News, events and schools' information for families across Bath and West Wiltshire

The Bath Festival is coming to the city from 11-27 May and promises a huge amount of music, fun and colour for the whole family.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Party in the City, an almighty celebration of FREE entertainment in central Bath and, this year, it will take place on Friday 18 May from 6pm. The streets, parks and venues in the city will be filled with sound of music so if you like acoustic, jazz, classical, choral, folk, world, indie or pop music come along!

The evening starts with the Schools Commission in Bath Abbey where children will become ‘festival spirits’, celebrating Bath Festivals’ 70th anniversary through song, stories and visual arts. After dark, Queen Square, Parade Gardens and Brunel Square will be alive with music, local food and drink. Indoor events will take place in 34 venues, with 2,000+ performers and, historically, the evening has attracted more than 20,000 people to the city. Party in the City has something for every musical taste so put the date in your diary.

When it comes to family events for the Festival, here are a few of the highlights –

WHOOSH!
12-13 May
Imagine a stage filled with music, where the tiniest breeze becomes a beautiful note… Whoosh! is a multi-sensory show for ages 1-4 years that takes place at the egg theatre and introduces little ears to the power of music. Created by Dutch theatre makers Muziekvoorstelling and Festival 2 Turven Hoog, this unique family theatre experience is a fun-packed feast for your eyes and ears. Price £9

WORDS ON THE STREET
Taking place throughout the Festival and at venues across the city, Words on the Street is a trail of children’s words, stories and poems, celebrating the work created in the projects delivered as part of Paper Nations. There has been some fantastic work happening in schools across the South West and this has been brought together in a trail that makes children and young people’s words and ideas visible to everyone. Pick up a map from the Bath Box Office at Bridgewater House and see if you can find all 10 pieces of writing.

OUTDOOR PROGRAMME
The outdoor stage is back in Southgate featuring music and performances for the whole family. On Saturday 12 May, it is taking inspiration from the Royal Wedding and holding our very own street party. So join us to dance, take a break from your shopping or pull up a deckchair and soak up the festival atmosphere.

PARTY IN THE CITY

Bath Festival opening night 2017


The biggest night of free music in Bath is back on 18 May from 6-11pm, with performers appearing across 35+ venues, as well as on the city streets and our outdoor stages. Festival (Queen) Square and Parade Gardens will be filled with great live music, local food and drink, and you’ll be able to hit one of our festival venues or bars and enjoy the music until the early hours in style.

The night will open with the annual Schools Commission in the Abbey. This year, the magic of the festival has transformed local school children into Festival Spirits. See the children mischievously disrupt and take over a traditional song recital. They will join soprano Elizabeth Karani to become characters from past and future festivals, inspired by material from the festival archives. Working with composer Richard Barnard and artist Edwina Bridgeman, the children will create a brand-new performance and installation piece celebrating 70 years of the festival.

FAMILY ARTS DAY
Calling all families! Come and get creative in Parade Gardens on 20 May from 11am-3pm. Try a new instrument and make some noise, listen to some tall tales in the story tent, or make your own jumble masterpiece. Have a go at our ever-popular musical treasure hunt and listen to up-and-coming performers on the bandstand. You might even see some beautiful dancers appear between the trees. Perfect for families of all ages, don’t miss out on this jam-packed day of fun.
Price Entrance to Parade Gardens (£1.50/£0.80). Free to Discovery Card Holders

CONCERT FOR THE PEOPLE OF BATH
The annual Concert For The People Of Bath takes place on 25 May from 7.30-9.45pm at The Forum, presenting a concert that encourages future generations to develop their love of classical music. A unique evening bringing together the winners of BBC Young Musician of the Year and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Sheku Kanneh-Mason is the epitome of musical charisma and was a smash at the Proms. Cardiff audiences were blown away by Catriona Morison and a major international operatic career beckons. The concert is rounded off by a medley of solos performed by the extraordinary Kanneh-Mason family. Price £34/£28/£22/£18/£15

For more details of upcoming events and to book tickets to the Bath Festival, visit
bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/whats-on/ or call the Box Office on 01225 463362