What's On in Bedford
Bedford is such a busy, bright and caring community, there's something on every day across many cultures, sports, the arts, community, SEND and so much more for tourists and locals alike. We've compiled a list of What's On websites for you to visit and bookmark if the content resonates with you. Check out their social media platforms shown below each listing.
Key:
Online
Local Council Markets and Events
Bedford Flea
Guided Walks, Tours & River Cruises
Sports
News and Radio
Theatre, Museums, Music & Cinema
Online Guide
Eventbright has all the latest regular and one-off events listed across Bedford Borough and in the town centre.
Online Guide
Tripadvisor is a fantastic resource for discovering fun things to do in Bedford town and in the surrounding area. From boat rides to birds of prey, country parks to museums and art galleries.
Online Guide
Love Bedford is the place to visit to find out what's on in Bedford Town Centre. There's a list of town centre businesses and general information about parking, shopping and things to do in Bedford.
Free Monthly Event
Bedford Flea, Affordable Art & Local Produce Market takes place usually on St Paul's Square on the second Sunday of the month from April to December. Mark the dates in your diary as you won't want to miss this truly lovely event.
Local Council
This wonderful museum houses historical artefacts from Bedford's local area. There's art galleries that house visiting collections of important art from around the world, as well as exhibitions held by artists and creatives from the local area. Also fantastic events and workshops for children.
Local Council
Bedford Borough Council have a fabulous events team who organise festivals and events throughout the year. Visit this page for a calendar of events in Bedford's parks. Don't forget to get your tickets for Bedford Summer Sessions.
Local Council
Bedford River Festival takes place every two years. The next festival is in July 2026. Find out more about the activities and celebration to see if you'd like to take part or visit in 2026.
Local Council
The Kite & Motoring Festival takes place in June every other year. The next event takes place on 21st & 22nd June from 10am to 4pm. The festival is based in Russell Park with an abundance of vintage and classic cars attending along The Embankment and Mill Meadows.
Local Council
Bedford Borough Family Hubs have a calendar of events and activities for parents of babies and children of all ages and abilities, both inside and outdoors.
Local Council
Sport and physical activity encourage positivity, stimulate brain activity and contribute to good health.
The Mindful Sport programme aims to improve the mental health of people in the community through social physical activity sessions.
The activities help people who may be experiencing anxiety, stress, depression and other similar conditions.
Local Council
Bedford Markets boast an eclectic mix of stalls including fresh foods, world cuisine, baked goods, clothing, fabrics and homewares, which are all situated in the buzzing town centre.
The traditional Charter Markets are held every Wednesday and Saturday in Bedford on St Paul's Square with an additional general market held on Fridays. Plus there's lovely Spring Craft Markets on the second Saturday of the month from April to October on Silver Street.
Local Guided Tours
Bedford Association of Tour Guides offer many guided tours around the town centre and along The Embankment from April to October. The small group tours highlight Bedford's rich historic past and heros that are remembered for their dedication to humanity and bravery, such as John Bunyan.
Local River Cruises
The John Bunyan 2025 cruise season starts in April and finishes in September. Their 2025 Public Cruise Brochure is now available to download.
The John Bunyan Community Boat offers a range of scenic river cruises along the River Great Ouse in Bedford from April to October, enabling both local people and visitors to Bedford to access the wonderful river environment.
Local Sport
The official website of Bedford Town Football Club with news, fixtures, player profiles, match highlights and more!
Local Sport
Real Bedford FC's website features their home men's and women's fixtures, results, table, training and much more!
Local Sport
Bedford Blues are a semi-professional rugby union club in the town, currently playing in the RFU Championship. Visit the site for fixtures and events.
Local Sports Centre
You’ll find an extensive range of activities and facilities for everyone. Whether you want to train at their gym which features over 60 stations or join a fitness class, you can get active with them. From group cycle and yoga to Zumba, discover what’s on offer in their cycle studio and fitness class studio. Or why not enjoy a swim in one of their three pools? Start your fitness journey today, with a variety of membership options available to get you started.
Local Free Magazine
BedsLife is a fab A5 colour magazine delivered to approximately 47,000 homes in the Bedford area. If you're not in the catchment, you can read the latest issues for BedsLife North and South online.
Local What's On Guide
The Clanger is Bedford Independent's fabulous cultural What's On Guide, which is also distributed around town as a beautifully designed paper copy. You can view The Bedford Clanger online.
Local BBC Radio
BBC Three Counties Radio covers Beds, Herts and Bucks. Tune in using BBC Sounds app for the latest news and what's on in the Bedfordshire area.
Local Independent Radio
Bedford Radio is the local radio station for Bedford. You can listen to them on DAB, online via their website, Radioplayer app, or by telling your smart speaker to play Bedford Radio.
Local Independent Radio
In2beats was started to allow Djs from all genres who play urban music to promote themselves and their associated events. Further, they also promote club and underground house, R&B, hip-hop, grime, garage, drum & bass plus anything associated with the music industry.
Local TV
BBC local TV news covering Bedfordshire, Bucks and Herts. BBC News is recognised by audiences around the world as a provider of news that you can trust.
Local Newspaper
Bedford Today is a local online newspaper for Bedford. Times & Citizen is their local newspaper delivered to homes in the area.
Local Music Venue
Bedford Esquires; one of the UK’s most beloved grassroots music venues is in Bedford. Totally independent, and with three rooms each offering something different – from indie rock to electronica, metal to jazz, hip-hop to folk, they’ve been at the forefront of the UK music scene since 1990!’
Local Theatre
Bedford Corn Exchange was opened in 1874 and was originally designed to be a concert venue and meeting space, as well as a place of business. Today it's a fabulous venue for theatre, events and private functions.
Local Museum
The Panacea Museum tells the story of the Panacea Society – a remarkable religious community formed in the early twentieth century.
The Panacea Museum is in ‘Castleside’, a beautiful Victorian house that was part of the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups.
Local Theatre
Since it opened in 2003, The Place Bedford has developed a reputation among local audiences as one of the best places to see high-quality and cutting-edge professional theatre, as well as being the home of Bedford’s best amateur and community-led theatre companies.
Local Theatre
Located on St. Peter's Street, in the heart of Bedford, The Quarry Theatre is a performing arts facility for Bedford School and the town. It's also home to the hugely popular Bedfringe Festival.
Local Cinema
Vue Cinema is located in the Riverside area of the town centre. It's a great cinema with a wide range of films and is open late at night. They also have special screenings and discount school holiday and Saturday films for young children.