The 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.
Last chance to see…
Exhibition: Children’s Art Competition and Exhibition
Sir William Harpur Gallery at the Higgins Bedford
Don’t miss your last chance to see The Children’s Art Competition exhibition at the Higgins til Sunday, 4 October.
The annual exhibition features more than 100 pieces of artwork created by pupils from schools across Bedford Borough on this year’s theme of ‘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.
Thursday, 24 September 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.
Friday, 25 September 2026
Creative People Bedford presents: Creatives breakfast
The Higgins Pantry 9.15am – 11am
Tickets: £15
Join this low-key breakfast social for creative professionals in Bedford. From designers and architects to poets, photographers, artists and product designers.
Whatever your profession: freelance, in-house or anything in-between – come and connect. Creatives breakfast is run by Creative People Bedford – we’re an independent community and social enterprise for creative professionals in and around Bedford.
Friday, 25 September 2026
Tribute act: The Magic of the Beatles
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £30
Playing to ecstatic sell-out audiences all over the world – The Magic of the Beatles is all you need for an unforgettable night of million-selling memories.
Expect hits including: She Loves You, A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, I Feel Fine, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Hey Jude, Here Comes the Sun, Get Back and more.
Friday, 25 September 2026
Live music: Fontaines C.D + Kazabian
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
A massive tribute double header is coming to Esquires main stage this weekend with a celebration of Fontaines DC and Kasabian.
Fontaines C.D are the original and definitive tribute one of Ireland’s finest new exports, while Kazabian were last seen headlining the venue in their own right wayyyyy back in 2018.
Friday, 25 September 2026
Live music: GIFT + Oslo Twins
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £13.50
GIFT is a psychedelic rock band from Brooklyn, NY, whose sonic vibrations nod to echo-heavy ‘90s psychedelic icons like Brian Jonestown Massacre and Spiritualized.
Inspired by Ram Dass’ legendary book Be Here Now, the name GIFT is a play on words invoking the word “present,” as in “the present,” as in “it’s a gift to live and breathe in the present.”
Support comes from the Oslo Twins, a dream pop duo who emerged from Bristol’s DIY scene, known for their moody, synth driven soundscapes that blend trip-hop, lo-fi and atmospheric electronica.
Saturday, 26 November 2026
Live music: Big 10 – The 10 Piece Ska Band
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £13
Cambridge Ska legends BIG 10 are back at Bedford Esquires, following their packed out show at the venue last summer.
Renowned for a huge Ska sound, entertaining stage antics and a loyal following, Big 10 are one of the most popular ska / 2 tone acts in the south east. With eight – 10 musicians on stage at gigs (including a brass section and backing singers) a Big 10 performance is a real treat for the senses.
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Live music: Queenergy – A night at the orchestra
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
Queenergy are one of the UK’s leading Queen soundalike tributes, selling out venues, headlining festivals, and delighting audiences with their energetic performances that perfectly capture the sound and the spirit of the UK’s greatest ever rock band.
The Bedford Festival Orchestra are an experienced group of players, drawn from the area’s top orchestras.
For one night only, the two will collaborate to perform the greatest hits of Queen as you have never heard them before.
Witness the power of a live band and the majesty of a full symphony orchestra combine on A Kind of Magic, Don’t Stop Me Now, Killer Queen, Hammer to Fall, Under Pressure and many more, in what promises to be a truly unique evening.
Sunday, 27 September 2026
Walking: “Bedford in World War II” 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)
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.
Sunday, 27 September 2026
Family fun: Crafternoon
The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane @ 2pm – 4pm
Free entry
The Higgins Crafternoons are free activity sessions for families to have a go at ‘making’ and getting creative together. All resources are provided. Suitable for under 12s.
Sunday, 27 September 2026
Live music: The Workshop Boys play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Formed by former members of Los Marbles and Cutting Out,The Workshop Boys have become one of Bedford’s most loved bar bands.They return to Bedford Esquires for the Sunday afternoon session.
Sunday, 27 September 2026
Live music: An Evening with Kristin Hersh
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 – £25
Following the sold out Throwing Muses show last year, the team at Esquires is delighted to confirm that Kristin Hersh will be returning to the venue for a very special (and fully seated) solo show.
Billed as ‘an Evening with Kristin Hersh’, the show will feature no support and two sets from one of America’s most revered and individual songwriters of the past 30 years.
