Welcome to our 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 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, 30 April 2025
Live music: Guy Griffin & Nashville’s Dylan Taylor ft Max Milligan
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm
Tickets: £15
Guy Griffin is set to perform his first acoustic solo shows, joined by Vertical Records artist Dylan Taylor from Nashville, Tennessee, and world-renowned session guitarist Max Milligan, along with other guest musicians.
Griffin’s career is rich with collaborations, including working with Joe Elliott of Def Leppard on the side project Down ‘n’ Outz, which produced three studio albums, as well as recording and performing with Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke and Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople. As part of The Quireboys since 1989 he has also toured worldwide with bands like The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and Aerosmith.
For this acoustic debut, Griffin will pull from his extensive back catalogue, unveil new material, and reinterpret a few choice covers, all in a “stripped back roots/Americana” style.
Wednesday, 30 April 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 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 here and get a 20 point head start.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
On the river: Motown cruise on the John Bunyan Boat
Sovereign’s Quay @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £26.50
Enjoy an evening of Motown and Soul as the sun goes down on board the John Bunyan Boat as you cruise Bedford’s River Great Ouse.
DJ Keith Stewart will be playing the best Motown and soul tracks on this two-hour circular cruise from Sovereign’s Quay.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Morris Dancing: May Day Morris
Silver Faces @ 8pm | The Three Cups, Newnham Street @ 9pm
Free
This 1 May, you can catch Red Cuthbert Morris as they dance to mark May Day, a European festival of ancient origins, marking the beginning of summer, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere’s Spring equinox and June solstice.
Red Cuthbert will be marking the occasion in the best way they know, by dancing in Bedford Town Centre and then at a pub. They’ll be at the Silver Faces at 8pm and then at The Three Cups on Newnham Street at 9pm.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Live music: Coach Party
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £17
Emerging from the Isle of Wight in 2019, Coach Party are a dynamic British indie rock quartet comprising lead vocalist and bassist Jess Eastwood, guitarists Joe Perry and Steph Norris, and drummer Guy Page.
Their sound seamlessly blends grunge-infused riffs with pop sensibilities, drawing inspiration from the raw energy of late-80s Seattle and the angsty undertones of Britpop. Coach Party’s relentless touring schedule and festival appearances, including Glastonbury, have solidified their reputation as a formidable live act. Their trajectory suggests they’re poised to become a significant force in the UK’s indie music scene.
Thursday, 1 May 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, 1 May 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, 1 & Friday, 2 May 2025
Theatre: Once
The Place Theatre@ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £16
On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, underscored by emotionally charged music.
In this highly acclaimed 2022 production of the West End and Broadway smash-hit musical, the cast are the band, the band are the cast. All the music is live and played as part of the story.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Dancing: Planet Swing featuring Chris Lord and her Blues Express
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.
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Live music: Irish Folk Night
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
A great fun evening of toe-tapping Irish music to sing along to. The craic is sure to be mighty!
Friday, 2 May 2025
Live music: Tie One On
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Kick off the bank holiday weekend with a night at the Castle with this three-piece fast-paced rhythm and blues band, with a bit of rock n roll on the side.
Friday, 2 May 2025
Live Music: The Krakens
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / late close
Free entry
The Krakens are back! This four-piece covers band play a variety of rock songs through the ages featuring songs from: Elton John, Queen, Nirvana and more…
Saturday, 3 and Sunday, 4 May 2025
Food and drink: Beer and Beyond
Brewpoint @ midday – 10.45pm
Tickets: from £15
This year’s Beer and Beyond Festival at Brewpoint will see an incredible line-up of beers – perfect for a seasoned beer aficionado or a curious newcomer.
Groove to the rhythm of sensational live performances that will keep you dancing throughout the festival. Discover talented artists spanning various genres, adding an electrifying atmosphere to your beer-filled adventures.
Fuel your fun with delectable treats from our lineup of gourmet food trucks and Brewpoint’s very own brick pizza oven. From mouthwatering pizzas and burgers to tantalizing tacos, satisfy your cravings with a diverse array of culinary delights.
Cheers!
Saturday, 3 May 2025
Classical music: Bedford Sinfonia
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: prices vary
Delius’ On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring begins a delightful programme of works by English composers in Bedford Sinfonia’s concert this month.
It will be followed by two orchestral songs by Holst (Country Song and Marching Song) which will then lead to the Arnold Clarinet Concerto played by Paul Harris, who will also give a pre-concert talk about the composer and the concerto. The programme will conclude with the warm and melodically extravagant Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5.
