Visit Bath’s Guide to What’s On and What’s New in 2026

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 the readers of Condé Nast Traveller naming Bath as the ‘Best UK City’ to visit in their 2025 Readers' Choice Awards. 

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 & Anniversaries 

Image: Thermae Bath Spa

Next year, Bath 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.   

Image: Zandra Rhodes, credit Simon Emmett

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 Pavillion 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 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.  

Image: The Francis Hotel

Shopping News 

Jolly’s will open its doors once again in the spring after a major refurbishment by department store group Morleys, and Marks & Spencer Bath 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 in late January, along with The Seven Dials Mystery, a new Agatha Christie adaption 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.  

Image: Bridgerton season 3, credit Netflix

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, FilmBath, Movies at the Museum, and Bath Christmas Market from 26 November – 13 December 2026. 

Image: Joe Wicks at ReBalance Bath

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 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 launch a new twilight tour - Jane Austen & Bath’s Gothic History and Valley Fest returns to Chew Valley Lake in the summer. 

Image: Murder in the Cathedral at Theatre Royal Bath

ENDS

For further information and press trip enquiries, contact emma.frayling@visitwest.co.uk  

About Visit West: The VisitEngland accredited official Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. It supports the visitor economy of the region which is worth £2.7billion and supports 43,000 jobs. Visit West operates the Meet Bristol & Bath Convention Bureau and the Visit Bath and Visit Bristol consumer websites. https://www.visitwest.co.uk/