09/07/2026
Something to everyone’s taste at this summer’s Bedford River Festival
Whether you’re thirsty, peckish or fancy a treat, take your pick from the best of what the Borough has to offer at official trade stalls at this year’s Bedford River Festival.
The free outdoor two-day extravaganza returns to town this month on the weekend of 18-19 July.
During the Festival, official food, drink, craft and trade stalls will be available across the site. This includes the Craft and Gift Marquee which will be returning to Russell Park, and a specialist Festival Market will be based around The Embankment Gardens.
The Council encourages visitors to support official trade stalls and local businesses, and it also welcomes festival goers to bring their own food and drink (no glass please), as with previous River Festivals.
A variety of festival food stalls will be onsite to tempt your tastebuds, while the numerous bars provided by official bar provider, 3B1G Events Ltd, will be open throughout the Festival weekend to quench your thirst.
They will be operating a reusable cup scheme to support Bedford Borough Council’s environmental sustainability ethos. Visitors will be charged for a cup when buying a first drink, which can be reused throughout the event or recycled. At each bar, there will be a designated area for visitors to return their cups for recycling, and any cups returned to the bars will be sterilised and reused for future events.
Jennifer Magliaro, director for 3B1G Events Ltd said; “We’re delighted to once again be part of and support the iconic River Festival, which showcases Bedford’s vibrant culture, local businesses and community spirit. Sustainability is important to 3B1G Events, and we’re pleased to support the Festival’s reusable cup scheme, helping to reduce single-use plastic waste.
“This year, we are providing a souvenir festival cup and encouraging customers to reuse these cups throughout the event and long after the event finishes. Working alongside the festival organisers, we’re committed to delivering a cleaner, greener event while maintaining a high-quality customer experience.”
The Green Earth Vegan Lounge also returns to the River Festival this year at Castle Mound, offering a vibrant mix of vegan food, drinks and ethical products, alongside live demonstrations of willow weaving and wood turning. Families can enjoy nature-inspired children’s activities hosted by the Forest of Marston Vale. While music at the Lounge will be hosted by Remedy Collective, a Bedford-based group showcasing talented acts from across the UK.
Visitors can relax in dedicated chill-out spaces and explore the Wellbeing Tent, hosted by Bedford’s new Wellbeing Hub, which is making its River Festival debut. Their programme includes calming and restorative sessions such as Reiki, Qigong demonstrations and sound baths.
Due to the number of expected visitors to the River Festival, signal reception in the area may be poor. Also, some trade stalls may not have a card payment option, so it is a good idea to go retro and bring cash as a backup!
While Bedford Borough Council encourages visitors to support official festival traders, stalls and local businesses, it is also warning illegal and/or unlicenced traders to stay away.
Cllr Andrea Spice, Portfolio Holder for Economic Prosperity, Planning, Housing and Regulatory Services said; “Illegal traders should be aware that they are not welcome and could be subject to fines or seizure of stock that fails to meet legal requirements.
“Bedford Borough Council Enforcement Officers will be operating at this year’s event alongside Bedfordshire Police to combat illegal traders seeking to attend and trade at the Festival.”
Bedford River Festival organisers have confirmed that all positions for trade, catering and concessions for this year’s event have been successfully filled.
