Welcome to Bath

Widcombe Friday Waterside Nights – Free Live Music Every Friday
2025-10-17 17:30 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath, BA2 6AA
Wonderful Widcombe nights at Widcombe Social Club very near to Bath city centre.
Free live music from 7-9 pm every Friday in a relaxed setting.
Affordable freshly cooked Pizza including vegan and gf options.
Great for all ages and dog friendly.

Southgate Sorcerers
2025-10-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Bath City Centre Youth Space, 28 Southgate St, Bath, BA1 1TP, United Kingdom
Some new groups in the City Centre have recently started that young people can come along to if they would like. All of these are open to all young people 11-19 (yr7+ and up to 25 if additional needs).

Southgate Sorcerers is run with DM Alex where young people will tell their own stories about slaying monsters and moving mountains.

Faultlines 3: the path to Net Zero - are we doing enough?
2025-10-17 10:00 - 16:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
In April 2025, the Tony Blair Institute published a critique of current net zero plans to avoid damaging climate change entitled “The Climate Paradox: Why We Need to Reset Action on Climate Change”, asserting that “present policy solutions are inadequate … unrealistic and therefore unworkable”.

The Blair document specifically recommends increased efforts to trap carbon dioxide from exhaust gases and also from the atmosphere. Others go further asserting that we also need to increase investment in small scale nuclear power plants and urgently investigate how to cool the planet through geoengineering. Needless to say, many environmentalists object strongly to such claims, and insist that instead we must urgently double down on existing plans to decarbonise the world’s economies by replacing fossil fuels with non-nuclear renewable sources like solar, wind, tidal etc. Who is right?

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FilmBath Bath Film Festival 2025
2025-10-17 00:00 - 2025-10-26 23:59 | Bath & North East Somerset
During the festival, the beautifully inventive city of Bath is filled with film fans coming together for an indulgent programme of previews, special events, Q&As, documentary features, industry days, shorts and of course the IMDb Awards.

Loved by audience members, volunteers and local businesses, the FilmBath Festival has been running since 1990.

The Bath Film Festival returns this October for its 35th edition – ten days packed with over 50 films, events and immersive experiences across the city of Bath. From historic venues to unexpected spaces, we’re once again bringing world-class cinema to the heart of the city.

As always, Bath Film Festival offers you the chance to see some of the year’s biggest films before anyone else. 2025’s programme includes previews of Die, My Love (Jennifer Lawrence & Robert Pattinson), Bugonia (Emma Stone, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos), Rental Family (Brendan Fraser), Private Life (Jodie Foster), If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You (Rose Byrne) and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (Jeremy Allen White).

Discover The Programme

Swiftogeddon - The Taylor Themed Club Night
2025-10-16 23:00 - 2025-10-17 01:00 | Komedia Bath, 22-23 Westgate St, Bath, BA1 1EP, United Kingdom
The legendary night dedicated to worshipping at the altar of Taylor Swift: non-stop Swifty all night: deep cuts, extended mixes, fan favourites and all the hits.

Do you have a Blank Space in your diary? Then this night is Taylor-made for you!

Join fellow fans in a celebration of the genius of the Swift – because she’ll never go out of Style.

*This event is fan created & not endorsed by the artist*

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The Irregulars
2025-10-16 19:30 - 22:00 | The Jesters, 17 Alfred St, Bath, BANES, BA1 2QU, United Kingdom
These aren’t your average open micers. These are the comics who’ve been grafting on the circuit for years, sharpening their sets in pubs, clubs, basements and backrooms – and they’re just starting to break into the mainstream. You’ll see TV-ready talent before they hit the panel shows, right here in The Jesters’ underground comedy club.Doors: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM | Tickets: £8 / £5 Students

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Reorienting the Renaissance: the case of the Tudors
2025-10-16 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
Ready to take your next journey of Discovery? The Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery at BRLSI is a yearlong programme of talks and events exploring the many joys, discoveries and something of the broader cultural legacy of a movement still making waves in the 21st century. Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Martin Luther, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Machiavelli, Hieronymus Bosch, if you love culture then you’ll love our new talks series!

The Renaissance re-oriented everything, from how the West saw the rest of the world, to why North ended up at the top of European maps. In an upcoming talk, Professor Jerry Brotton shows how the Tudors situated themselves within the wider geopolitical world of the 16th century and transformed England from a largely irrelevant kingdom to an imperial and commercial power.

