Bath Festival celebrates 70th anniversary, May 11-27 2018

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Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, The Bath Festival returns as a 17-day multi-arts festival with over 180 events from May 11 to 27 2018.

World class musicians, writers and cultural figures will come to the city to offer classical, jazz and folk music alongside literary discussions, intelligent debate, family events and free entertainment.

The festival finale on May 26 and 28 on Bath Recreation Ground will showcase rock and pop legends such as Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Tears for Fears, Alison Moyet, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Imelda May, Midge Ure and Seth Lakeman on the main stage, with a plethora of entertainment in the big top, bandstand, children’s field and in poets corner.

Amanda Palmer
The Forum, May 11
Singer-songwriter and bestselling author Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls, Evelyn Evelyn) headlines the opening night of The Bath Festival with her unique brand of punk cabaret. In 2016, Palmer appeared on the BBC Proms to celebrate the life and music of David Bowie.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
The Forum, May 12
Hailed as ‘cultural ambassadors’ by Nelson Mandela and gaining global acclaim for their collaboration on Paul Simon’s Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been singing powerful, uplifting songs that give voice to the struggles and passion of South Africa for fifty years.

Apples and Snakes present: Speak Out
The Egg, May 15
Presented by Bristol poet Malaika Kegode (Milk Poetry), Speak Out is an evening of spoken word poetry celebrating LGBTQ+ voices, and features a powerful quartet of queer poets headlined by Joelle Taylor.

Ben Okri
Masonic Hall, May 16
In new anthology Rise Like Lions, Booker-Prize winning Ben Okri explores the impact political poems have on ideas, vision, protest, change and truth. From rallying cries to lyrics and meditations, these poems have resonated with readers across the generations.

Professor Green
The Forum, May 17
Having battled anxiety and depression from an early age, Professor Green has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of mental health issues. This exclusive interview explores his youth in East London, his stellar career as a musician and his most recent Channel 4 documentary, Working Class White Men.

Ben Folds and a Piano
The Forum, May 24
Multi-platinum selling singer, songwriter and producer Folds goes back to basics in this intimate performance of new tracks and old favourites. With just a piano and his distinctive voice, Ben will dip into his enormous body of genre-bending music for this uniquely personal performance.

Robert Webb
Assembly Rooms, May 24
For comedian and writer Robert Webb, the ‘rules’ of being a man aren’t that straightforward. Hilarious and heartbreaking, his runaway bestseller How Not To Be a Boy explores the lessons we learn as sons and fathers.

A Concert for the People of Bath
The Forum, May 25
Bath Philharmonia join the winners of BBC Young Musician of the Year and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Sheku Kanneh-Mason is the epitome of musical charisma and was a smash at the Proms. Cardiff audiences were blown away by Catriona Morison – a major operatic career beckons.

Nikesh Shukla
Assembly Rooms, May 24
When Nikesh Shukla crowdfunded his anthology, The Good Immigrant, he wanted to make space for a new narrative around race and immigration. He’s now regularly featured as a top cultural change-maker – and he’s still writing novels.

Finale Weekend
Recreation Ground, May 26 & 27
Tears For Fears, Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Imelda May (pictured top), Alison Moyet, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and other well known musicians and performance artists will perform on Bath Recto celebrate the 70th anniversary of Bath Festivals.

For full listings and tickets, visit thebathfestival.org.uk