Bath was filled with famous faces as big names came to the city to delight thousands of their fans for Bath Festivals’ celebration of music and books.
Festival season opened with Party in the City, a massive evening of free music in dozens of venues, which attracted thousands of locals and visitors to Bath city centre.
Ruth Jones, of Gavin and Stacey fame, comedians David Baddiel and Ivo Graham, the Rev Richard Coles, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Countdown’s Susie Dent, gardener Carol Klein and broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Reeta Chakrabarti were among the well-known faces appearing at Bath Literature Festival.
World renowned musicians, pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and classical guitarist Sean Shibe were among the visiting artists at the Bath Music Festival.
Over nine days in May, Bath Literature Festival and Bath Music Festival played host to internationally acclaimed authors and musicians, including Booker Prize winner Sir Ben Okri, Booker nominee German author Daniel Kehlmann, veteran journalist Max Hastings, cellist Guy Johnston – who performed an extraordinary trio of concerts, playing all of Bach’s cello suites – and Stile Antico, making a welcome return to the city.
Many sell-out events included The Salt Path author Raynor Winn, naturalist Robert Macfarlane, actor Martin Clunes and American writer Lionel Shriver. Bath’s beautiful and historic venues were filled with audiences. There was exquisite Renaissance choral singing in Bath Abbey, ribald tales from on and off the rugby pitch with The Good, the Bad and the Rugby featuring Mike Tindall, James Haskell and Alex Payne, and a series of much appreciated cultural lunchtime lectures covering topics including George Orwell, Britain’s coastline and the art of Turner and Constable.
“We were so delighted with the response to our programmes,” said Bath Festivals’ Executive Chair Richard Hall, “Tickets sales were more than 40% up on 2024.”
Bath Festivals, an arts charity, has been putting on arts events in the city since 1948. It attracts music and book lovers from all over the country. This year’s festivals have been supported by Bath BID, The Norie Trust, Re:water, the Yeo Valley Garden Festival, Agriframes, Bath Rugby, Mayden, Bath Box Office, The Forum, Wessex Water, St John’s Foundation, Bath Recreation, Visit West, Kaleidoscope, Visit Bath, Heritage Events, Victoria Art Gallery, Prior Park Garden Centre and the official festival bookseller Waterstones.
The music programme was curated by Artistic Director James Waters, who is also Director at the feted Lammermuir Festival. The literature programme was curated by Festival Director John McLay and guest curator Joe Haddow, BBC Radio 2 Book Club producer. The festival is indebted to its patrons and friends and to the army of volunteers who steward events.
There’s more to come!
The May festivals are over, but there are some cracking events to look forward to this summer. Book now for the following…
- If you enjoyed crime writers Ann Cleeves, Claire Mackintosh and TM Logan at Bath Literature Festival, you’ll want to come and hear award-winning broadcaster Steph McGovern and crime writing royalty Mark Billingham in a crime double bill. Enjoy a lively chat with them about murder, writing stories that grip us from the start, and they’ll be introducing us to their new books.
- Deadline is Steph McGovern’s first book, which comes with a ringing endorsement from her friend Ann Cleeves, while every single one of Mark Billingham’s 24 books have been Sunday Times bestsellers. What The Night Brings is his latest in the popular Tom Thorne series, played on TV by David Morrisey.
- Comedian, actor and successful children’s writer Julian Clary has turned to murder! Join us as he introduces us to the cast of Curtain Call to Murder, with great characters, plenty of suspense, but also Clary’s trademark dry and laugh out loud delivery.
- Lynda La Plante, doyenne of forensic crime fiction and creator of DCI Jane Tennison, played by Helen Mirren in the classic TV series Prime Suspect, brings us a new fascinating female lead, Jessica Russell. La Plante holds the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade, the Diamond Dagger and her latest psychological crime thriller The Scene of the Crime, promises to be another sparkling jewel in her crime writing crown.
- Actor turned bestselling crime writer Richard Armitage joins us shortly after publication of his gripping new psychological thriller, The Cut. If you enjoyed Geneva, his bestseller, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, you’ll want to hear more about The Cut – ‘they say the camera never lies.’
- Katherine Rundell, creator of the hugely successful Impossible Creatures, is back with a second in the series, The Poisoned King. Katherine will be at The Forum on Saturday 13 September. What an exciting curtain raiser for this autumn’s Bath Children’s Literature Festival, which runs from Friday September 26 to Sunday October 5.
Get your tickets
Book tickets online at https://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/whats-on/
Or by phone, 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday: 01225 463362.
Or in person during those hours at Bath Box Office counter, 1a Forum Buildings, St James’ Parade, Bath BA1 1UG.
