Every year we put together a guide to events taking place in Stroud and across the District during the August Bank Holiday Weekend. So behold (and peruse) our 2024 Guide featuring Festivals, All Dayers, Weekenders, exhibitions, talks, gigs and more!
Fair play Stroud. Fair play mind.
FESTIVALS/WEEKENDERS
The Prince Albert Beer, Cider and Music Festival
Thurs 22 - Mon 26
The Albert now hold two Beer, Cider and Music Festivals each year across Bank Holiday Weekends, and this is their big August one following their big May one. What can you expect? Well the pub is not just a pub but a legendary, expertly programmed live music venue so expect unique performances from local and further afield artists including Alan Burke from the legendary Afterhours on Thursday, Lo-Hi Lo and 3.0l Capri on Friday, Nature Is Noisy and Dusk Ark Rhythm Quartet On Saturday, Hazel Scott, Educatable and DAYOO on Sunday and more tba! And we mustn’t forget…BEER. A wide selection of cask beer will be available on a popup bar in the covered courtyard and all the usual suspects inside with non drinkers all very well catered for too. The beer festival where EVERYONE is welcome…
theprincealbertstroud.co.uk
Minchinhampton Festival Of Sacred Music
Fri 23 - Sun 25
Now in its fourth year, the Minchinhampton Festival of Sacred Music gives young singers the opportunity to experience some of the greatest choral music in the context for which it was written. Spread across the August BH weekend the evening events are in the form of special services in the Church whose glorious acoustics are renowned for choral music. Professional singers take part to coach their younger Colleagues. Free Entry (retiring collection). Click here for further info
The Ale House August Beer Festival
Fri 23 - Mon 26
The Ale House August beer festival is dedicated to Sheffield and its glorious beers. Running for four days, live music is also on the menu with performances by five piece blues band Route 61 (Friday), contemporary folk/blues from Rob Quo Duo (Saturday) and legendary locals Thee Ones returning to the Ale House following Glasto prolificacy (Sunday). Free entry
thealehousestroud.com
Hogfest
Fri 23 - Mon 26
The Hog at Horsley are super excited to announce the dates of the new Summer Edition of Hogfest, their (now) bi-annual beer and music festival! Taking place over the August bank holiday weekend, this is sure to be even bigger and better than last time! With 50+ amazing beers and ciders, live music including Luke Philbrick and the Solid Gone Skiffle Invasion, The Excel Band, Splat The Rat, Shaggy Dog Raconteurs, Steve Ferbrache, Brian Wilcox and more plus incredible food trucks The Hog is the place to be this Summer Bank Holiday! Entry is, as always, completely free of charge and no tickets are required! No tokens, no buying glassware, just a good honest party in the sunshine!
hoghorsley.com
Frocester Festival
Sat 24
Fabulous family entertainment during the day, a game of cricket being played right in front of the pavilion for everyone to enjoy, alongside the usual excellent live music and wide choice of beer, cider, wine, spirits, food and other entertainment that the Frocester Festival is renowned for….
frocesterbeerfestival.com
ART
Aleph Contemporary
Sat 6 July - Sun 25 Aug Summer Exhibition
A summer group exhibition to raise funds for The Long Table. Curated by Barnie Page, the exhibition features works from local artists as well as artists from the gallery's roster, showcasing a diverse range of talent and creativity. Open Fridays and Saturdays 10am-4pm or by appointment.
alephcontemporary.com
Terence Coventry: Walkies
Gallery Pangolin
Sat 29 June - Sat 7 Sept Terence Coventry : Farmer - Sculptor
An Insider’s View. Exploring both fields of the artist's world and how it defined him. Including sculpture in fabricated steel, sterling silver and bronze, shown alongside the artist’s drawings and prints. Mon- Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-1pm
gallery-pangolin.com
Fiona Haser Bizony
The Museum In The Park
Sat 20 July - Sun 1 Sept Cleo Mussi and Fiona Haser Bizony: Photosynthesis
Zero waste ceramic artist Cleo Mussi joins forces with ethical horticulturist and organic flower farmer Fiona Haser Bizony to create a botanical, floral and seasonal display. The collection of work in the medium of photography and mosaic aims to inspire viewers to consider how we perceive the natural world. Cleo showcases plants and flowers and portrays the four seasons, while Fiona deals with the natural human progression from the spring of youth to the wintering of our old age. A ‘must-see’ for anyone with a passion for gardens and gardening.
