Bath Festivals
Dear Editor: Over four weeks in May and June Bath Festivals welcomes a host of authors, poets, historians, comedians and world-class musicians to the city in celebration of music and books. The full programme is now available to see and tickets are now on sale. The festival season launches with Party in the City, Bath’s traditional big, free citywide night of bands, choirs and musicians playing in dozens of venues, on Friday 15 May. Then, from 16-24 May Bath Literature Festival hosts some of the UK’s most celebrated writers, including Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell and thriller writer Anthony Horowitz. From 30 May – Sunday 7 June, Bath International Music Festival brings a glorious programme of music to this World Heritage City. For the full programme visit: https://bathboxoffice.org.uk
Georgette McCready, Bath Festivals
Comedy Festival
Dear Editor, The Bath Comedy Festival runs from 21st March to19th April 2026.
With more than 100 shows and featuring well over 300 performances, Bath Comedy Festival is back again to keep Bath roaring with laughter over four whole weeks this Spring.
Highlights include some big name shows at Bath Forum including Dead Ringers, Paul Merton & Suki Webster, Harry Enfield and Troy Hawke.
The Festival brings a host of acts to its favourite intimate upstairs room, at the Ring O Bells in Widcombe – from relative newcomers and award-winning rising stars like Madeleine Brettingham and Kev Mud, to such well-established circuit heroes as Phil Nichol, Alistair Barrie, Rosie Holt and Alan Francis. The programme here kicks off on April 1st, with the fabulous Terry Alderton & Friends, which features as part of the newly formed Live Comedy Day, set up by the Live Comedy Association and supported by BBC Radio 4.
Alongside core venues Bath Forum and the Ring O Bells, heats of the esteemed New Act Competition run throughout the Festival at The Nowhere Tavern, culminating in the Grand Final at The Old Theatre Royal.
Regular venue partner the Rondo Theatre hosts a fine selection of shows including Jessica Fostekew and Hal Cruttenden; The Old Theatre Royal also hosts a variety of comedians including Hasan Al-Habib, and ‘Super Saturdays’ presented by The Fez Comedy Club, featuring John Hegley, Sooz Kempner and Phil Kay. New on the Bath scene The Jesters Comedy Club offers a constant underground comedy club backdrop with shows every day of the Festival! As always there are some affordable ‘pay what you feel’ gigs and open mic nights, and there’s comedy for everyone on offer.
The Festival wouldn’t be the same without the flagship bonkers bus tour The Wine Arts Trail (T.W.A.T.) – discovering new businesses and secret corners of Bath with a glass of wine and a ‘happening’ at each stop.
For more information please see: www.BathComedy.com
Nick Steel
Widcombe, Bath
Croquet
Dear Editor, Croquet is now one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and this year Bath Croquet Club will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary since reforming in 1976.
With almost 100 playing members, four lawns and a view of the Abbey as a backdrop, the club acts as a special hub, hosts national and regional tournaments and frequently supports local Bath events such as the Jane Austen festival and Dorothy House Hospice.
Croquet has traditionally been associated with older members of the Bath community
with many members starting to play croquet when sports such as tennis, golf , rugby etc. become too demanding. Increasingly though, younger people are also starting to play with some of the younger players competing at an International level. Recently some of the Bath C.C. Academy members played in the National schools’ and clubs’ tournament at Nottingham.
There are several forms of croquet so that although croquet does not involve the physical demands of some sports the more tactical formats have been compared to snooker or chess on grass. There are opportunities to play in teams both regionally and nationally and there are various internal competitions.
At Bath C.C. members can play either socially at one of our friendly club sessions or can book the lawns for personal use either way there is a genuinely friendly atmosphere around the lawns. The club is open all year round (weather permitting) although the competitive season runs from 1st. April to 31st. October.
Bath Croquet Club is always looking to welcome new members and would love to see you at one of the Club Open Days (in support of Dorothy House) on the Rec next to Bath Rugby Ground (just off William Street);
Friday 17th April 5-7pm; Saturday 18th April 10am-12 noon; Wednesday 22nd April 10am-12 noon.
Interested in having a go? Contact petervelda@btinternet.com, call Peter on 01225 867 850 or visit our website at www.bathcroquet.com.
Lynne Passfield
Bath Croquet Club
Triathlon
Dear Editor, The Bath-based charity, I Can & I Am, which helps nurture self-belief in young people, is excited to announce its latest Triathlon-4-All challenge taking place on Saturday 16 May 2026. It is the third time the charity is running this event, which offers a unique opportunity for people of all abilities and ages in the community to come together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience the positivity of taking on and completing a challenge.
Among those taking part will be I Can & I Am’s inspiring founder James Shone, who is registered blind. This has not stopped James from being instrumental in the charity’s energetic fundraising activities, including a gruelling 400km cycle around the circumference of Somerset on a tandem bike, in August 2025.
The Triathlon-4-All is based at Dundas Aqueduct near Bath and consists of cycling, kayaking, and running (or walking). Children are welcome to take part, provided they are accompanied by an adult and are competent cyclists and confident swimmers.
I Can & I Am travels to schools across the South of England delivering sessions aboard its distinctive double-decker buses to educate young people about the importance of self-belief and how they can control it. Sessions begin with cooking pizza downstairs to foster a sense of togetherness and achievement, followed by a small-group workshop upstairs that focuses on inflating the young participants’ ‘balloons’ of self-belief.
The Triathlon-4-All challenge begins with a cycle along Bath’s Two Tunnels path and onward toward Bristol on the Bristol-Bath Railway path. Cyclists can choose a return distance of 10km, 20km, or 40km, or simply turn back when they feel ready. After a picnic lunch at the Dundas Aqueduct, participants will set out in four-person kayaks along the canal toward the Avoncliffe Aqueduct. Distances can be adjusted to suit confidence and experience, and novices will be paired with more experienced paddlers.
The day concludes with a run or walk along the canal back toward Bath. Suggested return distances are 3km, 5km, or 10km, but participants are welcome to enjoy a leisurely stroll.
The day will run from 8:30am to 5:00pm, finishing with a chance to relax and celebrate at the Wheelwright Arms pub. To register your interest, please complete the form: Triathlon-4-All Form which you will find if you search for The I Can & I Am Triathlon-4-All.
Lucy Willia
Bath
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