms.
Saturday, 12 July 2025
Live Music: Helen Lester
The Cellar Bar @ 11pm / 3am close
Free entry
Helen Lester is back at the Cellar Bar, and is sure to make an impact.
Performing a wide range of material from across the decades, Helen will blow you away with her powerful vocals and upbeat style. Expect a bit of everything from Motown, pop, disco, soul and more.
Sunday, 13 July 2025
Shopping: Bedford Flea, Affordable Art & Local Produce Market
Harpur Square @ 10am
Your one-stop shop for all things flea, art and local produce is back – and while St Paul’s still gets some lovin’, they are in their home from home on Harpur Square.
Get ready to enjoy the antiques, artwork, local produce, street food, refreshments & live music in some sunshine (hopefully).
Bedford Flea prides itself on being the purveyors of quality with the emphasis on locally made, grown and sourced products, from some of the area’s most skilled small businesses and hobbyists.
Sunday, 13 July 2025
Walking: “The Life and Times of John Bunyan” 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)
Discover the story of Bedford’s most famous son who was imprisoned for his non-conformist preaching. Visit the site of the cottage in which John and his family lived, the churches in which he worshipped and the site of the gaol in which he spent 12 long years and began to write one of the best selling books in history, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
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, 13 July 2025
Dance music: 80s Daytime disco for Grown-Ups
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm
Free entry
It’s back! The Sunday afternoon Cellar Bar Daytime Disco. Dance and sing along to some of the greatest hits ever with agreat excuse to get out on a Sunday afternoon. Why wait for the evening to have fun? And it’s all free! No tickets required.
The glitterball will be up and the neon outfits on. Anyone dressing up will get a free shot from the bar. Free glow sticks and props for all!
From 3pm until 7pm, you can be home before you’d usually be going out. What a result!
Sunday, 13 July 2025
TKMaxx Summer Sessions Presents: McFly, Twin Atlantic, Devon
Bedford Park
Tickets: £55.45
McFly will celebrate their 21-year career by bringing their high-powered energy to Bedford Park this summer. From their breakout hit, “Five Colours In Her Hair”, McFly evolved into one of the UK’s most successful acts.
The foursome enjoyed seven UK number-one singles, including “All About You” and “Star Girl,” alongside seven Top 10 albums and over 10 million sales, McFly have earned multiple Platinum certifications and a BRIT Award for Best British Pop.
Fresh from celebrating their 21st anniversary with two sold-out O2 Arena shows, McFly will deliver a set that reflects on their impressive career while showcasing tracks from their latest album, ‘Power to Play’.
Read: McFly and The Human League are latest Bedford Summer Sessions headliners to be announced
Sunday, 13 July 2025
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.
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
