The Bath Festival began in 1948. The roots go back still further: Queen Elizabeth I came to hear choirs sing at Bath Abbey in 1668. It is the longest running Festival held in the City. Previously known as The Bath International Music Festival, it was relaunched in 2017 as The Bath Festival. This was due to it being a new multi-arts festival for the city.
It takes place annually over two weeks in late May to early June. It features a wide range of music events. From classical to jazz, to folk and roots, supported with films, talks and dance projects. Featured musicians range from international stars to emerging local artists, both professional and amateur.
The Old Theatre Royal staged occasional festival concerts during the 1950’s and 1960’s. But it wasn’t until 2014 that The Bath Festival again held a series of late night recitals at the venue.
The Bath Festival 2018 delivered 17 days of music and literature events in the city.
It held a new finale weekend on the Rec celebrating Bath Festivals’ 70thanniversary year. The festival brought together some of the world’s leading writers, musicians and cultural figures, for all to enjoy.
Bath’s biggest night of free music, Party in the City, continues each year. This consists of over 2,000 people taking to stages across the city and 20,000 in attendance.
Throughout Bath Festival’s history their main purpose has been to involve all people. Most importantly, The Bath Festival is excited about what can happen in the spaces between music, literature and other art forms.
The festival is also a platform for the voices of young people. They run a year-round education programme providing creative opportunities every year. They empower young people to become confident and creative individuals, putting their ideas at the heart of the festival’s projects.