Bath Entertainment

Bath is the jewel of the West Country. Whether you come for the graceful Georgian architecture, the independent shops and restaurants or the thriving arts scene, you are guaranteed a welcome as warm as the hot spring water which gives the city its name. Pubs, clubs and various music and comedy venues are plentiful. Around every corner you can find excellent dining options, and if youre bent on shopping, you cant go wrong. The city has all the big names as well as a complete range of independent merchants, all within easy walking distance of one another.

Nightlife

There is a definite shortage of cutting edge nightclubs in Bath. Expect commercial dance on popular nights. Serious clubbers travel to Bristol or London. QUBE is the place to be on a Monday or a Thursday night. Delfter Krug, with cool house tunes and a great bar, is situated opposite the Theatre Royal and occasionally gets top-class DJs. Babylon near the central bus station plays underground hip-hop and attracts some big names. Moles nightclub attracts some of the best national bands around. If jazz is your thing, check out Jazz at the Braz at weekends at Green Park Brasserie. Evenings at the Hat and Feather pub in Walcot or the Porter Cellar Bar on George Street feature live music most nights.

Theatre and music

Whatever your musical taste it'll be catered for here, and often for free. Bath has a surprising number of classical music groups and orchestras, and no week passes without several performances. Opening Night and the biggest free party in Bath brings musicians from all genres together for a night to remember. The main stage usually hosts more mainstream music, with anything from chamber music and brass bands to jazz soloists and African mood music. The bandstand plays host to indie, rock, world music, cover bands and everything in between. The evening finishes with a spectacular firework display over the Royal Crescent. Classical musicians tend to gather around the Abbey, leaving the shopping area free for contemporary musicians.

The historic Theatre Royal in the Sawclose near the city centre opened in 1805, and offers a rich programme of drama and other entertainment throughout the year, ranging from traditional pantomime at Christmas to Ayckbourn, folk singers, opera and Shakespeare. Programmes in the past few years have included a summer season mounted by the distinguished director Peter Hall.

In addition to the main house, Theatre Royal has two smaller performance spaces: Ustinov Studio and a new theatre for children, The Egg. There is also the amateur run Rondo Theatre at Larkhall. The Rondo programme is not quite so regular, but the standards are high and the bar is next to the seating area so you can drink as you watch.

Festivals

Although famous for its hot springs, Bath offers a range of festivals that attract millions of visitors each year including:

• Children's Art Festival at Victoria Park is a feel good festival that never fails to capture the imagination of both children and adults. The festival boasts a different theme each year, but the focus is always on fun and creativity. Here youll find jugglers, story-tellers, circus acts, puppet making, painting, rides, face-painting, swings and a lot of laughter.
• Annual Bath Spring Flower Show is an annual event that is held mostly outdoors. The flower show is a very well-attended horticultural event that is held at the beginning of the season. There are a multitude of displays, demonstrations and lectures held over two days, with bee-keeping exhibitions, photography competitions and cookery demonstrations.
• Bath International Music Festival is the biggest festival in town, usually running from the last week in May to the first in June. This is truly an international festival and it runs concurrently with the Jazz Festival and Fringe Festival to create an eclectic mixture. Unmissable though is the first first night, which kicks off festivities with a free concert in Victoria Park near Royal crescent. In the evening, street lighting from the Circus to Royal Crescent is normally turned off and the windows candle lit, while the climax comes with a stunning firework display over the crescent.