About

The Bath Festival: everything you need to know.

The Bath Festival, the city’s biggest and oldest arts festival, is back this May!
The 2024 celebration of books and music runs from Friday 17th May to Sunday 26th May

Where to find the festival: Central Bath, with the festival hub at The Guildhall

How much are tickets?: The opening night, Party in the City on Friday 17th May is free.

Tickets for events cost from £8, for concessions

Who’s appearing: journalist Clive Myrie, comedians Ruby Wax, Sara Pascoe, Shaparak Khorsandi and Helen Lederer, West End star Michael Ball, a cappella ensemble Stile Antico in Bath Abbey, campaigner George Monbiot, star astronomer Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, bestselling authors Mark Billingham, David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas), Kathy Lette and John Boyne, as well as many more writers and musicians

What’s special about The Bath Festival: enjoy unique live events in some of Bath’s beautiful and historic buildings. Pick your favourites from a programme created by festival experts, with contributions from artist in residence guitarist Sean Shibe and guest literature programmer Joe Haddow, radio producer and the man behind the BBC Radio2 Book Club.

Buy a ticket to just one event, or multiple tickets to more than 80 events over ten days.

Where to start: Bring your friends and family to the traditional festival opening night Party in the City, from 5pm on Friday 17th May. Enjoy live music from bands, choirs and solo musicians performing in dozens of venues, all for free. Grab something to eat and drink as you move from venue to venue across the city centre. Expect to hear music in all kinds of places, including pubs, churches and museums, Green Park Station, Parade Gardens, Bath Abbey, Milsom Place and Victoria Art Gallery.

Where to find out more about The Bath Festival. For full programme details pick up a free brochure or visit: https://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/

You can also buy tickets from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

Festival extras: Sign up for a writing workshop, led by a professional, supportive creatives and unleash your creative spirit. Be inspired to write your memoir, write about nature, or join the Poetry in the City Open Mic evening. There are five walking tours to choose from, led by local professionals Fred Mawer Tours. These include Bath On Screen - the Other Star of the Show, looking at how films and TV series are made in Bath, visit locations that feature in Bridgerton, First Dates and many more. There’s also a tour around five of the city’s famous golden crescents and a walk which follows in the footsteps of writers, from Austen and Dickens to John Betjeman and Angela Carter.

The Bath Festival audiences come to hear people talk about the big issues of our time, they come to share human experiences and emotions, and they also come to have fun!

The 2024 festival covers topics including; climate change, nutrition, women’s health, star gazing, fashion and style, eating seasonally, Murdle, the beauty of Venice, crime fiction and women in the resistance in the First World War.

Share your Bath Festival experiences and photos @thebathfestival #BathFest24