Monday, 28 September 2026
Creativity: The Circus of Illustration presents the 15th anniversary of Drink and Draw
The Park pub, Kimbolton Road @ 7.30pm
Free. No need to book, just turn up / £2 donation welcome
Join The Circus of Illustration to celebrate their 15th birthday at this special for-one-month-only Monday night edition.
Decorate party hats and hang out with other like-minded creatives at the Park pub.
Bring your preferred drawing materials or use theirs. These relaxed drink-and-draws are suitable for adults of all levels of artists and illustrators. New people are always welcome.
Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Classical music: Lunchtime recital
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ noon
Free with retiring collection
A recital by clarinet and bassoon duo Windmill Winds. Free with retiring collection.
Tuesday, 29 September 2026
Theatre: Mistero Buffo
The Quarry theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
Banned as blasphemous for many years, but perhaps even more relevant now, Mistero Buffo takes an unflinching but humorous aim at those who manipulate truth and belief for power and control.
This is an extraordinary, virtuosic romp through a hundred characters and locations in the person of one man. Our 21st-century travelling storyteller, yet another employee of the gig economy, rushes from his last job of the day to deliver a subversive, gleeful rallying cry for the disillusioned and disenfranchised…
Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Walking: “A Tour of St Peter’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. 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, 30 September 2026
Live music: Jazz Night
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 8pm
Free entry
An evening of soulful Jazz with the talented Mark Calder on the last Wednesday of the month.
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Classical music: Beethoven’s Fifth with Delyana Lazarova
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: prices vary
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most heartbreakingly famous love stories to have ever been written. From the melancholic opening to the outpouring of passion in the climactic melody, Tchaikovsky’s rip-roaring Fantasy Overture is musical drama at its best.
Closing the concert is Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony. The electrifying opening of the piece is one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable moments in orchestral music, but there’s so much more to the piece than that stop-you-in-your-tracks opening.
Whether you’ve heard a dozen different recordings, or never listened to it all the way through, it’s well worth experiencing it live.
This concert is dedicated to the memory of Bedfordian Michael Blackledge, who died earlier this year.
Thanks to Michael’s vision, the Philharmonia Orchestra made Bedford its first permanent residency outside London in 1995.
His inspiration has enriched the borough’s cultural life for decades, enabled thousands of children to experience a symphony orchestra for the first time, and contributed significantly to a deep and enduring cultural community.
Friday, 2 October 2026
Comedy: Ed Patrick: Numb and Number
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £15
Following his hugely successful Catch Your Breath tour, comedian and NHS anaesthetist Ed Patrick returns with his new hit show Numb and Number. Get your appointment while you can.
Friday, 2 October 2026
Live music: Blaze Bayley – Iron Maiden anniversary
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm (no support – Blaze Bayley will be on stage at 8pm)
Tickets: £25
Metal Hall of Fame inductee Blaze Bayley is a British singer/songwriter who began his career in Wolfsbane and rose to global heights when he joined Iron Maiden, with whom he released two albums (“X-Factor” and “Virtual XI”) and toured worldwide between 1994 and 1999.
In recent years, Blaze has toured widely in the UK, Europe, North America and Latin America, bringing his unmistakable high-energy, no-nonsense live performances.
At this intimate show, Blaze will be performing songs from The X Factor, Virtual XI & Best of The Beast alongside his solo material.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Walking: North Bedfordshire Ramblers’ weekly walk
Venue/where to meet: Old Warden, SG18 9HD @ 10am and at 1.30pm
Join the North Beds Ramblers’ morning ramble at 10am this Saturday. The slower-paced walk is from Hangman’s Spinney and then the Greensands Ridge Trail (4.5 miles).
In the afternoon, rendezvous in the same place for a 7.5-mile walk towards Palmers Wood, Oak Farm and Mox Hill.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Family fun: Fun Palaces
The Higgins Bedford @ 11am – 4pm
Free
Fun Palaces are back in Bedford this month – the perfect opportunity for families to take part in free creative activities and channel their inner scientists and artists.
The drop-in activities at The Higgins Bedford include a talk with experts from Albion Archaeology and the opportunity to create autumnal decorations with archaeologists, inspired by some medieval pottery. It’s the final week of the Sutton Kiln display at The Higgins Bedford, and this fun drop-in activity is a chance to find out more about the exciting local excavation.