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Cursed Daughters with Oyinkan Braithwaite
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
Mr B’s are thrilled to welcome bestselling, Booker Prize longlisted author, Oyinkan Braithwaite to Bath for her much anticipated new novel, Cursed Daughters.

Following the unprecedented success of My Sister, The Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite returns with Cursed Daughters, a haunting novel steeped in folklore, about broken hearts and unbreakable curses across several generations of a family of Nigerian women.

Oyinkan Braithwaite is a Nigerian-British novelist and writer. Her first novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer, was published in 2018 to wide acclaim. It was a Sunday Times bestseller, longlisted for The Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and won the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2020.

Please note: the first 30 Book+Ticket orders will receive the Independent Exclusive Edition with special sprayed edges.

About the book:

No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace…

So goes the family curse, long handed down from generation to generation, ruining families and breaking hearts. And now it’s Eniiyi’s turn – who, due to her uncanny resemblance to her dead aunt, Monife, is already used to her family’s strange beliefs, as well as their insistence that she is a reincarnation. Still, when she falls in love with the handsome boy she saves from drowning, she can no longer run from her family’s history. Is she destined to live out the habitual story of love and heartbreak, or can she escape the family curse and the mysterious fate that befell her aunt?

‘Funny and fearless, soaked in secrets, spirit, heartbreak, and love… Impossible to put down’ Abi Daré

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The Songs of Joni Mitchell
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Komedia Bath, 22-23 Westgate St, Bath, BA1 1EP, United Kingdom
Through the unique voices of the artists she continues to inspire acclaimed singer-songwriters in their own right will perform intimate interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs in a loving ode.

The Songs Of Joni Mitchell, originally conceived and curated by Lail Arad to mark Joni Mitchell’s 80th birthday and hosted by Cerys Matthews, was described as “a perfect celebration of Joni Mitchell”

This show will feature: Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) and Lail Arad, with Richard Sears on piano.

“A stellar line up of artists reimagine Mitchell’s most magnificent works” – The Arts Desk

“Songwriting shines as artists pay tribute” – London World

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Live Jazz, Funk, Soul and Swing at Green Park Brasserie
2025-10-16 18:30 - 22:00, 2025-10-15 18:30 - 22:00 | Green Park Brasserie, 6 Green Park Rd, Bath, BA1 1JB, United Kingdom
Soak up the buzzing atmosphere at Green Park Brasserie with live music four nights a week – every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, 6.30pm – 10pm.

Based in the historic old Green Park railway station, this is one of Bath’s best bars and restaurants. Enjoy cocktails,craft and beer and award winning food from their Brasserie and Bath Pizza Co kitchens – available 7 days a week.Enjoy the sunny terraces throughout the summer months or cosy up with live music and candlelit tables through the cooler seasons.

For up to date timings and booking for live music tables, click below

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Nicola Sturgeon for Frankly
2025-10-16 18:30 - 20:30 | St Mary’s Church, Darlington Street, Bathwick, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA2 4EB, United Kingdom
Frankly is no ordinary political memoir. Remarkable for its honesty and self-reflection, this is the story of Nicola Sturgeon, one of our most influential and successful leaders.

The enduring popularity of Nicola Sturgeon, the first female and longest-serving First Minister of Scotland, was a rare constant in an era marked by Brexit, Covid and five different UK prime ministers. Previously, as ‘Yes Minister’ and Deputy Leader of the SNP, she helped to bring Scotland to the brink of self-rule, overseeing the Yes campaign in the Scottish independence referendum of 2014.

In this deeply personal memoir, Sturgeon recounts her journey from working-class Ayrshire to the steps of Bute House. Revealing the person behind the politician, she explores the schism between her private and public personas: one painfully shy and self-critical, the other a consummate public performer. And yet, she pulls no punches, candidly recounting her interactions with figures including Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and Alex Salmond – her mentor and, ultimately, her staunch adversary.

Full of the verve and wit that made Sturgeon one of the most high-profile politicians in the UK, this is a unique blend of personal insight and captivating vignettes. Infused throughout with a love of Scotland and its people, it honestly discusses Sturgeon’s mistakes, her battles, and her triumphs. Frankly is the compelling story of no ordinary politician.

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Troubled Waters
2025-10-16 00:00 - 2025-10-17 23:59 | Ustinov Studio, 1 Saw Close, Bath, BANES, BA1 1EY, United Kingdom
Created & performed by Corinne Harragin

With over 4,000 miles of polluted waterways, Britain and Ireland’s rivers are in ruin.

