A summer full of festivals and entertainment!

Bath comes alive in summer with an exciting mix of outdoor theatre, music festivals and community celebrations.

Here's a breakdown of everything you can expect this summer. Please check the linked pages for the latest information, as timings and locations may change.

Major Events 

Bath Boules🪩

A popular, 4-day French street boules tournament held in Queen Square. Bath Boules features food, drinks and lively crowds, and proceeds from tickets go to local charities. It's held from 2 to 5 July, it's the Dream of Le Summer!

Bath Carnival🎡

The Bath Carnival is a free community festival that brings thousands of people to the city centre with vibrant parades, live music, dance performances and giant puppets! The main festivities take place in Sydney Gardens on Saturday 11 July.

The Garden Theatre Festival🎭

The Garden Theatre Festival is back from 2 to 26 July. It's set on the picturesque grounds of the Holburne Museum, featuring outdoor productions of Sense and Sensibility and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Bath on the Beach 🏖️

Relax in the city's largest pop-up beer garden, complete with palm trees, mini-golf, beach volleyball, and summer cocktails. It'll feel like you're on holiday without the big spending!

Theatre & Arts

Theatre Royal🎬

The summer season is packed with productions at Theatre Royal, including Jon Cleese's new Fawlty Towers stage play. They also offer student discounts on specific shows, such as 50% off offers for under-21s!

The Mission Theatre🍿

For smaller-scale productions, The Mission Theatre has viewings of shows like the Tudor musical comedy King of Fools. They usually offer student rates on tickets, typically discounted by 20-30%. 

Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

Bath Pride returns on Saturday 22 August for its 3rd year! The theme this year is 'Stand Up, Show Up', a call for solidarity and to remind the public that Pride is more than a celebration. It's about being present, supporting one another, and creating spaces where everyone feels safe and seen.

The march kicks off at 12pm, with Pride in the Park to follow at 1:30pm. There is also The Late Stage (18+) in the evening from 6pm.

For more information about Bath Pride, please see their website.

Summer can feel quite different for students staying in their university town, with generally less activity on campus and fewer students in Bath - you may feel bored or lonely, but luckily, plenty is going on in Bath around you. Take yourself to the theatre or on a solo date to a coffee shop - romanticise it, and it'll become easier!

If you want to see what else you can get up to this summer, check out our guides on day trips in Somerset, and attractions in Bath.