Your weekly what’s on guide for Bedford and the surrounding area from The Bedford Clanger.
Never miss a thing in Bedford ever again. From theatre to film, live music to art exhibitions, The Bedford Clanger what’s on guide lands every Thursday and is the only guide you need to know what’s on and what’s happening across the Borough for the next 10 days.
Thursday 29 June 2023
Bedford School Creative Arts Festival: Jazz Evening with Bedford School Jazz Orchestra
The Quarry Theatre @ 6.30pm
Tickets: £5/upper tier seats / £60/a table of six including two bottles of wine and nibbles
Come along to hear the Jazz Orchestra, directed by Harry Baker, perform some of the great chart hits from the 1960s, such as Crisis (Hubbard) and Grease Wheezer (Norman) and many more.
You will also hear singers, pianists, the Prep Jazz Ensemble and the New Jazz Collective, with the Quarry Theatre transformed into a Jazz Café for one night only.
Part of the Bedford School Creative Arts Festival 2023.
Thursday 29 June 2023
Comedy: Jesterlarf Comedy presents – Reginald D Hunter
Bedford Esquires @ 7.15pm
Tickets: £15
Esquires will be hosting another exciting ‘underplay’ from one of the finest comedians on the circuit when Reginald D Hunter comes to town.
Having reached the final of So You Think You Are Funny in 1998, Reginald went on to be nominated an unprecedented three times for the Edinburgh Perrier Award and he has performed all over the world.
In addition, he’s made BBC documentaries including ‘Songs of the South’, returning to his hometown of Georgia for a road trip across the deep South and the cradle of American music.
Now a household name, his unique, brutally honest and controversial brand of comedy is unrivalled.
Catch the brilliant story-telling comedy maestro as he performs a work-in-progress show ahead of his recently announced UK tour called “The Man Who Could See Through Sh*t” which hits theatres this Autumn.
Thursday 29 June 2023
Dance music: Bedford Park Concerts presents – Scooter
Bedford Park @ gates open at
Tickets: £24.75
One of the world’s biggest techno acts of all time, SCOOTER is bringing the biggest rave the town’s ever seen to Bedford Park Concerts.
The techno legends are beloved by ravers and dance music fans ever since the release of their early-2000s hit The Logical Song – and now they’re bringing their infamous live show to Bedford.
The Happy Hardcore German group will be armed with a high-energy set including tracks such as The Logical Song, Nessaja as well as their latest releases God Save the Rave and Waste Your Youth.
Friday 30 June 2023
Live music: Amy Leeder
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm.
Free entry
The Cellar Bar welcomes Amy Leeder, covering all your favourite sing alongs & the ones you’d forgotten about too!
Amy has been performing for over 15 years from theatre stages to intimate shows and you’re guaranteed an evening of fun and entertainment.
Saturday 1 July 2023
Cars & bikes: Boyds Summer Blast
Keysoe International, Chuch Road, Keysoe, MK44 2JP
Tickets: £5 (+40p Booking fee) in advance, £7 on the gate
A celebration of classic and custom cars and motorcycles with a dollop of live music, traders, food and drink at the stunning Keysoe International site in Bedfordshire.
Saturday 1 July 2023
Film festival: Bedford Documentary Film Festival
Bunyan Meeting, Mill Street @ 10.30am
SOLD OUT
Now in its second year, the Bedford Documentary Film Festival (BDFF) takes place at the Bunyan Meeting in the heart of Bedford. The event was set up by documentary producer and director, Jason Gurr who has been making documentaries for TV, the British Film Institute as well as online for the past 13 years.
Saturday 1 July 2023
Dance music: Bedford Park Concerts presents – Ministry of Sound Classical
Bedford Park @ gates open at 4pm
Tickets: £24.75
Bedford Park will provide the perfect backdrop for an incredible live music spectacle as Ministry of Sound Classical hits the park this July.
Clubs do not come more iconic than Ministry of Sound. The legendary London venue was at the heart of the huge house scene of the 1990s and is one of the biggest global brands in dance music.
Ministry of Sound Classical sees your favourite dance tracks re-orchestrated, re-imagined and re-lived by a breathtaking 30-piece orchestra, top DJs, stunning vocalists and a sound and light experience like no other.
Roger Sanchez, Judge Jules, K-Klass, Ellie Sax, Covie & Mark Russell are among the stars to take to the decks on the night. Kym Mazelle – First Lady of House Music – will also be providing powerhouse vocals for the Ministry of Sound show.