This vibrant new tapestry of transporting tales winds through stories that have shaped our relationship with rivers, the lifeblood of our landscape. Leaping salmon, fishtail women, mythical raves & sacred springs… These enchanting and surprising tales present characters who question what is set in stone and find their own flow. With each meandering stream and rushing river, we dip our toes into vital waters and ask what new connections are found when we look with fresh eyes beneath the surface?

Audience praise for Troubled Waters: “Delicious, captivating, funny, sexy, and brilliant!”“Beautifully told tales – none of which I’d heard before”“Mesmerising and sensual – the stories came to life”“Corinne kept her audience captivated.” “Cheeky, moving, and well-paced”“A beautiful journey that blends traditional storytelling with modern language”“The weaving and patterning of stories was expertly done”

“Rivers sustain the natural environment, wildlife and people in equal measure. People have to feel part of something to feel motivated to care for it – Troubled Waters is an impressive production that will inspire people to re-establish their connection with our rivers, helping to protect them. As a trust, our mission is to see 1 in 4 people taking action for nature, and this production is a brilliant example of people taking action for nature” – Avon Wildlife Trust

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Big Squash Comedy
2025-10-15 20:00 - 22:00 | Saracen’s Head, 42 Broad Street, Bath, BANES, BA1 5LP, United Kingdom
A weekly new material comedy night located in Bath’s oldest pub. Free of charge with a new lineup of excellent acts each week

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Newbie Night (Open Mic)
2025-10-15 19:30 - 22:00 | The Jesters, 17 Alfred St, Bath, BANES, BA1 2QU, United Kingdom
Every Wednesday, The Jesters opens the stage to 12 brand-new or developing acts, each with 5 minutes to make some noise, test some material, and maybe even bring the house down. No need to be ‘in the scene’ just turn up, sign up, and give it a go. Sign-up runs from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the club. Names are drawn at 7:30pm sharp, with the show starting shortly after. Come to perform, or come to support comedy’s newest fools—all for just £1. In partnership with Big Squash Comedy at The Saracen’s Head, performers can double up and do two open mics in one night meaning more stage time, more fun, more jester energy.Doors: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM | Tickets: £1

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Jimmy Anderson
2025-10-15 19:30 - 21:00 | The Forum Bath, 1A Forum Buildings, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1UG, United Kingdom
The man for all seasons. England’s greatest ever fast bowler. The Jimmy Anderson is returning to the stage in 2025 for an unrivalled evening of never-before-heard stories from inside the changing room.

With 188 Tests and 700+ wickets to his name, Jimmy remains one of cricket’s most legendary figures – who’s certainly aged like a fine wine. Join him as he reflects on the soaring highs: from facing international greats such as Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar and winning the Ashes four times, to the tough lows of crushing defeats and the shock of being dropped. Jimmy will detail the highlights of this time, his final resurgence under Brendon McCullum, and ending his career with his 700th wicket, all alongside his teammates and lifelong friends on the England team.

Sharing the stage alongside Tailenders co-host and musician Felix White, the duo will also unpack some of their favourite cricketing moments in their usual alternative fashion.

Together they’ll bring sharp(ish) insights, humour and wit to untold stories, recounting their greatest (and most ridiculous) moments together. With the opportunity to ask your own questions, this is a night of cricket, camaraderie, and chaos you won’t want to miss.

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Mona Awad for We Love You, Bunny
2025-10-15 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
Join Toppings to celebrate the highly-anticipated follow up to the viral sensation Bunny, with bestselling author Mona Awad. We Love You, Bunny is a laugh-out-loud funny, dark and delirious novel set in the Bunny-verse – a world that Margaret Atwood declared ‘soooo genius’.

In the cult classic novel Bunny, Samantha Heather Mackey, a lonely outsider student at a highly selective MFA program in New England, was first ostracised and then seduced by a clique of her saccharine sweet, rich girl cohort.

When We Love You, Bunny opens, Sam has just published her first novel to critical acclaim. But at a New England stop on her book tour, her one-time frenemies, furious at the way they’ve been portrayed, kidnap her. Now a captive audience, it’s her (and our) turn to hear the Bunnies’ side of the story. Open your hearts to a dazzlingly original and darkly hilarious romp in the Bunny-verse from the queen of the fever dream, Mona Awad.

Mona Awad is the bestselling author of the novels Rouge, All’s Well, Bunny, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Margaret Atwood named Awad her “literary heir” in The New York Times’s T Magazine. She teaches fiction in the creative writing program at Syracuse University and is based in Boston.