museuminthepark.org.uk
Detail from Black Lines by Vera Boele-Keimer
SVA John Street Gallery
Sat 24 Aug - Sat 7 Sept Vera Boele-Keimer and Eeva-Maria Mutka: Crossing the Line
Bristol-based artist Vera Boele-Keimer is presenting a new body of work, exploring the rich relationship between textiles and painting. Merging structural ideas with intuition, materiality, imagination and movement, Vera produces work that draws attention to the processes and imperfections of making. Her grid-based compositions ask questions about the relationship between surface and ground, pattern and movement, drawing and painting. Movement artist Eeva-Maria Mutka and Vera will present a rhythmic response to the processes and works as part of the exhibition on the following days: Fri 23rd 6pm, Sat 24th 11:30am, Sat 31st 11:30, Thurs 5 Sept 6pm. Opening night with performance Fri 23 6-8pm. Exhibition open Thurs - Sat 10am-3pm
sva.org.uk
Poppy Kakoz
Three Storeys
Tues 30 July - Sun 1 Sept Works By; Echo Parker & Poppy Kakoz
Echo Parker: With a passion for the human form, you can expect to see individuals as the focal point of Echo’s work, spreading across many media, ranging from life drawing to installation pieces. While originally this interest was focussed around the physical form it has now spread to encompass psychological and social aspects of humanity. It is such a passion that has led her through the local Art Foundation course and onto University to study Fine Art, with the aim of expanding her knowledge and maturing her skill sets to nourish her creativity. Poppy Kakoz: With a focus on people and the effects of tourism, Poppy has spent the last two years following A-Levels, travelling widely around Europe, Asia and Africa, recording as she goes. Her passion for photography has lead her to further education; in September she will start a degree at University Arts London, studying Photojournalism and Documentary Photography.
Tues 13 - Sun 25 Michael Williams
Michael has a long career as an artist which includes teaching at St Martin’s and Goldsmiths’ College in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, as well as producing his own work in a variety of media over the years. Michael’s work shows his interest in space, light and the precarious human presence therein. Choosing to work with coloured pencils for the last three years, rather than his usual acrylic or watercolours which had been his main media for years.
threestoreys.co.uk
The Yard Gallery
Mon 19 - Fri 30 Tilly Geoghegan
A collection of pen drawings from the imagination of naive artist Tilly Geoghegan. From funny to forlorn - fully dressed or scantily clad: these images of women run the gamut of emotions and sartorial states. Hopefully they will make you smile.
instagram.com/theyardgallerystroud
MUSIC
Centre For Science And Art
Sat 24 Preditah Sounds presents: Lil Steppas - Family Rave
Get ready for a night of non-stop fun at the Centre for Science and Art! Join us for an epic event featuring Lil Steppas spinning the hottest tracks to keep you grooving all night long. It's a FAMILY RAVE so bring the whole crew for a night to remember. Let's dance, laugh, and make memories together. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience! Click here for tickets and further info
The Crown and Sceptre
Fri 23 Sons of the Delta
The Jelly Roll Kings return to the Pub to entertain you…8pm Free
Sat 24 Les Bernadettes, the Loan Sharks
Yep, it's that time of year again, Those Stunning French Punk Rockers are back at the Pub with our Great Friends, The Lone Sharks - Miss it Miss out! 8pm Free
crownandsceptrestroud.com
Jolly Nice
Fri 23 Friday Night Lates
Every Friday Jolly Nice stay open a little later, dim the lights and turn up the music for their 'Friday Night Lates' with cocktails on the double (Two for one cocktails 6-7pm). Celebrating the start of every weekend with locally produced drinks, cocktails, mocktails and grass fed burgers. The bar celebrates the best of our local breweries, vineyards and distilleries, with organic cider and beer on tap - along with a fantastic selection of alcohol free drinks. The kitchen serves up Jolly Nice Burgers, highlighting locally and responsibly produced ingredients. 6pm-till late Free
jollynicefarmshop.com
The Long Table
Fri 23 DJ Marcus Walters
Feat. DJ Marcus (In House*) playing low fi beats, down tempo House & Balearic beats. Delicious pay-as-you-can food 6-8pm / summer menu drinks by the river / DJ Marcus set 7-10pm. All welcome, free entry.
thelongtablestroud.com
Studio 18
Sat 24 Loose Joints: Bill Brewster
Monobrow and Sefto return with the second Loose Joints of the year and what an event it is going to be as they welcome dance music legend Bill Brewster. Bill has a worldwide reputation in the balearic and house music scene. As well as curating the DJ History website he has also been US editor of Mixmag while his Lowlife parties are legendary. Bill will do a talk on his seminal book Last Night A DJ Saved My Life which covers the full history of DJing from 6.30-8pm followed by a full Loose Joints event from 9pm headlined by Bill himself. Tickets in advance for the talk are £5, £8 for the dance event or £12 for both. Tickets on the door for the dance event only are £10. Tickets available at: soundrecords.co.uk
realartsandmedia.com
St Mary’s Church Woodchester
Fri 23 Black Voices - A Cappella Concert.
