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.
Until 21 September 2025
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.
Every Wednesday
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.
Thursday, 8 May 2025
Food & drink: Revolutionising Refreshments – Julian Ebbutt’s Journey
Gastronomica, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, MK44 1LQ @ 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Free entry
Join Julian Ebbutt, Managing Director of Alfresco Drinks, for a listen, lunch, and slurp session dedicated to innovation in the drinks industry.
With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Julian has driven the success of Alfresco Drinks by creating private-label soft drinks for brands like Pret a Manger, Itsu, Leon Restaurants, and TGI Fridays, as well as introducing award-winning non-alcoholic spirits.
This is your chance to taste the world’s first non-alcoholic Pimms and explore the future of non-alcoholic beverages in a growing market.
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
West Gallery music: Bedford Gallery Quire
St Mary Virgin Church, Ickwell Road, Northill, (Bedfordshire), SG18 9AA @ 7.30pm.
Tickets, £10 on the door. Refreshments.
Bedford Gallery Quire has been singing and playing Bedfordshire’s musical heritage for more than 20 years, delighting audiences with their joyful concerts. West Gallery singers and players were bands made up of members of the local community who provided the music in churches from the early 18th century to the mid 19th century. Tonight’s unique concert of words and music will dive into the past of the church and people of the beautiful village of Northill and, as usual, the singers and players will be wearing authentic costumes from the period. All welcome.
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.
Monday, 12 May 2025
Live music: Acid Mothers Temple
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £17
Japan’s psych-rock powerhouse, Acid Mothers Temple are heading to Esquires this month as part of a short UK run of shows and the venue’s 35th anniversary.
Formed in 1995 by Makoto Kawabata at the same time as the Acid Mothers Temple Soul Collective, the group released its debut album in 1997 on PSF Records (Japan), and it was selected as one of the year’s best albums in the The Wire magazine (UK).
Every year since 1998, they have toured extensively in the US and Europe, and more recently have started performing around Asia and in Japan too. The group has performed in collaboration with many musicians including psychedelic originators Gong and Guru Guru, Simeon (Silver Apples), Nik Turner (Hawkwind), and the Occitaniantrad singer Rosina de Peira. Japanese collaborators have included Afrirampo, Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins), Maso Yamazaki (Masonna), Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms), Jun Kuriyama (The Ox), and many others.
Tuesday, 13 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 flute recital featuring Jen Townsend. Free with a retiring collection.
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Quizzing: Pub quiz
The Castle, Newnham Street @ 7.30pm
£2 per person/maximum of six per team
The regular Castle pub quiz is back. £2 per person with a maximum of six players per team. The winner gets the pot and a chance to win a bonus pot rollover. To book at table call 01234 353295.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Food & drink: Cooking Up Health – Culinary Medicine with Dr Rupy Auijla
Gastronomica, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, MK44 1LQ @ 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Free entry
Join Dr Rupy Aujla, founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen, for an inspiring lunch and learn session exploring the transformative concept of food as medicine.
A Sunday Times bestselling author and TV personality, Dr Rupy is on a mission to revolutionise how we think about food and its role in health. Dr Rupy Aujla MBBS, BSc, MRCGP, MSc is the founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen and a Sunday Times bestselling author of four cookbooks: The Doctor’s Kitchen, Eat to Beat Illness, Doctor’s Kitchen 3-2-1, and Dr Rupy Cooks.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Cruise the Ouse: Afternoon cream tea cruise on the John Bunyan Boat
Sovereign’s Quay @ 2pm
Tickets: £42.40
Enjoy an afternoon cruise on the River Great Ouse having Afternoon Tea at the Kingfisher Bedford which has fantastic views overlooking the river, before returning by boat to Sovereign’s Quay.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Live streaming: Die Walküre Opera
Stevington Cinema Club, Stevington Village Hall, MK443 7QT @ 4.45pm
Tickets: £6 (running time: 5 hours 20 minutes including two intervals)
Gods and mortals battle in the second chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle. Conductor Antonio Pappano and director Barrie Kosky reunite to continue the mythical adventure that began with Das Rheingold in 2023.