Saturday 1 July 2023
Live music: Joe Cullen
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry
He rocked the place last time he played so The Cellar Bar is thrilled to welcome Joe back to The Cellar Bar. Playing covers by Ed Sheeran, The 1975, Oasis, Harry Styles, The Killers, Coldplay plus more…
Sunday 2 July 2023
Walking: “Bedford in World War II” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £3/£1.50
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 our walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £3.00 per adult or £1.50 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 2 July 2023
Festivals: Bedford Italian Festival
Harpur Square & St Paul’s Square @ 12 noon – 6pm
Free entry
Bedford’s Italian Festival is back with a free, family-friendly fun-packed day – celebrating all things Bella Italia in Harpur Square and St Paul’s Square.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration of Bedforfd’s Italian culture without food, so enjoy delicacies from local businesses inclduing Mamma Concetta and Cibo, enjoy summertime mocktails by Franki’s Apertivo plus refreshing gelatos.
Music will be provided by local singers, performing traditional songs to sing along to as well as a dance and chefs will be showcasing their culinary skills by making fresh pasta and risottos, so be sure to taste the finished dishes.
If you want to try some hands-on crafts, ceramicist, Amanda Silk be running pottery workshops and Bedford Flea favourite, Giacomo Verdura will be selling his artwork.
Parking in council-owned car parks is free all day, so ‘ciao a presto!’
Sunday 2 July 2023
Family fun: Italian Spectacular
Harpur Centre, Bedford @ 12 noon – 4pm
Free entry
Bedford town centre’s Harpur Centre will joining the Italian Festival fun with roaming Venetian performers and a pizza-making masterclass.
Led by a talented chef, families will be able to experiment with a platter of indulgent ingredients to create their own pizza. The tasty creations will then be placed in a hand-decorated pizza box for shoppers to take home!
Harpur – the Centre’s mascot will also be participating in the festivities, giving away balloons to commemorate the day as well as posing with shoppers. You can sign up to the Harpur Centre Kids Club on the day or head to the Centre’s website beforehand and sign up.
Sunday 2 July 2023
Market: Bromham Mill Artisan Fair
Bromham Mill
Free entry
The grounds of the historic Bromham Mill will host their monthly artisan fair this Sunday. Expect a great selection of stalls with arts, craft, local produce & more.
Sunday 2 July 2023
Live music: The Workshop Boys play the Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Formed by former members of Los Marbles and Cuttin’ Out, The Workshop Boys have become one of Bedford’s most loved Rhythm and Blues bar bands.
Monday 3 July 2023
Bedford School Creative Arts Festival: Keynote speech – Robert Sloan
The Great Hall, Bedford School @ 1.50pm
Free entry, just turn up on the day. Everyone welcome.
Robert Sloan, Creative Innovations Manager at the Walt Disney Company, is a digital pioneer and innovator. He finds new ways to emotionally engage an audience using the latest immersive tech including AR, VR, interactive video and live e-commerce. Find out about his creative journey and the important role that his drama education has played in his impressive career.
Monday 3 July 2023
Bedford School Creative Arts Festival: Students’ End of Year Art Exhibition
The Art School, Bedford School @ 6.30pm
Free entry and just turn up on the night. Everyone welcome.
View the stunning art coursework and exam pieces that the Bedford School Upper Sixth and Fifth Form boys have been working on for months as part of their GCSE, A Level and IB courses. Take in the imagination of the boys and see their thoughts and ideas realised on paper, canvas, in print and in sculpture.
Part of Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival 2023.
Tuesday 4 July 2023
Live music: Tuesday lunchtime concert
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ 1pm
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
A performance by Phoenix Choir.
Tuesday 4 July 2023
Bedford School Creative Arts Festival: The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £5
In the midst of a bloody revolution, a young woman risks everything to rescue the abandoned child of the Governor and his wife. Years later, when the Governor’s wife returns seeking her son, a raucous rogue judge turns justice on its head. Can the test of the chalk circle determine which of the two women is the boy’s real mother?
Join Bedford School’s Upper School pupils as they perform this classic play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht as part of the Bedford School Creative Arts Festival 2023.
Wednesday 5 July 2023
Walking: “The Life and Times of John Bunyat” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £3/£1.50
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 our walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £3.00 per adult or £1.50 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Wednesday 5 July 2023
Comedy: Simon Says Comedy featuring four fabulously funny guests
The Cellar Bar @ 8.00pm. Doors open at 7.00pm.
Tickets: £12
Four outstanding comics at the Cellar Bar’s July Comedy Club including a welcome return for Simon Munnery alongside Matt Foster, Nicola McMurtrie and Ria Lane with your host, Simon Hall.
Previous Comedy Clubs have sold out fast so get your tickets quick to avoid disappointment. Only customers with a valid ticket, with a valid QR code will be allowed admission.