Black Voices is the leading, all-female a cappella collective in Europe, and globally celebrated for their unique form of singing in the Black oral tradition. Their repertoire covers a mix of musical genres and styles from blues, jazz, spirituals, folk, reggae and pop. 7pm £15 from North Woodchester shop or email: carodenny@hotmail.com (Picnics in the church yard encouraged beforehand. Refreshments on sale in the church)
stmaryschurchwoodchester.org.uk
Stroud Brewery
Sun 25 Comrades of Soul Bank Holiday All-Dayer.
Join one of Stroud’s most loved DJ outfits, Comrades of Soul when they takeover the Stroud Brewery Balcony Bar for a special bank holiday all-dayer! Catch Graham Dowler, Willie Ward & Paul Garland as they take a deep dive into their record collections. Expect 80s and 90s R&B, Soul, Funk, Disco, House and more. 7pm Free
stroudbrewery.co.uk
Town Owl Taphouse
Sun 25
The WAX House Party Bank Holiday Special
This Summer Bank Holiday the Town Owl Taphouse brings back: the WAX House Party! Featuring: DJ Fade (WAX/Next Episode) plus special guests to be announced! (Soul | Funk | Boogie | Hip Hop & More… On Vinyl!)
7pm - 11pm Free Entry
townowltaphouse.co.uk
The Yard
Fri 23 Sonar Sessions: Sam Judd, Neon Pumps
An evening of live electronic music performed outdoors by Stroud’s finest emerging talent…
Sam Judd: multi-instrumentalist, producer & co-creator of SONAR Sessions, brings his live performance to The Yard, a catalogue of deep, sensuous dance beats, synesthetic ambience, and chopped up samples collected on travels around the world. Neon Pumps: an up-and-coming Stroud-based DJ and Producer who combines a strong affection for underground dancefloor sounds and ambient soundscapes, with an irresistible pull to pop, resulting in high energy, multifaceted genre-defying productions. 6-9pm £10/£7 Click here for tickets and further info!
TALKS
The Museum In The Park
Fri 23 Jo Durrant In Conversation: Chain Reactions with Lucy Jane Santos
Lucy Jane is a writer, presenter, and historical consultant, and she specialises in health, beauty, and leisure and where they crossover. She is the author of ‘Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium’ and her new book is ‘Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium’ which is out at the start of July this year. Tracing uranium's past, and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements, this book aims to disentangle our attitudes and to unpick the atomic mindset. Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten, stories that can be found throughout the history of the element. 7:30pm £7.50/£5members
museuminthepark.org.uk
THEATRE
Painswick Rococo Garden
Mon 26
IKP Presents: The Little Mermaid
Escape under the sea with IKP’s The Little Mermaid on an exciting new adventure!
From the team who brought you Hercules (4* The Stage), Beauty and the Beast and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (4* The Stage), come along for a huge European adventure to find freedom, truth and love! This brand new family show is great for all ages from tiny tots to big kids, so hop aboard and sail the sea with The Little Mermaid! 11am and 2:30pm £11 - £40
rococogarden.org.uk
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Horns On Horns Road
Mon 26
Horns on Horns Road is back! The Stroud Red Band will lead the traditional August Bank Holiday Monday parade from the town end of Horns Road from about 12 noon, ending up at the Crown & Sceptre for drinks and more music. Everyone is welcome: residents, visitors, children, dogs… do all come and join this quirky Stroud tradition! Wear horns if you can, and if you have an instrument or something to bang or shake in a noisy fashion, do join in with the band.
stroudredband.org.uk
Yard Trail
Mon 26
The hugely popular Yard Trail Stroud returns this Bank Holiday Monday, a great way to get to know your neighbourhood, hunt some bargains or make some cash whilst saving the planet by reusing and recycling and building stronger communities! The Crown and Sceptre and Stroud Brewery will also once again prove to be popular venues for shoppers to look around. 10am-2pm (don’t forget to register your own Yard! Deadline 16th August…)
yardtrailstroud.co.uk