Saturday 3 May 2025
Theatre: Three Acres and a Cow
Satuday, 3 April @ 7pm
Tickets: from £11
A history of land rights and protest in folk song and story, the show connects the Norman Conquest and Peasants’ Revolt with current issues like the housing crisis, reparations, climate breakdown and food sovereignty via the Enclosures, English Civil War and Industrial Revolution, drawing a compelling narrative through the radical people’s history of England.
Part TED talk, part history lecture, part folk club sing-a-long, part storytelling session… Come and share in these tales as they have been shared for generations.
Saturday 3 May 2025
Theatre: That Knave, Raleigh
Saturday, 3 May @ 7.30pm
Tickets from £14.50
Following their five-star show, I, Elizabeth, the award-winning Dyad Productions return to the Elizabethan era, to the famous and fabulous Elizabethan explorer, sailor, dandy, and warrior, Sir Walter Raleigh. Elizabeth I’s favourite and James I’s knave.
This is a journey through the astonishing highs and lows of one of Britain’s most famous men from history. But there’s so much you don’t know…
See the fall from grace taken directly from historical record, marvel at the magnetism of a man who seized every opportunity to create a legacy which spans the centuries and at every wrenching, exalting and personal moment, you will be witnesses.
Saturday, 3 May 2025
Live music: Double header of live music – Cameo & Five Five Six
The Cellar Bar at 8.30pm / Bar opens at 6pm / Happy hour 6pm – 9pm
Free entry.
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. The Cellar Bar literally rocks when these guys play!
Sunday 4 May & Monday 5 May 2025
Children’s Theatre: Michael Morpurgo’s Farm Boy
The Quarry Theatre @ 1pm & 3pm Sunday, 11am & 1pm Monday
Tickets: from £13
It sometimes felt as though time had stood still down on the farm – the old Fordson tractor quietly rusting away at the back of the barn, Grandpa tending his chickens – that is, until the summer his grandson came to stay, and the old man started telling stories of what it had been like when he was a boy.
Following successful UK tours and a critically acclaimed run in New York, Michael Morpurgo’s compelling sequel to ‘War Horse’ returns to the stage in this delightful, family-friendly show combining drama, storytelling, and original music – a moving account of the changing face of the English countryside and a beautifully crafted reminder that stories really can reach out across the generations.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Community: Polish Heritage Day
Harpur Square and Harpur Suite @ 11am
Free
Polish Heritage Day will return to Bedford on Sunday, 4 May, featuring liver performances from Polish and local artists, tradtional Police food and creative folk-themed workshops for all ages.
This year’s programme has been put together by PBIC in collaboration with Stacja Dom Polski, John Paul II Polish School in Bedford, The Polish Language and Culture Association, the Polish Parish, and a number of community volunteers.
The event will also mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with a screening of “MYID – Poland in Bedford”, a short documentary highlighting local and national Polish history. This will be shown inside the Harpur Suite alongside an exhibition titled “MYnalazki”, which focuses on Polish inventions and discoveries.
An afterparty at Stacja Dom Polski will follow the main event and is open to all.
Follow the Bedford Polish Heritage Day event page on Facebook for updates on performances, vendors, and the full day’s schedule.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Walking: “The Life and Times of John Bunyan” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the box office at the Harpur Suite, Harpur Square
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 eight. All walks must be pre-booked.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
On the river: Afternoon Tea Cruise on the John Bunyan Boat
Priory Marina @ 2pm
Tickets: £42.40
Enjoy a Special Afternoon Tea Cruise 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 cruise Bedford’s picturesque countryside along the river with our Special Afternoon Tea at your table.
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.
Departing from: Priory Marina at 2.00pm for a 2-hour cruise to Queens Bridge Kempston before returning back to Priory Marina.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Food and drink: Afternoon tea
The Cellar Bar @ 4pm
Tickets from £25 / bottomless options available
The Cellar Bar has teamed up with Creme Brew Lait to deliver a two-hour themed afternoon tea experience, combining beautiful food, wonderful drinks options and live music.
This event is full of Blues and Rock n Roll with The Workshop Boys performing (see below)
There is, however, a twist – they’ve replaced the PG Tips with Pornstar Martinis and Sex on the Beach…
The entertainment starts at 5pm, giving you some quiet time before, to catch up with friends or family and enjoy your afternoon tea. You can then choose to stay in the Purple Room and enjoy the music in the background or go full throttle and move to the main bar for a fully immersive experience.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Live music: The Workshop Boys
The Cellar Bar @ 5pm
Free entry. Bar opens at 3.00pm
Formed by former members of Los Marbles and Cutting Out, The Workshop Boys have fast become one of Bedford’s most loved bar bands.