Explore tessellation, symmetry and pattern in a free family drop-in from 11am – 1pm. This activity has a ‘snails’ theme and is a chance to make your own brilliant snail-inspired patterns and prints.
Meet some expert geologists! See some amazing rock, fossil and mineral specimens and find out more about them. You can even bring along your own rocks and the geologists will help to identify them. Finally, you can enjoy a free badge-making workshop and make your own fabulous pin badges to take away.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Creative: Artists’ Social
Upstairs Albero Lounge @ 10.30am – midday
Free entry
A monthly informal get-together for local artists.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Live music: Gaz Brookfield + guests
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
Following the success of his second number one album, Waiting For Wisdom, Gaz Brookfield takes to the road once again, bringing his chart-topping blend of folk rock to Bedford Esquires.
West Country-based Gaz Brookfield is an award-winning solo acoustic musician, with two number one albums to his name. He has spent the last fifteen years tirelessly touring all over the UK and beyond, building a strong and loyal following wherever he goes.
Not a bad result for this fiercely independent musician, with no record label, no manager, no agent – just a guitar, a van, and a steadfastly belligerent refusal to give in.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Music: Africa Alive: Folksongs from Southern Africa
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £10
Join the UK’s only African marimba band, Otto & The Mutapa Calling, for an unforgettable night of marimba music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.
Immerse yourself in the colourful music, song, dance, and storytelling of Southern Africa as the band takes you on a journey through the region’s rich cultural tapestry.
The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms – and the band’s music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of Southern Africa.
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Live music: Space Cowboy – a tribute to Jamiroquai
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
Space Cowboy are a tribute to Jamiroquai, bringing to life the music you know and love with the same live passion and energy only rivalled by Jamiroquai themselves.
Space Cowboy is a funk-filled show including all of the hits, along with some much-loved versions from the Live in Verona concert and Abbey Road sessions.
Expect to hear Deeper Underground, Too Young To Die, Blow Your Mind, Emergency On Planet Earth, Hooked Up, Space Cowboy, Cosmic Girl, Everyday, Virtual Insanity, Canned Heat, Little L, Alright, Love Foolosophy and many more…
Sunday, 4 October 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, 4 October 2026
Live music: Spirit play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
80’s rock covers from Spirit, who will be making their Esquires debut.
Sunday, 4 October 2026
Poetry: Read Poets Society
The Eagle Bookshop @ 7pm
Tickets: Free, but please book via the Place Theatre website
The Read Poetry Society monthly poetry session takes place at The Eagle Bookshop, St Peter’s Street. This month’s theme is ‘Sounds of the Seventies’. Groovy!
Sunday, 4 October 2026
Live music: Vigilantes
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm
Tickets:
Moody pop for the introverted heart. Vigilantes are a soundtrack approved of by the indie giants. After being selected to play Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Vigilantes were championed by Mike Skinner of The Streets fame and in 2022, headed out on a National Lottery Revive Live tour.
They have previously supported Carl Barât, Circa Waves, The Sherlocks, The Twang, The Subways, Fickle Friends, The Bluetones and more.
For fans of: Sam Fender, The Strokes, The Killers.
Sunday, 4 October 2026
New Writing: Stagewrite Autumn 26
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £5
The annual hothouse for the development of new writing for theatre is back, supporting writers in the process of getting their work up on its feet and in front of an audience for the very first time.
Every time StageWrite happens, it’s different – the nature of profiling brand new work.
Every Monday
Live music: An evening with Mat Roberts & guests
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 7.30pm
Free entry
Join Mat Roberts and special guests every Monday evening for the best live music and a chilled-out vibe.
At the Higgins Bedford
Until May 2027
New exhibition: Rhyme and Reason
The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane
Free entry
Discover the influence of stories and poetry on artists in this new exhibition drawn from the internationally renowned Cecil Higgins Art Gallery Collection.
Greek myths and Shakespearean stories, Arthurian legends and poetry will all be explored in the works of artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Paula Rego, Henry Moore, Ceri Richards and Henri Matisse.
A full colour catalogue by curators Professor Christiana Payne, Dr Mary O’Neill and Victoria Partridge will be available to buy in the shop.
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.
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.
Until 28th November
Exhibition: From and Inspired By
The Panacea Museum, Newnham Road
Free entry
A vibrant mix of paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, with some textile and sculpture works – all inspired by the incredible Panacea Museum.
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.