On a stormy night, fate brings two strangers together, unleashing a love with the power to end worlds. Meanwhile, in the realm of the gods, an epic battle ensues between their ruler Wotan and his rebellious daughter, Brünnhilde.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Theatre: The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Abridged)
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £16
One newbie and two self-professed Janeites, through almost all means imaginable, tackle the entire canon of Jane Austen’s works – in just 80 minutes.
Come along for a fun, funny, and fast-paced romp through the masterpieces of Jane Austen with The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged. Three nimble actors take on all of Austen’s beloved heroines, friends, and love interests—and her incisive social satire—in just 80 minutes.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an audience in possession of high spirits must be in want of a ticket to this big-hearted comedy that will delight Janeites and newcomers alike.
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Bedford Skeptics: Conservation & Restoration In A Changing Climate with Professor Jim Harris
The North End Social Club, 60 Roff Avenue MK41 7TW @ 7pm
Donations appreciated
Climate change is moving the biophysical envelope all over the planet, and some species cannot keep up. Being deeply embedded in those systems, we are moving swiftly from Red Queen to Court Jester environments, and we need to adapt management to suit.
Current approaches, such as management for one or a few species in a SSSI, or as part of a landscape character designation, may appear to produce resistant communities in a location for now, but in the longer term are more likely to induce fragility and potential collapse.
Jim Harris is Professor of Environmental Technology at Cranfield Environment Centre. He will discuss how we should consider the role of diversity and complexity in all ecosystem components (abiotic and biotic) to sustain system function and provide emergent properties, particularly resilience.
In this rapidly changing environment – both biophysical and political – we need to bring flexibility to bear, adopting a “Principles and Guidelines” approach, rather than an adherence to rigid Standards and species lists.
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Live music: Crash Test Dummies
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £35
With one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music history, alternative rock band Crash Test Dummies are a three-time Grammy nominated and JUNO award-winning group, who soared to the top of the worldwide charts in the early 1990’s with hits “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song”.
Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was a highlight of the soundtrack to the blockbuster film, “Dumb and Dumber”. They come to Esquires as part of the venue’s 35th anniversary celebrations.
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Theatre: You’re So F**cking Croydon
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £16
You’re SO F**king Croydon! is an audacious autobiographical piece exploring the female working class experience and noughties club culture, whilst seamlessly blending music, dance, comedy, spoken word and subverting mainstream solo show tropes.
You’re SO F**king Croydon!’ is a multifaceted experience that resonates deeply with both traditional and non-traditional theatre audiences. At its essence, it’s the story of a woman triumphing over adversities.
It’s a stomp through pop culture, identity and destiny, blending comedy with profound exploration and personal narrative with societal perceptions.
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Comedy: The Anglia Comedy Allstars
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 8pm
Tickets: £25
The Anglia Comedy Allstars debuts in Bedford in May, with an amazing line-up featuring the fantastic Joel Dommett, Glenn Moore, Esther Manito & Matt Richardson.
As host of The Masked Singer, Joel Dommett has become a regular fixture on TV and he became known to many people through his successful stint on I’m a Celebrity, gaining thousands of fans drawn to his unique brand of humour and his lovable personality
Joel is joined by Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Glenn Moore (Mock The Week, Live at the Apollo and The Dave Berry Breakfast Show) who is one of the best joke writers of his generation and is back on the road with brand-new material.
Esther Manito is an Arab Essex girl who will challenge every single preconception of what that means. As seen on Live at The Apollo, The Stand Up Sketch Show & Hypothetical.
Your compere for the evening is star of ITV’s Dancing on Ice, Matt Richardson. Matt is a multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, as well as being named Heat Magazine’s Weird Crush of the Year in 2014…
Thursday, 15 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.
Friday, 16 May 2025
Live Music: Sophia Soul
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm / doors open at 6pm until late / Happy Hour 6pm – 9pm
Free entry
The wonderful Sophia Soul is back at The Cellar Bar this week. This modern day diva has had an outstanding career in live vocals spanning over 14 years.
Friday, 16 May 2025
Dance music: Phil Hartnoll (Orbital)
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £20
True rave royalty is in Bedford this month in the form of Phil Hartnoll – one half of Orbital. He helped soundtrack an entire generation with tracks like Chime, Halycon and Belfast, and he and his brother Paul can lay claim to kicking down the doors for an entire electronic music scene.
