Bath Events and Festivals

(Bath, North-East Somerset, England, UK)

The residents of Bath like to party and there are many exciting events that are held throughout the year in this lively city. The popular events in Bath include numerous lively street fairs, carnivals, parades, festivals and numerous sporting events.

Many of the events and festivals in Bath draw enormous crowds of both participants and spectators. Local newspapers, such as 'The Venue', often have details of the latest festivals and events being held in the city and surrounding towns.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday - late March or early April
• First and last Monday in May
• Last Monday in August
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

(If Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a public holiday).

Bath Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Bath Pantomime - late December / early January - Bath's annual pantomime is held at the Theatre Royal in central Bath
• Classic Car Show - held at the Showground in Shepton Mallet, close to Bath, featuring hundreds of classic cars and tradestands

February

• Toy and Train Collectors' Fair - held at the Show Ground in Shepton Mallet, close to Bath, this is one of the largest toy fairs in the south of England

March

• Bath Literature Festival - held at various venues across Bath during March
• Bath Half-Marathon - mid-March, this popular sporting event is held in central Bath and attracts thousands of participants and spectators
• Antique and Collectors' Fair - late March, held at the Showground in nearby Shepton Mallet, close to Bath, this large antiques fair has hundreds of undercover stands

April

• Easter Candlelit Concert - held at the Bath Assembly Rooms, this concert is very atmospheric
• Badminton Horse Trials - late April / early May, this famous horse event is held at Badminton, close to Bath

May

• Bath Spring Flower Show - held during the first weekend in May, this large flower show takes place at the Royal Victoria Park and has a large flower tent, many exhibits and numerous traders
• Bath Hot-Air Balloon Festival - mid-May, held at the Royal Victoria Park in the city centre, this event includes night glows
• International Music Festival - May / June, held at various venues throughout Bath
• Bath Races - late May, popular horse races held at the Bath Racecourse at Lansdown, on the outskirts of the city
• Free Family Fun Day in The Park - late May, held at the Royal Victoria Park, this is a popular event for all the family and features many activities, displays and music
• Bath Fringe Festival - late May to early June, this enormous extravaganza takes place of two weeks and includes many events and activities in the city

June

• Bath and West Show - early June, this large show is held at the Showground in Shepton Mallet, close to Bath, and attracts thousands of people every year
• Somerset Country Cricket Festival - held at the Bath Recreation Ground

July

• Roman Baths by Torchlight - July to August, the famous Roman Baths stay open until around 22:00 and are lit by torchlight
• International Guitar Festival - this popular Bath festival is held at various venues across central Bath

August

• Bath Races - mid-August, popular horse races held at the Bath Racecourse at Lansdown, on the outskirts of Bath
• Large Scale Wood Carving - late August, artists from across the UK gather at Westonbirt in Tetbury, close by, to create magnificent sculptures from large pieces of wood and tree trunks

September

• Bristol International Kite Festival - early September, this kite festival is held in Bristol's Ashton Court Park, being just a relatively short drive away
• National Amateur Gardening Show - early September, held at the Showground in Shepton Mallet, close to Bath, this enormous gardening show is a major event in the west country
• Jane Austen Festival - mid-September, a costumed parade, starting out at the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street, in the city centre

October

• Westonbirt Autumn Colours - early October, at Westonbirt Arboretum, in Tetbury, nearby Bath, the spectacular autumn colours of the trees attract thousand of visitors
• Bath Film Festival - late October, the film festival is held at a the Little Theatre cinema on St. Michael's Place, and lasts around two weeks

November

• Fireworks Display - early November, held at Bath's Recreational Ground to celebrate Guy Fawkes day
• Bath Heritage Week - early November, this week-long Bath event takes place at various museums, galleries and heritage organisations in Bath
• Bath Mozartfest - mid-November, with classical music played in some of the city's most prestigious venues

December

• Christmas Music - held at various venues across Bath, this includes musicians from the Bath Philharmonic and Christmas carol services with the choir at Bath Abbey
• Christmas Market - early December, this popular continent-style Christmas market is held in the heart of the city, near Bath Abbey
• New Year's Eve - December 31st, various celebrations take place throughout the city, seeing the arrival of the new year