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Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present
2025-10-14 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
‘This book draws a cultural map of who we are, where we’ve come from and how we think and feel about our surroundings. Meticulously researched, imaginative in scope and rich in strange stories and rewarding insights. Fascinating reading.’Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches

A gripping guide to the weird yet everyday world of British folklore.

In this ground-breaking book, two leading experts provide the definitive guide to British folklore past and present.

Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook explore folklore in all its remarkable variations, from village rituals and fairy tales to UFO legends and internet fanfiction. Travelling through a landscape of witches, wizards and wicker men, they reveal how folklore has been researched and written about in the past and show how it continues to be lived in the present. At the same time, they provide the reader with a valuable toolkit for understanding how to interpret the diverse examples given.

The book’s key message is that folklore is much more than the fossilised remains of a distant, rural past. Folklore is and always has been ubiquitous, dynamic and political. It is a living tradition that draws from many sources, including migrant communities, and is forever being renewed and updated.

‘Folklore is a hidden superpower in every part of our land and our culture. The stories we tell let us know who, where and what we are, and here they can be found in their richness and complexity. I learned from every page.’Diane Purkiss, author of English Food: A Social History of England Told through the Food on Its Tables

Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Art of Grimoire and Troubled by Faith: Insanity and the Supernatural in the Age of the Asylum (both 2023). He has been described as Britain’s foremost academic expert on the history of magic.

Ceri Houlbrook is Senior Lecturer in Folklore and History at the University of Hertfordshire. Her books include The Magic of Coin-Trees (2018), Unlocking the Love-Lock (2021) and Ritual ‘Litter’ Redressed (2022). In addition to her scholarly work, she writes folklore-inspired fiction.

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Wendy Erskine for The Benefactors
2025-10-14 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL 2025

‘I couldn’t put this book down’ – Sheena Patel, author of I’m a Fan

‘This is powerful, masterful storytelling by one of the most exciting writers at work today’ – Colin Walsh, author of Kala

‘Perfectly pitched, surefooted, and charged with feeling’ – Colin Barrett, author of Wild Houses

‘What a beautiful, hilarious blast of brilliance’ – Donal Ryan, author of Heart, Be at Peace

From the prize-winning author of Dance Move and Sweet Home, this is an astounding novel about intimate histories, class and money – and what being a parent means.

Meet Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh: three very different women from Belfast, but all mothers to 18-year-old boys.

Gorgeous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children’s services charity, loves celebrity and prestige. When their sons are accused of sexually assaulting a friend, Misty Johnston, they’ll come together to protect their children, leveraging all the powers they possess. But on her side, Misty has the formidable matriarch, Nan D, and her father, taxi-driver Boogie: an alliance not so easily dismissed.

Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, polyphonic presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny.

Wendy Erskine is the author of two short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move. She was shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize, longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award, and she received the Butler Literary Award and the Edge Hill Readers’ Choice Award. She edited the art anthology well I just kind of like it. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she is a frequent broadcaster and interviewer, and works as a secondary school teacher in Belfast. The Benefactors is her debut novel.

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An Evening with the Boy, the Mole, the Fox & the Horse's Charlie Mackesy
2025-10-14 18:30 - 20:30 | Bath Pavilion, N Parade Rd, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EU
‘A wonderful work of art and a wonderful window into the human heart.’ Richard Curtis

Toppings Bath are over the moon to welcome British artist, illustrator and author of the the globally loved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Charlie Mackesy.

Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and the Storm is the hugely anticipated new book that revisits Charlie Mackesy’s four unlikely friends who are wandering through the wilds again. They’re not sure what they are looking for. They do know that life can be difficult, but that they love each other, and cake is often the answer. When the dark clouds come, can the boy remember what he needs to get through the storm?

‘One day you’ll look back and realise how hard it was, and just how well you did’

Charlie Mackesy began his career as a cartoonist, before becoming a book illustrator for Oxford University Press.

His award-winning work has been featured in books, galleries, school classrooms, hospital wards, prisons and public spaces around the world.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has now reached over 10 million readers around the world. It is a Sunday Times Non-Fiction Bestseller and a number one New York Times bestseller. In 2023, Charlie co-wrote and directed the short animated film adaption, which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

Charlie worked with Richard Curtis on the set of ‘Love Actually’ to create a set of drawings for Comic Relief, and with Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project, The Unity Series. His bronzes can be found in public spaces in London, including Highgate Cemetery and the Brompton Road. Away from art, Charlie co-runs Mama Buci, a honey social enterprise in Zambia that helps families of low and no income become beekeepers. He lives between Brixton and Suffolk.

