A free afternoon of fun at Sydney Gardens Gala

An afternoon of free family fun, music, circus and spectacle is being held at Bath’s Sydney Gardens on Sunday 11 September from 1pm-5pm to celebrate the completion of the Gardens Restoration Project.

£3.4m has been spent over the past three years restoring and conserving the historic buildings and gardens, improving the landscape and providing new visitor facilities at the former Regency Pleasure Gardens.

The project has been a partnership between Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Parks & Open Spaces Team and the Friends of Sydney Gardens, with the National Lottery providing the majority of funding.

Councillor Mark Roper, cabinet assistant for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Sydney Gardens is a real gem in the heart of Bath. It’s one of the few remaining Regency Pleasure Gardens in the country and the restoration project has been a true labour of love for all those involved. Historic features including the Loggia and Minerva’s Temple have been restored, lots of work to conserve wildlife has been carried out, the tennis courts have been refurbished and new facilities including a Community Pavilion and boules terrain have been created. Its’s now time to celebrate all that’s been achieved!”

Throughout the afternoon of Sunday 11 September, the Gardens will be alive with performances and activities in the true tradition of Regency Pleasure Gardens.
Visitors will be able to see the locally based Rainbow Steel Band and Turkish Folk Band, Chalguh Chengi. Sparklin’ Sorcha & Juggling Jim will entertain you with fire-eating, juggling and stilt-walking. You’ll be able to try your hand at tennis, petanque and hula-hoop and ‘Go to the Loo’ on a special tour of the rare and restored cast iron toilets (booking is essential via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/friends-of-sydney-gardens-40890784773).

There’s a new play area to explore and there’ll also be ribbon wand-making, cyanotype printing, donkey rides, a fire engine on show and a Forest School especially for children. There’ll be stalls with inventive activities for the whole family in archaeology, astronomy, beekeeping, climate action, local heritage and more.

As the Gala coincides with the first weekend of the Jane Austen Festival, you can bring a picnic to mingle with ‘Jane Austen’ and her friends on the lawn and experience 'a whole camp full of soldiers', with authentic drill displays, music, and talks at the Holburne Museum.

If you need a breather, take part in a wellness workshop or wander the quiet areas of the Gardens and take a look at the new planting and works to preserve and enhance this special space for future generations to enjoy.  

Find out more about Sydney Gardens here.