Wednesday 5 July 2023
Film: Cinema @ 3 St Peter’s presents – The Gentlemen
3 St Peter’s Street @ 7pm
Tickets: £12/£10.50/£9/£6
“The Gentlemen” is a 2019 action-comedy film about an American expat who has built a marijuana empire in London and decides to sell his business, setting off a chain of blackmail and intrigue involving a cast of eccentric characters.
The movie features a witty script, fast-paced action, and a star-studded cast. Starring Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, and Michelle Dockery, “The Gentlemen” is an entertaining film that delivers plenty of thrills and laughs.
Thursday 6 July 2023
Food & drink: Bedford Heights Food Festival
Bedford Heights, Brickhill Drive from 8.30am
Free entry
Bedford Heights’ very first Food Festival is not just for their lucky resident businesses – it’s also open to the public.
The team have lined up a fantastic range of local food and drink stalls including Wooden Hill Coffee, Wabadub Grub, Rawboys, Franki’s Aperitivo Bar, Willow Tree Gin, Halwa Box, Sweet Dem Sugar, Baked Goodies, Bevistan Dairy, Morgan Pell Meats and more!
There will be a selection of breakfast stalls at the front of the building from 8.30am with all the remaining stalls serving from 11.30am. The Festival is split across two locations at Bedford Heights, in their Texan Riverbed Garden and large courtyard set within the building.
There will also be live cooking demos and conversations with vendors, and with plenty of seating, bring along a friend or colleague or two and soak up the atmosphere.
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, drinks and snacks and a great way to support your local food and drink businesses. Parking is available.
Thursday 6 July 2023
Quiz: Esquires Monthly Music Quiz
Bedford Esquires @ 8.30pm
£2/person with teams of up to six people
Esquires’ monthly music quiz features hits from the 50s to the present day.
Teams of up to 6 people. £2 per person to enter and a cash prize for the winning team.
Thursday 6 July 2023
Bedford School Arts Festival: Summer Chapel Choir and Orchestral Concert
The Chapel and Great Hall, Bedford School @ 6.30pm
Free entry, just turn up on the night. Everyone welcome.
The Bedford School Creative Arts Festival draws to a spectacular close with this wonderful showcase of the talent and creativity of their musicians in the Upper School. An evening not to be missed!
Part of Bedford School’s Creative Arts Festival 2023.
Thursday 6 July 2023
Live music: Hell is for Heroes
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
Hell is for Heroes perform a warm-up show ahead of their performance at Trees Festival.
Friday 7 July 2023
Live music: Up on the Roof – open-air band night with singers Mel Peake & Katherine McLean
Bedford & County Golf Club, Green Lane, Clapham, Beds MK41 6ET @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 in advance. To purchase call 01234 352617.
Katherine McLean and Mel Peake will be performing music by Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and more live on the fairway. Dancing encouraged!
Bring your own chairs and blankets to sit on. There will be a full bar with drinks offers, as well as burgers and street food available.
Friday 7 July 2023
Live Music: Mel Quinn
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free Entry
Join Mel Quinn for an evening of upbeat covers and quirky, sarcastic, somewhat unhinged originals.
With vibes of Lily Allen, Kate Nash and Lucy Spraggon, she will be sure to catch your attention!
Friday 7 July 2023
Live music: Junk Season
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £8/£6
Junk Season with support from Autumn Fires | Lost Without Cause | The Lung Rotters.
Saturday 8 July 2023
Morning walk: A figure of eight walk
Fox & Hounds, Risely @10am Morning or All day
A 6.5-mile circular walk to Keysoe but can be combined with the afternoon walk to make a 12-mile walk.
Afternoon walk
Riseley Primary School MK44 1DR @ 1.30pm
A 5.9-mile circular walk to Melchbourne.
Saturday 8 July 2023
Theatre: Quentin Crisp – Naked Hope
The Quarry Theatre @
Tickets: £15.50/£13.50
Mark Farrelly (Howerd’s End) brings his hugely-acclaimed solo play to the Quarry Theatre.
From a conventional upbringing to global notoriety via The Naked Civil Servant, Quentin Crisp was one of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century. Openly gay as early as the 1930s, Quentin spent decades being beaten up on London’s streets for refusing to be anything less than himself.
His courage, and the philosophy that evolved from those experiences, inspire to the present day.
Naked Hope depicts Quentin at two phases of his extraordinary life: alone in his Chelsea flat in the 1960s, certain that life has passed him by, and thirty years later, performing An Evening with Quentin Crisp in New York. Packed with witty gems on everything from cleaning (“Don’t bother – after the first four years the dust won’t get any worse”) to marriage (“Is there life after marriage? The answer is no”), Naked Hope is a glorious, uplifting celebration of the urgent necessity to be your true self.
