Pick of Diary Events in Bath
Sat 1 Aug. Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI). Keepsake Family History workshop – a BRLSI members’ event. Led by Sam & Sarah, Co-founders of Keepsake. 10am-1pm. Free. BRLSI Members’ Event. Build an ancestor biography with the Keepsake Family History app! Keepsake is a new app that turns family memories, records, and photos into beautifully crafted ancestor biographies. Read more about Keepsake and how it works here. This free guided session will be led by Keepsake founders Sam & Sarah, who will show you how to turn a ‘box of memories’ about one ancestor into the beginnings of an immersive biography. This event is for BRLSI members only. BRLSI 6-18 Queen Square, Bath. More at https://www.brlsi.org/
Thu 6 Aug. Toppings Book Shop: Charles Cumming for ICARUS 17. 7pm. Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath. Doors Open 6.30pm. His latest novel in his bestselling Box 88 series. We follow Lachlan Kite, recruited from school into a shadowy espionage group that operates outside of the law and is hardly known by MI6 and the CIA. Moving through the 90s to the present day, we follow this man’s personal journey, and an up-close portrayal of spycraft’s role in the major geopolitical events of the last few decades.
Fri 7-Sat 8 August. Holburne Museum. Garden Theatre: Northanger Abbey. 7-9:30pm. Book online. Tickets £22. Suitable for all ages. Wheelchair accessible. Moving Parts Theatre Company brings you Jane Austen’s Gothic Comedy come Romance in a new adaptation, written and co-created by Joanna Nevin, Martin South and Simona Hughes, with an original score of music by Tamara Douglas-Morris and movement direction by Nevena Stojkov, follows the fortunes of young Catherine Morland, a wild devotee of “horrid” fiction. Growing up in a world of balls, bonnets and Bath society, Catherine dreams of discovering secrets, skeletons, and ancient mysteries. This is an outdoor theatre event. Full details of each show at https://holburne.org/
Sat 8 Aug. The Forum. The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain • 5-7pm. Tickets £11.55.See https://bathforum.co.uk/whats-on For over 70 years, The NYBBGB has nurtured Britain’s brightest young brass and percussion talent, providing world-class musical education, performance opportunities and mentorship. Following three sell-out concerts in 2025, The NYBBGB – comprising over 90 of the country’s most talented young musicians – returns to the stage for this summer’s spectacular performance. This concert will be led by guest conductor Lieutenant Colonel Lauren Petritz-Watts, a former NYBBGB member and current Principal Director of Music (Army) in the Royal Corps of Army Music. Inspired by the theme Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, the concert programme will feature a mix of stirring classics, dazzling solos and world premières, including brand new works by renowned British composer Simon Dobson and The NYBBGB’s President, Maestro Martyn Brabbins. Following an intensive week of tuition and rehearsals at Taunton School, this concert offers a rare chance to witness the next generation of Britain’s finest young brass and percussion players performing at the highest level.
Sat 8 Aug. Christ Church: Silent Film Night. 7pm. A unique evening of Buster Keaton and other silent films, with improvised live accompaniment from virtuosic organist David Bednall from Bristol. David has a particular interest in improvisation and is excited to return to Christ Church in Julian Road. Programme includes: One Week (1920) written and directed by and starring Buster Keaton (20 mins)A newly-married couple build their first home from a DIY flat-pack – what could possibly go wrong? And Sherlock Junior (1924) directed by and starring Buster Keaton (45 mins). A cinema projectionist has ambitions to be a private detective. Plus Frankenstein (1910) J. Searle Dawley/Edison Studios (12 mins)The first screen adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel, notable for its special effects and use of colour filters. Bar available. A collaboration with the Museum of Bath at Work.