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Cultural Organisation Networking - Creative Calendar 2026
2025-10-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Newark Works, 2 Foundry Lane, Bath, BANES, BA2 3DZ, United Kingdom
Join the Bath Social Impact Network for the latest event in its Cultural Organisation Networking series, bringing together cultural organisations from across Bath and North East Somerset.

The evening will start with an update from Rob Campbell at BaNES Council on the progress of the Cultural Development Plan — exploring its key priorities and clarifying where BSIN and our Cultural Organisation Network can take action.

This will be followed by a practical, collaborative session to map out the 2026 cultural/creative calendar.

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Periods around the world: How can we deliver menstrual justice?
2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 1UF, United Kingdom
After hundreds of years of silence and stigma, menstruation is now a hot topic and old taboos are being challenged. Governments and other organisations around the world have been taking action, birthing programmes to end ‘period poverty’. Around the UK, it’s become commonplace to see baskets of period products in women’s toilets in workplaces, cafés, pubs and more. But millions of women, girls and trans people around the world still can’t access everything they need for their periods, and even more live with the stigma and discrimination still attached to menstruation.

How have civil society organisations stepped up to tackle period poverty in their communities? And what gets left out when we focus on period products? What else do we need to do to deliver menstrual justice worldwide? As part of the University of Baths Festival of Social Sciences and to mark the 50th Anniversary of our centre for Development Studies, our expert Minerva panel will tackle these questions and more.

The panel discussion will be one hour long, will include a free drink and some time at the end for informal chatting.

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Periods around the world: How can we deliver menstrual justice?
2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:30 | The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, Bath, BA1 1UF, United Kingdom
How have civil society organisations stepped up to tackle period poverty in their communities? And what gets left out when we focus on period products? What else do we need to do to deliver menstrual justice worldwide?

As part of the University of Bath’s Festival of Social Sciences and to mark the 50th Anniversary of its centre for Development Studies, the expert Minerva panel will tackle these questions and more. All welcome.

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Shed-ache
2025-10-14 00:00 - 2025-10-15 23:59 | The Egg, 36 Monmouth Street, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2AN, United Kingdom
Shed-ache is a seriously silly dance theatre show that transports little people and their grown ups to a world that sits somewhere between reality and make believe.

Two friends (three if you count the shed!) get up to all sorts whilst faced with downpours, lava floors and socks falling out of the sky.

Shed-ache is a laugh out loud production about the give and take of friendship, the power of imagination and the importance to embrace experiences whatever the weather.

Be prepared to be blown away by aKa’s brand new family-friendly show which is bright and sunny. With 100% chance of laughter.

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SKINT! - Bath's Cheapest Clubnight
2025-10-13 22:00 - 2025-10-14 03:00 | Labyrinth, 8 North Parade, Bath, BA1 6BY
Skint is the crowd favourite… drink price exchange, top DJs, free Skint tees, free toasties & crisps and the cheapest drinks in Bath starting from 99p.

99p tickets with FREE BOMB

EVERY MONDAY AT SKINT

99p BOMBS EVERY WEEK 99p TICKETS EVERY WEEK Skint Drinks Stock Exchange! £2 VKS / £3.50 DOUBLES ALL NIGHT! FREE Cheese Toasties FREE Skint T-Shirts FREE Skint Bottomless Crisp Station 4 Rooms / 3 Music Policies Skint Request Room – You choose, we play! 1000’s giveaways & freebies Crazy themes & takeovers Skint? WE GOT YOU! competitions OPEN UNTIL 3AM

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Pint & A Laugh
2025-10-13 19:30 - 22:00 | The Jesters, 17 Alfred St, Bath, BANES, BA1 2QU, United Kingdom
Pint And A Laugh is your go-to comedy night where fresh faces and seasoned comics test out new material. The jokes might miss, but the beer never does!Doors: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM | Tickets: £5 / £3 students

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Sir Robert Dudley: explorer, cartographer, inventor, bigamist
2025-10-13 19:30 - 21:00 | BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, Bath & North East Somerset, BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
Ready to take your next journey of Discovery? The Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery at BRLSI is a yearlong programme of talks and events exploring the many joys, discoveries and something of the broader cultural legacy of a movement still making waves in the 21st century. Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Martin Luther, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Machiavelli, Hieronymus Bosch, if you love culture then you’ll love our new talks series!