Saturday 8 July 2023
Live music: Opus 18 Community Choir Summer Concert
St Andrew’s Church Bedford, 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 (under 12s £5)
Opus 18’s 12th-anniversary summer charity concert is here! The community choir has raised over £30,000 for local charities over the last twelve years and this summer they are supporting FACES Bedford and Elisabeth Curtis Riding for the Disabled.
“We were delighted to be placed first in this year’s community choirs class at the Bedford Festival of Music Speech and Drama and this concert will a selection of our favourite songs,” said a spokesperson.
A warm welcome awaits!
Saturday 8 July 2023
Live music: FiveFiveSix
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free entry
FiveFiveSix are back at the Cellar Bar so get ready for a great night of legendary rock tunes!
Saturday 8 July 2023
Live music: The Skids + The Barrys
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £25
The Saints Are Coming! (again) as The Skids return to play Bedford Esquires this July.
The Skids formed in 1977 in their hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland by Richard Jobson, Stuart Adamson, Bill Simpson & Tom Kellichan. After releasing an independent single the band were played by John Peel, supported The Clash in concert and then were signed to Virgin Records in 1978. Their first singles were “Sweet Surburbia”, “The Saints are Coming” and “Into the Valley” – the latter reaching the UK Top Ten in early 1979.
People change but the heart and the energy that drives the band remains stronger than ever before as they enter a new chapter in the band’s ongoing history.
Guest support by request of the band comes from The Barrys.
Sunday 9 July 2023
Markets: Bedford Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce Market
St Paul’s Square @ 10am
Head to St Paul’s Square in the sunshine for Bedford’s most vibrant market. Stalls offering antiques and vintage, second-hand records and clothes are alongside the art section showcasing talented local artists or you can shop for locally produced food & drink in the Produce section.
Many Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free options available plus free live music.
Family & dog-friendly market.
Sunday 9 July 2023
Walking: “I Never Knew That” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the gold postbox in St Paul’s Square
Tickets: £3/£1.50
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 our walks but those aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Each walk costs £3.00 per adult or £1.50 for children over 8. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday 9 July 2023
Live music: Esquires’ annual BeatleJam
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Hosted by Mat Roberts, BeatleJam is Esquires’ annual celebration of the music of the legendary Fab Four. From 5pm, local musicians will be sharing their love of the Beatles back catalogue. If you would like to take part email matrobertsmusic@aol.com.
Every Thursday
Cocktails, Quiz Night & Karaoke
The Cellar Bar from 5.00pm
Pit your wits against The Cellar Bar’s resident quizmaster to see if you can win the jackpot every Thursday from 8pm. £2 per person entry and a maximum of six per team. The winning team will win the jackpot PLUS a round of shots. Followed by Karaoke til close
Every Saturday
Food & drink: Cocktail mixology masterclass
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm / doors open at 12 noon
£30 per person
The Cellar Bar’s resident mixologist, Marley, will explain how to create some outstanding cocktails for your tasting enjoyment. Then, it’s your turn to put what you’ve learned into practice by making (and drinking) three cocktails!
Every Sunday
Live Music: Open Mic Night
The Cellar Bar @ 7.30pm
Free Entry
Every Sunday, join Mat Roberts for the Cellar Bar’s weekly Open Mic night. An opportunity for new and experienced performers to get up on stage and perform.
So whether you think you are the next Tom Grennan or just want a good night of entertainment, head the to Cellar Bar from 7.30pm.
Until 2024
Exhibition: We Are Ten
The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane
Free entry
The Higgins begins its 10th birthday celebrations with an exhibition featuring old favourites and rarely seen works from the collection, all chosen by organisations, groups and individuals who have worked with the museum and gallery over the last decade.
The exhibition runs for the next year, with special events planned next month to mark the exact date the museum reopened in 2013. Watch this space for more information.
Until 2024
Exhibition: Edward Bawden – Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The Higgins Bedford @ Tues – Sat: 11am – 5pm/Sun: 2pm – 5pm/Closed Mondays
Free entry
Let Edward Bawden transport you in this exhibition celebrating all things travel.
Drawn exclusively from the Higgins Bedford’s Edward Bawden archive, see large linocuts of London’s iconic stations and an array of wonderful vehicles from hot air balloons to jumbo jets and tall ships to cruise liners.
Read: New Edward Bawden ‘trains, planes and automobiles’ exhibition to open this weekend
Theatre highlights by Paula Walker
