What's On in Bedford
Things to do in and around Bedford: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.
Top story
What's On in Bedford: the Blues Fireworks Are Dated, and a Halloween Circus
Bedford Blues fireworks are confirmed for Friday 6 November at £9, Russell's Halloween Circus opens on 23 October, plus 38 more dated listings to 8 November.
Dates for the diary
- Tue 29 Sep Mistero Buffo, Rhum + Clay
- Wed 30 Sep Bedford town centre market
- Thu 1 Oct Kempston Market
- Thu 1 Oct Turning Disaster into Triumph: the Sutton medieval pottery kiln
- Thu 1 Oct Philharmonia Orchestra: Beethoven's Fifth with Delyana Lazarova
- Fri 2 Oct Puggle Club for under-5s
- Fri 2 Oct Loughborough Lightning v Saracens Women
- Sat 3 Oct Bedford parkrun
- Sat 3 Oct Fun Palaces at The Higgins
- Sat 3 Oct Bedford Town v Wingate & Finchley, FA Cup
- Sat 3 Oct Africa Live: Folksongs from Southern Africa
- Sat 3 Oct Sky Full of Stars: a tribute to Coldplay
More stories
Remembrance
Bedford Remembrance Sunday 2026: 8 November, Embankment
Bedford's Remembrance Sunday service is at the Embankment war memorial at 11am; arrive by 10.40am. 2026 falls on 8 November, Armistice Day on Wednesday 11th.
Christmas
Bedford Santa Run 2026: Sunday 13 December, £10 with suit
Keech Hospice's Santa Run is on Bedford Embankment on Sunday 13 December at 11am: 5k or one 2.5k lap, £10 adults with a Santa suit, £30 for a family.
Christmas
Shuttleworth in Lights 2026: dates, £17 tickets, free market
Shuttleworth in Lights runs on 12 nights from 4 December to 3 January, from £17. Plus a free Christmas market on 5 and 6 December and fireworks on 7 November.
Bedford Park
Madness at Bedford Park 2027: Tickets On Sale Friday 10am
Madness play Bedford Park on 2 July 2027 with Scouting for Girls. General tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 25 September, and four-day passes start at £199.
Black History Month
Quarry Theatre Bedford: Marimba Band on 3 October, From £10
Otto and the Mutapa Calling play their first Bedford show at the Quarry Theatre on Saturday 3 October at 7:30pm. Tickets £19, £16 seniors, £10 children.
Kempston
Kempston Art Trail: Free River Ouse Event, 11am-4pm Sunday
A free art trail along the Great Ouse at Kempston Mill runs 11am to 4pm this Sunday, 13 September, and launches the town's new environmental charter.
Bonfire Night
Bedford Fireworks 2026: Blues Display Not Dated Yet
Bedford's big display is the Blues fireworks and funfair at Goldington Road. The 2026 date is not announced. The fixture list points to Friday 6 November, and tickets never go on sale at the gate.
Christmas
Bedford Christmas Lights Switch-On: 2026 Date Not Set
Bedford's free switch-on is run by the council in Harpur Square, always on a Saturday in late November. The 2026 date is not published yet, and the council's own Christmas page is still offline.
Christmas
Bedford Panto 2026: Jack and the Beanstalk, 21 Shows
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Bedford Corn Exchange from 19 to 31 December 2026, 21 performances, tickets from £20.25. There is one relaxed performance, on Monday 28 December.
Running
Bedford Half Marathon: 1 November 2026, Entries Open
The ATW Bedford Half Marathon and 10k runs on Sunday 1 November 2026 from Russell Park. Entries are open at £41 and £33, the course is traffic-free, and there is no event parking.
Clapham
Twinwood Festival 2026: Gate Times, Parking and Line-Up
Gates open 10.30am each day from Friday 28 August, parking is free and Friday is in the four-day ticket for the first time. Plus the sat nav trap at Clapham.