Something for everyone: Why we should be proud of Bedford’s River Festival

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN?

If you live in Bedford, the chances that you’ve never paid a visit to the biennial River Festival are incredibly slim! First held in 1978 to celebrate the discovery of a route via water between Bedford and The Wash (on the East Coast of East Anglia), The River Festival is thought to be the 2nd largest free outdoor event in the UK. That makes our River Festival one of the largest events in the country, right behind Notting Hill Carnival!

Taking place on the banks of the River Great Ouse, the River Festival acts as a staple for the community of Bedford, encouraging people to visit (and revisit!) to discover all that the town has to offer. The festival occurs every July and is a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy some fun activities together. With plenty of food and drink options available, as well as live music and entertainment (featuring headliners such as DJ Spoony!), the enjoyment to be experienced is never-ending.

This year, the River Festival celebrated its 41st anniversary, seeing around 250,000 visitors. To honour this year’s theme of Pirates, St. Mary’s Garden was transformed into the spectacular Pirate Island, displaying some riveting re-enactments. This year also introduced a lot of “firsts” for the festival: Green Earth Vegan Lounge provided a major vegan presence and the reusable cup scheme placed an emphasis on sustainability.

As seen on social media, visitors commented on how positive the River Festival is for promoting Bedford, as well as more general compliments directed towards the food and drink, the organisation of the event as a whole and there was a particular admiration for the range of interesting vehicles brought in by the Bedford Festival of Motoring.

What Say You?

As previously stated, there is rarely a soul in Bedford who has not visited the River Festival. So, why not make your voice heard and let us know your thoughts on the River Festival?

Getting involved

The Bedford River Festival prides itself on having something for everyone, and it’s true! With the range of activities from water stunts and boat parades to stalls and funfair attractions, anybody can get involved. Although still a while away, keep a note of the email address events@bedford.gov.uk to discuss how to take part in boat racing, live music performing and more for the River Festival of 2024. There are also various opportunities for businesses to get involved, whether it be sponsoring areas of the festival or trading via a stall on site.