Don’t miss your chance to catch one of the most influential figures in electronic music live behind the decks.
Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 May 2025
Food and drink: Cream teas in the Panacea Museum gardens
The Panacea Museum, 11 Newnham Rd, Bedford MK40 3NX @ 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm
Tickets: £7
Enjoy a pot of tea, a scone, cream and jam, all served on vintage and antique china in the beautiful and peaceful surroundings of the Panacea Museum gardens.
Pre-booking recommended. Reserve your spot and pay on the day by card or cash.
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Jazz: Sounds of Adderley
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £15
Young heavyweights of the UK jazz scene, alto saxophonist Tom Smith and trumpeter Tom Syson, have joined forces to create ‘Sounds of Adderley’, a new quintet dedicated to the explosive music of Nat and Cannonball Adderley.
Featuring music throughout the Adderley’s careers including ‘Work Song’ and ‘Jive Samba’, this ensemble is sure to knock your socks off!
Joining them in this ensemble will be pianist Leon Greening, double bassist Oli Hayhust (Julian Siegel) and drummer Luke Tomlinson (Emma Smith, Alex Bone).
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Live music: Sing the Musicals
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets:£26.50
Direct from London’s West End, this is the first national tour of the greatest musicals of all time, performed by a sensational live band, character singers and a giant screen with sing-along lyrics.
This is the must see show of the year, featuring songs from Mamma Mia, The Greatest Showman, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mary Poppins, Oliver, We Will Rock You and many more.
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Live music: Skinny Lister + Duzzy Avocado
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
Since 2009, Skinny Lister have been at the forefront of first-rate folk/punk in the UK. Making waves with the irrepressible energy of their debut album ‘Forge and Flagon’ in 2012, the London-formed crew went on to sign with Xtra Mile Recordings for the release of their classic second album ‘Down On Deptford Broadway’ (2014) and so beginning a partnership that has birthed a further four records with the label including ‘The Devil, The Heart, The Fight’ (2016), ‘The Story Is…’ (2019), ‘A Matter Of Life & Love’ (2021), and most recently ‘Shanty Punk’.
They’ve led an endless parade gathering fans old and new, from the respected folk circuit to the riotous Download Festival, igniting pogoing mosh-pits at each. Skinny Lister’s formidable live rep more than proceeds them. And now with the tantalising promise of new material on the horizon, catch Skinny Lister doing what they do best at Bedford Esquires.
Support comes from Bedford faves, Duzzy Avocado.
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Live Music: World On Fire
The Cellar Bar until 1am
Free entry
World On Fire are back at The Cellar Bar, playing all your favourite rock covers with a few of their own thrown in too. Imagine if the classic ‘power rock’ female led acts of the 80s were around today, give them modern synths, production and style and you have World On Fire.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
Walking: “The Rise and Fall of Bedford Castle” 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)
The Norman Conquest of Britain witnessed the introduction of castles to the landscape and in Bedford, a major castle was built in the 12th century. Walk through the old castle grounds, see the mound on which it once stood and hear the story of the castle and its demise in the siege of 1224. This year witnesses the 800th anniversary of the Great Siege of Bedford Castle in 1224.
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, 18 May 2025
Live music: Glam Rampage play the Sunday Afternoon Session
Bedford Esquires @ 5pm
Free entry
Glam Rampage are a four-piece rock band playing songs from the heyday of 70s Glam Rock era.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
Live music: U18’s Open Mic
The Cellar Bar @ 5pm – 7.00pm / bar opens at 3pm
Free entry
The Cellar Bar is throwing its doors open to the next generation of Bedford musicians, with a dedicated junior open mic session for under 18s.
Whether you sing, play guitar, drums, or any other musical instrument, or are a band already, you are welcome to take part. It’s a chance for you to perform on a stage in front of an audience with a full pa, drum kit, amps, lighting.
Hosted by none other than Mat Roberts, Mat will be on hand to offer support and advice, as well as doing a few jam sessions of his own.
Under 18’s are welcome in the bar from 5pm until 9pm on Sundays for Junior Open Mic.
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
The May issue of the Bedford Clanger is out now. Grab a copy at one of our many pick-up points throughout the Borough.
You can find your nearest one using our map here.
Or you can download a copy to read here.
