[20th anniversary celebrations for the Thermae Bath Spa – just one event to look forward to in 2026.]
I don’t want to rush you all through the joys of Christmas to come but l love this extended view of what we can look forward to here in Bath and the surrounding district in the New Year to come.
It’s a release from Visit West and l publish it in full.
“2025 has been a phenomenal year for Bath, with the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, the Michelin Guide naming Bath one of the top 10 destinations in the world for food, and Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards revealing Bath as the ‘Best UK City’ for 2025.
Bath and the surrounding area will continue to flourish in 2026, with plenty of new openings making it a vibrant city for residents and visitors, and a prime destination to visit, study, live and work.
Exhibitions and anniversaries
Next year, the city will celebrate 20 years of the Thermae Bath Spa. Poster Power! A colourful exhibition showcasing an exceptional range of 19th and 20th century British posters will run from January – May at The Victoria Art Gallery and The Holburne Museum presents Zandra Rhodes – A Life in Print, a vibrant celebration of one of Britain’s most influential fashion designers, also from January – May. Post Impressionist Printmakers from Manet to Picasso will follow at The Holburne until September. No.1 Royal Crescent will present Handle with Care: Cornelia Parker & Historic Glass, an exhibition that will look through the eyes of one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, Cornelia Parker, at the historic glass and found objects that inspire her work and artistic process.
Christmas in Bath will kick off with the opening of The World of The Snowman at Victoria Art Gallery –a delightful celebration of Raymond Briggs’ world-famous picture book first published in 1978, featuring stills from the much-loved film, original book illustrations and sketches, manuscripts, an interactive family activity area, a recreation of the famous red plane and much more. The exhibition will run from 20 November 2026 – 28 February 2027.
Food news
The Pump Room Restaurant will launch a series of new afternoon teas. From an Art Deco Agatha Christie ‘Seven Dials’ theme to a Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein theme for Halloween, the teas will take inspiration from Bath’s literary connections. Somerset-based pizza restaurant Pizzarova will open a restaurant in the city in the new year, and Bath Cider Festival, brought to the city by Lilley’s Cider, will take place at Bath Pavilion on the 13 and 14 February. The Pig-near Bath launch their first-ever teatime ‘Buttered & Baked.’ This new laid-back experience celebrates the flavours, foraged finds and garden-led philosophy at the heart of every PIG, offering a rustic twist on the British classic, championing ingredients grown in the hotel’s Kitchen Garden and sourced from local farmers, bakers and artisans.
New accommodation
Providence Hotels will complete the transformation of their hotel on North Parade in the city centre with its iconic Grade I listed Georgian façade. The Francis Hotel’s spa, opening in the spring, will feature a unique hot bubble and mud ritual room. Outside of the city centre Corsham House by the Beckford Group, in the market town of Corsham, will open in February as a wine-led townhouse brasserie with a terrace and with rooms. The Newt in Somerset expands beyond the estate with the opening of Yarlington Lodge – a restored Grade II Georgian country manor offering up to 16 bedrooms across three exclusive-use properties, complete with private spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and a tennis court. New countryside hangout Mad Swans in the Mendips, just south-west of Bath, recently opened 12 new eco-cabins. Designed to spark real human connection, Mad Swans reconceptualises social spaces as vibrant, inclusive hubs where play transcends age and experience.
Shopping news
Jolly’s will open its doors once again in the spring after a major refurbishment by department store group Morleys, and M&S will relocate around the corner to the old Debenham’s store in SouthGate shopping centre.
On our screens in 2026
Season 4 of Bridgerton, featuring Bath, will land on Netflix at the end of January, along with The Seven Dials Mystery, an Agatha Christie adaptation starring Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman. Bath’s Guildhall will feature in a British indie film called Mother’s Pride, coming to cinema screens in the spring.
Festivals, events and productions
ReBalance Bath kicks off the year with headliner Joe Wicks, followed by Bath Restaurant Week, Curious Minds, Queer Bath, Bath Comedy Festival, The Jane Austen Festival, Film Bath, Movies at the Museums and Bath Christmas Market from 26 November – 13 December 2026.
A brand-new Festival of Choirs celebrating choir singing across the city will run from Friday 15 – Sunday 17 May at Party in the City, Green Park Station and a CHOIRLAB workshop day at The Roper Theatre.
As part of Bath International Music Festival, American classical pianist Richard Goode presents a selection of Beethoven’s greatest works, while Bath Abbey will be the setting for an immersive, theatrical performance by British choral ensemble Gesualdo Six as they celebrate the 400th anniversary of composer William Byrd. Bath Bachfest in February and Bath Mozartfest in November will run under the direction of new Artistic Director Adrian Brendel.
The Roman Baths will present a year-long programme of events celebrating Roman festivals, and late evening openings will be back for the summer. The Theatre Royal Bath’s 2026 programme includes 2:22 A Ghost Story, the (sold out) production of Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer and T.S. Eliot’s study of Thomas Becket, Murder in the Cathedral, starring Sir David Suchet. Strictly Jane Austen Tours launches a new twilight tour – Jane Austen & Bath’s Gothic History and Valley Fest returns to Chew Valley Lake in the summer. “