Sun 9 Aug. American Museum and Gardens at Claverham: Garden Theatre – The Jungle Book. 6:30pm. Immersion Theatre with new musical adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Filled with original music, audience interaction, and a host of larger-than-life characters, you are invited to join Mowgli and his friends, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, on a madcap jungle adventure as they meet and attempt to outwit a slithering snake, some cheeky monkeys, and the fierce tiger, Shere Khan! Gates open at 5.30pm with a start time of 6.30pm and due to anticipated numbers, this performance will take place on the South Lawn. The performance will go ahead in all but the most extreme weather event so please make sure you bring appropriate clothing and don’t forget to bring a chair or blanket to sit on. A bar and BBQ will be available from 5.30pm. Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD Tickets and info at https://www.americanmuseum.org/
Wed 12 Aug. Widcombe Wayfarers Walking Wednesdays. Join us for a friendly stroll in our local landscape. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at 10am at the west end of Widcombe Parade. Walks last between 1-2 hours and are medium paced. Come dressed for the weather, with suitable footwear and be prepared for a few climbs. Registration not necessary – just turn up! See https://www.widcombeassociation.org.uk/pages/3-events
Fri 14 Aug. Brickfields and Sandpits Tree Walk. 2pm. Meet at Moorland Road, BA2 3LJ. Tickets £6.50. A walk linking a play area with a cemetery and everything in between! Learn about the trees now growing where industrial Bath once dominated. This walk follows a route around the Moorland Road area and Brickfields Park and as well as identifying significant urban trees, includes some history of Bath’s industrial past. The walk will be led by Hugh Williamson, a member of Bath Urban Treescape. The trail is on roads, footpaths and green spaces and covers about 2 miles of reasonably flat walking. Assistant dogs and dogs under close control are welcome. All children under 16 must be accompanied. Any foraging by participants is done at their own risk
Fri 14 Aug. Bath Abbey. Lunchtime Recital – Serenade Strings. 1-2pm. Amanda Aston Msc, Grad Dip Theol. Is passionate about Christian worship and plays violin at Bath Abbey, and for the RUH. She has been playing in the Bath Abbey worship team, at weddings and also lunchtime recitals for a decade. She has played regularly at St Michael’s Without and St. Swithin’s in Bath and Vineyard West Wilts. She also teaches adults violin and has formed the first community Violin Ensemble for the University of the Third Age in Bath; “Simply Strings U3a”. Recital included with general admittance ticket.
Fri 14 Aug. Chapel Arts. Littlemen. 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm £12.60 Advance. UK alternative rock band Littlemen, based in Bath, are stepping into a powerful new chapter as they prepare to release new material alongside a striking live recording from the legendary Real World Studios—the iconic studio founded by Peter Gabriel—mixed at NAM Studios. At the heart of Littlemen is frontman Nick, a musician whose career spans over four decades and touches…. See https://chapelarts.org/events/
Sat 15 Aug. Bear Flat Community Market. 9.30am-12.30pm. Methodist Church Hall, Bruton Avenue. Includes a Share & Repair event on Saturday where we will have our busy cafe with fresh coffee and homemade cakes and savouries plus a range of fresh artisan bread from Lievito Bakery inc sourdoughs and focaccia at very good value. Plus the book stall with a fresh supply of good reading material for charity.
Sat 15 Aug. Bath Racecourse. Rum & Reggae Racenight. Caribbean feel for the horse racing evening. Children 17 free when accompanied by an adult. Children do not require a ticket in advance and a free ticket will be issued on the day. Concessions discounts are only available on the day. First race at 5.45pm. Tickets from £32.See https://www.bath-racecourse.co.uk/
Sun 16 Aug. Widcombe Social Club film night. 6.30pm. Off the Wall Films present: Women at War. (Kona fer í stríð). Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland, 2018, 101m, 12A, sub-titles. The uneventful routines of cycling cheerily around Reykjavik, practising Tai-Chi and leading the local choir disguise 50-yr-old Halla’s hidden life as ‘The Woman of the Mountain,’ a passionate environmental activist waging a war against the local aluminium industry. She cleverly and consistently outwits the authorities and as her actions grow bolder, from petty vandalism to outright industrial sabotage, she succeeds in pausing the negotiations between the Icelandic government and the corporation building a new aluminium smelter. But, just as she begins planning her biggest and boldest operation yet, she receives an unexpected letter that changes everything. Tickets: £9/£7 (WSC members). www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk
Tue 18 Aug. St Mary’s Church, Bathwick. Baroque Bridges with the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble. Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime performance of Baroque and Early Classical music by the combined forces of award-winning chamber group Ensemble Hesperi and the renowned South African Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble. 7.30pm. Tickets £21.50 / £16.50.
Sat 22 Aug. Museum of Bath at Work. Screening: Two and Two Makes Six. 6.30 pm (doors open 6pm). £10. Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath BA1 2RH. Believing he killed a fellow officer, an Air Force corporal (George Chakiris) stationed in Britain flees the police. Released in 1962 and starring George Chakiris (who had just finished filming West Side Story as Bernardo, leader of the Sharks gang), the plot turns on two couples on motorbikes at a transport café, where the girls (not recognising their boyfriends in leathers and helmets) get on the bike of the other’s boyfriend … Romantic confusion all round, and they go to ‘Sevenhills’ (Bath) and ‘Westport’ (Bristol) – some great location sequences in both places. Tickets £10 on the door- Secure your space for free on Eventbrite.