And now for a talk on one of the most flamboyant and gifted characters of the Elizabethan era, Robert Dudley (1574-1649), “base son” of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

Banished for bigamously marrying one of Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting, he spent the rest of his life in the service of the de Medici in Tuscany, where his talents were greatly appreciated. “He was skilled in philosophy, chemistry and physics and perfectly acquainted with all branches of mathematics and the means of applying them for the service and benefit of mankind…”

His encyclopaedic Alcano del mare has been described as “one of the greatest atlases of the World – and one of the most complex ever produced”. Dudley left his scientific and navigational instruments and manuscripts to his patron, Ferdinand II, which are now on display in the Museo Gallileo, Florence.

Learn more on the remarkable achievements of one of the Renaissance’s more colourful characters!

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Alex Riley for Super Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places
2025-10-13 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
‘A thrilling and original way to explore nature – the science is fascinating.’ Tristan Gooley, Sunday Times bestselling author of How to Read a Tree.

From scorching deserts to frozen seabeds, from the highest peaks of the Himalaya to the hadal depths of the oceans, there are habitats on this Earth that appear inimical to life – yet in which it flourishes nevertheless. During the midday heat of the Sahara, silvery ants sprint from their nests to feed. In North American forests, wood frogs awaken each spring from solid blocks of ice. At the site of the Chernobyl disaster, fungi harness radiation to thrive.

Transporting readers to far-flung environments we could never call home, Super Natural paints an awe-inspiring portrait of life’s resilience and ingenuity under the harshest circumstances. We meet creatures exquisitely adapted to endure unimaginable deprivations: of water, oxygen, food, sunlight. Alex Riley shows how, at nature’s extremes, the rules of life as we know them are rewritten – and how, here, we can find hope for the future of life on Earth, and beyond.

Alex Riley is an award-winning science writer focusing on long-form features in evolutionary biology, conservation and health. His work has appeared in Aeon, Nautilus, New Scientist, BBC Earth and BBC Future. His first book, A Cure for Darkness, was published by Ebury in 2021.

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Sabrina Ghayour's Persiana Easy
2025-10-13 18:30 - 21:00 | Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, BA1 1NG, United Kingdom
‘Sabrina Ghayour’s Middle-Eastern plus food is all flavour, no fuss – and makes me very, very happy’ – Nigella Lawson

A hotly anticipated new cookbook from hugely popular bestselling Middle eastern chef and food writer, Sabrina Ghayour: Persiana Easy.

Every recipe in Persiana Easy balances irresistible Middle Eastern flavours with accessible cooking. From midweek meals and traybakes to pastries and sweet treats, this collection features easy recipes to delight your family and friends, time and again.

Expect deliciously easy tastes and dishes such as: Crispy Za’atar Salt and Pepper Prawns; Popcorn Halloumi, Turkish Pide Bread; Smoked Aubergine Salad with Pickled Chillies and Feta; Butterflied Orange Paprika Butter Chicken; Stuffed Baby Peppers with Date Couscous and Feta...and many, many more.

‘I don’t think she could write a dull recipe if she tried. Every one an elegantly spiced delight.’ – Tom Parker Bowles‘Chef Sabrina Ghayour’s new recipes deliver maximum flavour with the greatest of ease – perfect for busy lives’ – Sainsbury’s Magazine

Author Biography: Sabrina Ghayour is an Iranian, self-taught home cook turned chef, cookery teacher and food writer. She made her name hosting the hugely popular ‘Sabrina’s Kitchen’ supper club in London, specializing in Persian and Middle Eastern flavours, and went on to be named the Observer’s Rising Star in Food. Her award-winning debut, Persiana, is a worldwide bestseller, and her follow-ups Sirocco, Feasts, Bazaar, Simply and Persiana Everyday were Sunday Times bestsellers.

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Jane Eyre: An Autobiography
2025-10-13 00:00 - 2025-10-15 23:59 | Ustinov Studio, 1 Saw Close, Bath, BANES, BA1 1EY, United Kingdom
In the face of the isolation and abandonment of a loveless childhood, Jane Eyre refuses to bend to the will of her abusers. But does she achieve the independence and equality that she craves, and does her resistance change anything?

Hailed as a “brilliantly engaging piece of drama” and “a theatrical tour de force”, Live Wire and Roughhouse Theatres’ inventive exploration of the status of women in society make this critically acclaimed dramatisation as relevant today as Charlotte Bronte’s original novel was 178 years ago.

“Here is a company of technical brilliance, with a rare gift for bringing classics to life with loyalty, energy and intrigue.” Female Arts

“This is the way to introduce recalcitrant students of literature to the classics and in particular the Victorian novel.” British Theatre Guide

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