Mill Meadows and Everard Meadow
Mill Meadows is a hub of activity during the River Festival, with trade stalls galore and the ever-popular Community Stages showcasing fantastic performances from the community of Bedfordshire. The Community Stage is kindly sponsored by the Harpur Trust.
New for 2024, Mill Meadows will feature a new Arts & Culture area showcasing some of the fantastic local creativity.
It will be a creative haven for you to enjoy and participate in a range of activities delivered by local cultural organisations and practitioners. Across both days there will be a range of activities across a variety of art forms including music, dance, storytelling, poetry, visual art, and crafts. Delivered collaboratively by the Bedford Cultural Partnership.
Try out the Philharmonia's virtual orchestra in their VR headset experience; be inspired by poetry and visual art from The River Project; sit and be entertained in artist-designed seating structures with Bedford Creative Arts; watch storytelling and dance by Ananda Arts or theatre by Full House and The Place. Find out about what's on at BedFringe and The Quarry, and meet the University's Heritage Horizons practitioners sharing information about new heritage projects. Sketch riverside scenes with the Bedford Urban Sketchers and experience games, crafts and family activities with medieval themes with Bedford Libraries, Archives service and The Higgins with Heritage Bedford. Maybe you can profess the positive things about yourself in a humorous interaction with Permission2 or listen to musicians and DJs programmed by Bedford Music Hub.
This area is especially family friendly with space to participate or just watch the many talents of some of Bedford's creative community.
Mill Meadows also hosts viewing areas for the river and a vast array of trade and promotional stalls, alongside some giant inflatables and water activities.
Lastly, there is plenty of fun to be had at the Giant Funfair on Everard Meadow and the Children’s Funfair on Mill Meadows – perfect for thrill-seekers both big and small!
Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
The 2024 River Festival will include countless river activities, eight live music and performance areas, the Sports Island, Family Island, Green Earth Village, the wonderful offerings of the Festival Market, Bedford Festival of Motoring, plus so much more!
Make sure you keep the 20th & 21st July 2024 free in your diaries so that you don’t miss out on any of the action.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for on this web site, please contact the Events Team at events@bedford.gov.uk to discuss how you can get involved.
Gallagher Developments is a strategic land promoter with experience dating back over 50 years and, as a master developer, has delivered thousands of homes, employment land, schools, and community facilities across Bedfordshire. Gallagher Developments continue to work to deliver sustainable communities across Bedford Borough in order to provide much needed homes and wider communities.
Sir Tony Gallagher, Chairman of Gallagher Developments said, “We are delighted to again sponsor and support the Bedford River Festival which we know brings joy to thousands of people. We hope everyone has a great time”.