Sat 22 Aug. Holburne Museum. Bath Pride. All day. Bath Pride celebrates the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in Bath and commemorates the queer history all around us.
Fri 28 Aug. American Museum and Gardens at Claverham. Garden Lates – The Strays. A lively mix of Americana, country, blues and soft rock, driven by three-part harmonies and an infectious, feel-good sound.
Fri 28 Aug. Komedia. Live Music from Doreen Doreen: Step into the vibrant world of Doreen Doreen, where every performance is a kaleidoscope of glitter, glamour, and unbridled entertainment. Born in the heart of Bristol’s eclectic music scene, Doreen Doreen emerged in 1982 as a dynamic force of creativity and flair. Forget everything you know about typical 10-piece cover bands; Doreen Doreen is a breed apart seamlessly blending Abba with Queen, Eurythmics with Erasure, and even Adele with The Beatles. 8-10pm. Tickets from £25.
Thu 3 Sep. Museum of Bath at Work. Bath Railway Society talk. 7.30pm. Scenic Britain by Train by Stephen Gay. Join Stephen and his faithful German Shepherd Wrawby on a selection of their favourite railway journeys and adventures in England, Scotland and Wales over the last 10 years, with historical information, a few poetry readings and many laughs along the way. Non-members are welcome. For more visit https://www.bathrailwaysociety.co.uk/
Fri 11 Sep. Theatre Royal Bath. Talk on Jane Austen – Courtship with Kim Hicks: https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ Part of the Jane Austen Festival. 12 noon. Kim Hicks performs her internationally acclaimed solo show, the longest running Jane Austen show in the world! With wonderful renditions of well known passages from the novels less familiar works, Kim reacquaints you with Austen’s beautifully drawn characters. Tickets £18.
Fri 25 Sep – Sun 4 Oct. Bath Children’s Literature Festival 2026. Tickets go on general sale Friday 3 July, 10am: bathboxoffice.org.uk/bclf-b51 Bath Children’s Literature is supported, for the second year, by Longleat, the Wiltshire stately home and safari park. It is celebrating its 60 th anniversary this year of being the first drive-through safari park outside Africa. Waterstones is the festival’s official bookseller. The UK’s biggest stand alone children’s book festival is part of arts charity Bath.
Sat 3 Oct. Bath City Farm. Autumn Fayre. Delicious food and of course the best views in Bath plus much more with stalls and entertainment at the Autumn Fayre. 11am-3pm. Free.
Pick of Diary Events outside Bath
22-23 Aug. Auto Retro Festival at Stockton Park, Wiltshire. The Auto Retro Festival celebrates Modern classics & sports cars from the 80’s to the 00’s! Saturday or Sunday are the main display days. Its £5.00 per person if arriving in classic for the day. Sat 9am – midnight, Sun 9am to 4pm. See www.theautoretrofestival.co.uk
Sat 29-Mon 31 Aug. Wells Bishop’s Palace, Somerset. History Alive: Medieval Re-enactment weekend at The Bishop’s Palace. Across the historical Palace grounds, visitors can explore a bustling encampment and experience what life may have been like in medieval England. From domestic crafts and camp cooking to military drills and skirmishes, this family-friendly event brings history vividly to life through sight, sound and atmosphere. See https://bishopspalace.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
Friday, August 7 to Sunday, August 9. The Bristol International Balloon Ashton Court Park. Europe’s largest hot air ballooning event, held annually. Free entry on foot so take the train or bus – parking is charged and beware of the queues at peak times before and after the dawn and dusk ascents and the night glow. Tickets and info at https://www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk/.
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
Email him at news@bathvoice.co.uk Bath website: https://bathvoice.co.uk/news/
Bath Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/bdtf2kep Also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bath_voice And Bluesky @bathvoicenews.bsky.social And also on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/harrymottram6/
Harry Mottram is a freelance journalist has his own website with more stories on a variety of subjects at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/ and has a strong social media presence – check out his work.
Read the newspaper online at :https://issuu.com/bathvoice
To advertise to thousands of Bathonians call Shaun on 07540 383870 or email him on sales@bathvoice.co.uk