Comeback festival line-up’s revealed
The full line up of the Bath Festival has been released with a jam-packed week planned in May.
The festival was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic but will now take place from May 17 to May 24.
The festival, which has been running for 70 years, is offering a range of concerts, theatre, talks, and poetry readings as well as its finale weekend concert featuring Mcfly and UB40.
Highlights of the week include author Dr Rachel Clarke, Ted Hughes Award winning poet Hollie Mcnish, comedian Tez Ilyas and the unique setting of the Roman Baths will provide the atmospheric backdrop for a concert from the internationally acclaimed vocal group The Gesualdo Six.
Ian Stockley, Bath Festivals’ chief executive, said: “The Bath Festivals team has worked long and hard to bring audiences a festival for our times.
“They have meticulously planned how to work under current government guidelines, protecting the safety of our audiences and artists.
Mr Stockley continued: “During this shared experience of the pandemic, the role of the arts has more than ever highlighted what makes us human and how vital music and books are to our lives.
“We are very proud to present this unique hybrid programme which will both delight live audiences but also showcase our World Heritage city to the rest of the watching world.”
Unlike many festivals that have to construct their own villages, this festival uses the cities historic buildings like the Assembly Rooms, Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths and The Forum.
Those who may not be able to gather in person will be able to enjoy The Bath Festival At Home selection of events at their own leisure with a feast for the eyes, ears, and minds.
The live events will see some of the brightest talents from the worlds of music and books, along with discussions about the big issues of our time. Listen to bestselling authors and experts in their field sharing their experiences.
What is on at Bath Festival? Highlights include:
■ Dr Rachel Clarke, author of Breathtaking, an unflinching insider’s account of medicine in the time of coronavirus.
■ Ted Hughes Award winner poet Hollie Mcnish, whose live readings are mesmerising. Hollie will be reading from her muchanticipated new collection: Slug...and other things I’ve been told to hate.
■ Working from Home: How to Survive and Thrive. 2020 saw huge numbers of us suddenly adapt to entirely new ways of working. Speaker, career coach and journalist Harriet Minter shares funny, practical advice, hard-won tricks, tips and tools.
■ Comedian Tez Ilyas talks about his life as a young British Muslim growing up in a time of race riots, fear and prejudice.
■ The unique setting of the Roman Baths will provide the atmospheric backdrop for a concert from the internationally acclaimed vocal group The Gesualdo Six.
■ Two series of guided walks, one to explore the influences on Mary Shelley that inspired her to start writing Frankenstein during her time in Bath, the other, commissioned by The Bath Festival, is a delicious Regency romp through the streets in the footsteps of the Netflix sensation Bridgerton.
■ Kadiatu Kanneh-mason, mother of seven young classical musicians, the Kanneh-masons, brings two of her celebrated offspring to perform as she talks about what it is like to raise such a remarkable family, following the release of her memoir The House of Music.
■ Much-loved entertainer Mel Giedroyc, inset left, talks to Fran Beauman about her debut novel The Best Things, a big-hearted story of a family on the brink, that’s as warm and witty as Mel herself.
■ The Bath Festival Orchestra, created to foster emerging talent in classical music, will play in Bath Abbey and at Green Park Station. The orchestra’s concert will be the first live performance in the abbey, which has been closed for major refurbishment, for two years. This performance will be recorded by BBC Radio3.
■ The Sunday Times No1 bestseller Caroline Hirons, Skincare Queen and beauty blogger with over 1 million social media followers, will be sharing some of the billion-pound beauty industry’s secrets as she explores the facts, the myths and the best way to get good skin on any budget.
■ The Bath Festival Finale Weekend on Bath Rec has been rescheduled from 2020 and will now take place over the weekend of 7 and 8 August. This family-friendly music festival will see Mcfly, supported by Scouting for Girls, topping the bill on the Saturday, while on the Sunday UB40 (featuring Ali Campbell and Astro) will be supported by Billy Ocean, inset. Tickets are available now.
Live events will be filmed and will be available digitally post festival as The Bath Festival At Home.
To find out the full line-up for each day, go to the website - www.thebathfestival.org.uk.
For tickets, which go on general release from Tuesday, April 13, go to the website above or call 01225 463362.