You can combine an afternoon of Blues & Rock n Roll with one of the Cellar Bar’s Bottomless Afternoon Tea packages. The performance is 5pm – 7pm. Afternoon tea is 4pm – 6pm. Book online in advance to secure a seat, otherwise it will be standing room only.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Live music: The A Band present ‘A Drink for Sid’
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
It’s that time again…
The first bank holiday Sunday in May to celebrate the life of Bedford’s Mr Music ‘Sid Worth’. Sid’s old band ‘The A Band’ will be hosting and featuring some special guests.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Poetry and Spoken Word: Read Poets Society
The Eagle Bookshop @ 7pm
Tickets: Free but please book via the Place Theatre website
Join the Read Poets Society for their monthly reading of poems. This month’s theme is Fear and Courage and, as usual, takes place at the Eagle Bookshop in St Peter’s Street.
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Live music: Acoustopaea
The Castle, 17 Newnham Street @ 8.30pm
Free entry
Enjoy a relaxed bank holiday Sunday in the company of Acoustopaea, a three-piece acoustic band playing a mix of rock and pop covers.
Tuesday, 6 May 2025
Live music: EP Launch – The Deities with support from The Switch and Jimmy Judge (The Greensands)
The Cellar Bar @ 7.30pm / Doors open at 7pm
Free entry
The Deities are performing at the Cellar Bar, celebrating the fact that they have gone from performing at the venue’s Under 18’s Open Mic Night to lauching their debut EP this month.
This Bedford-based band of music students from Bedford College combine original rock sounds with ethereal vocals
Supporting on the night comes from local acts Jimmy Judge (The Greensands) and The Switch.
Tuesday, 6 May 2025
Live music: Tuesday lunchtime concert
St Paul’s church, St Paul’s Square @ 1pm
Free entry with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
Lunchtime piano recital featuring Leo Little. Free with a retiring collection.
Wednesday, 7 May 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 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.
Wednesday, 7 – Saturday, 10 May 2025
Community Theatre: Abigail’s Party
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £12
Step into the suburban world of 1977, where the gin flows as freely as the tension in Mike Leigh’s iconic dark comedy, Abigail’s Party.
Beneath the veneer of polite conversation and cheese and pineapple sticks lies a simmering undercurrent of ambition, resentment, and social one-upmanship. As Beverly and her husband Laurence host a soirée for their unsuspecting guests—Angela, Tony, and the anxious Sue (whose teenage daughter, Abigail, is throwing a party of her own nearby)—the evening spirals into a brilliantly uncomfortable clash of class, aspiration, and ego.
A sharply observed satire of middle-class pretensions and the cracks beneath the surface, Abigail’s Party is as deliciously excruciating as it is laugh-out-loud funny.
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Walking: “Bedford in WWII” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the box office at the Harpur Suite, Harpur 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.
Thursday, 8 May 2025
Cruise the Ouse: Fish and Chip Cruise on the John Bunyan Boat
Priory Marina @ noon
Tickets: £32.86
Enjoy a relaxing two-hour lunchtime cruise along Bedford’s picturesque river enjoying a fish and chip lunch.
Friday, 9 and Saturday, 10 May 2025
Shopping: Bedford Antiques Fair
Kings House @ 245 Ampthill Road, MK42 9AZ @ 10am – 4pm
A new antiques fair is being launched this month by Rodney Weeks and his daughter Nicola. The Bedford Antiques Fair is at King’s House on Ampthill Road on Friday, 9 and Saturday, 10 May, with 45 dealers selling their wares.
Rodney has over 25 years’ experience in the antiques world and ran many events with is late wife, Sandra. Nicola, an actor, performer and the former owner of the award-winning George James bridal boutique, told the Bedford Clanger, “Sadly I lost my mother in 2019 and this made me re-evaluate my work/life balance and I decided to return to performing alongside promoting events with my father.”
Sellers at the event will have a range of antique and vintage items, from glassware to ceramics, jewellery to collectables. It is hoped that it will become a twice-yearly event, with the next fair lined up for October.
Friday, 9 May & Saturday, 10 May 2025
National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest
The Quarry Theatre @ 7pm Saturday & 2pm Sunday
Tickets: £15.50
Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.
While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.
Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.
Friday, 9 May 2025
Live music: Jenny Joy
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm
Free entry
The incredible Jenny Joy makes her debut at The Cellar Bar so expect a night of rock classics, performed by an amazing rock chick!
