Festivals By Month / festivals 2017
8 festivals happening in October 2017
Local
Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Sept 29-Oct 8
Bath
www.bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature
Literature
Family friendly
27th running for the largest fest of its kind in the UK. Big names include David Baddiel, Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen and Jacqueline Wilson. Expect lots of author readings, book signings, craft activities and quizzes.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Oct 6-15
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Price: various
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/
Literature
Family friendly
Recommended
Another high-calibre events from the Cheltenham festival stable. There will be appearances from more than 1000 of the world’s most rated writers, actors, politicians, poets, sports folks and opinion formers, collectively boasting a distinctly all-ages appeal: Salman Rushdie, Miranda Hart, Matt Lucas, Robert Webb, Nadiya Hussain, Simon Schama, Harry Enfield, Michael Parkinson etc.
Festival of the Future City
Oct 18-20
Bristol
Price: various
www.ideasfestival.co.uk/seasons/festival-future-city
Recommended
Properly stimulating thoughts on the future via talks, walks, exhibitions, etc from 150+ include writers, artists, scientists, academics, journalists, economists, futurists, policy makers, roboticists, philosophers, think-tanks, filmmakers, more.
Harmonica Festival
Oct 27-29
Folk House, Bristol
Price: £30 (weekend day ticket)
www.harmonica.co.uk
Everything the harmonica devotee could wish for: star guests, workshops and tutorials, jam sessions, contests and trade stands. Just don’t call it a mouth organ.
Simple Things
Oct 21
Bristol
Price: £35
www.simplethingsfestival.co.uk
Recommended
Spreading out over the city for a seventh year comes one of the festival circuit’s most judiciously programmed events. Headline acts include Metronomy, Wild Beasts and Leftfield playing their ground-breaking album Leftism in full.
National
Looe Music Festival
Sept 29-Oct 1
Looe
Price: £99 w/e
www.looemusic.co.uk
Two musical confirmations at press time and, in fairness, the Venn diagram of people keen to see to both isn’t likely to be populous: The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Lulu. A splendid site finds the event spreading across the town and out over the beach.
London Film Festival
Oct 4-15
London
Price: various
www.bfi.org.uk/lff
Recommended
Film
The European premiere of Breathe, a heart-warming tale of bravery, will open the festival this year. Not much more info as we go to press, but last year saw 397 features and short films shown via 587 screenings at 16 venues across the capital.
We Love the 70s
Oct 6-9
Minehead
Price: £95 w/e
www.bigweekends.com/your-break/165809
Not exactly sure how lining up tributes to Abba and The Carpenters expresses 70s love, but we guess the booking season is but young for an October fest.
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