Friday, 9 May 2025
Live music: Cheap Thrills
The Cellar Bar @ 11pm / bar opens @ 6pm
Free entry
We’re delighted to welcome Cheap Thrill$ back to The Cellar Bar. They are a 4 piece classic rock, rhythm & blues band from Bedford, playing songs by The Stones, blondie, AC/DC, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and more.
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Learning: Saturday Workshops
Rothsay Education Centre, 6 Rothsay Gardens, Bedford @ 10am
Choose from seven exciting one-day Saturday workshops, from the history of Bletchley Park to the impact of AI on education. There’s gardening, Roman history, self-publishing and more. The perfect way to find out more about the Rothsay Education Centre.
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Live music: Saturday organ recital
St Paul’s church @ noon
Free with retiring collection (suggested donation £5)
An organ recital by Perrin Ford
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Classical music: Continuum: Shakespeare in Song
St Andrew’s Church (Bedford), Bedford, MK40 2PF @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £14 (under 18s free) via Ticketsource:
Continuum was founded in 2018 by Harry Guthrie aiming to represent the very best traditions of choral singing. The choir prides itself in offering original and dynamic interpretations of firmly established choral repertoire alongside promoting new commissions and under-performed pieces.
Harry grew up in Bedford before reading Music at Trinity College, Cambridge. He now works as a choral conductor, baritone & teacher in London.
This concert brings together music inspired by the texts of William Shakespeare.
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Live music: Danny Barton
The Cellar Bar at 8.30pm / bar opens @ 6pm / Happy Hour @ 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
The wonderful Danny Barton returns to The Cellar Bar this week, playing a mix of acoustic rock and pop crowd pleasers and new material. Always guaranteed to get the party started!
Saturday, 10 May 2025
Live music: Mad Mods & Englishmen
The Cellar Bar @ 10.30pm
Free entry
Mad Mods have a reputation of packing every venue they play at, and then bringing the house down. Their repertoire includes hits from The Who, Small Faces, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Spencer Davis, Yardbirds, The Jam and many more, and yes, they’ve even been known to smash the odd guitar up on stage!
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Shopping: Bedford Flea, Affordable Art and Local Produce market
Harpur Square @ 10am – 3pm
Free entry
It might have changed location, but Bedford Flea is still a great reason to forego a Sunday lie-in.
Grab a coffee, mooch around Harpur Square, take a stroll along the river and enjoy a lazy Sunday in beautiful Bedford.
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Walking: “Bedford’s Movers and Shakers” guided walk
Bedford Town Centre @ 11am at the box office at the Harpur Suite, Harpur Square
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 us on 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, 11 May 2025
Dance music: Daytime disco for grown-ups
The Cellar Bar @ 3pm / Doors open at 3pm / Happy Hour til 9pm
Free entry
It’s back! The Cellar Bar Daytime Disco, hosted by DJ Stevo is the perfect excuse to dance and sing-along to some of the greatest hits ever on a Sunday afternoon. Why wait for the evening to have fun? And it’s all free – no tickets required.
Indulge in an afternoon filled with nostalgic tunes, singalongs, and a great atmosphere. 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.
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Live music: Optimist play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
A big welcome back to Optimist who haven’t played the Sunday session for a while.
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Live music: Pom Poko
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £16
Oslo’s finest, Pom Poko are back to Esquires, following their near sold-out show during Independent Venue Week 2022.
The band visit Bedford as part of an intimate UK tour and off the back of their Bella Union released third album ‘Champion’ in late 2024.
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: Rediscovering Black Portraiture
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
The newest exhibition at the Higgins began as a diversionary lockdown project in 2020 and can now be seen at Kensington Palace, the Bodeian Library in Oxford and now in Bedford.
It features the work of Manchester-born professional opera singer, Peter Brathwaite, who has lived in the Black Tom area of Bedford since 2018.
With all his singing work cancelled during the pandemic, Peter began looking for an outlet for his creative talents and started recreating famous and lesser-known Black portraiture paintings using as props whatever he could find around his house.
It was inspired by the Getty Foundation’s lockdown project, but quickly took on a life of its own, gathering a large international online following. You can explore the project at his Instagram page @peter_brathwaite.
And from Saturday, 18 May, they will form part of an installation at the Higgins Bedford which will lead visitors through the main collections and into Cecil Higgins’ house, with Peter’s interpretation of The Paston Treasure at its heart.
Read: ‘Rediscovering Black Portraiture’ at the Higgins Bedford this May
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.
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
