Bath Festivals announces return of Bath Music Festival in 2025

Bath Festivals is delighted to announce the return of the historic and internationally renowned Bath Music Festival in May 2025.

Bath Music Festival will run in tandem with Bath Literature Festival over nine days, from Friday 16 May to Sunday 25 May 2025, under the Bath Festivals arts charity umbrella. There will be a full programme of music over the nine days from internationally renowned musicians.

Three concerts are being released for pre-Christmas sale, to allow people to reserve their seats early, or to give tickets as presents.

Tickets for these concerts will go on general release on Monday 9 December 2024 at 10am, with priority booking for members and patrons from 10am on Friday 6 December 2024. 

William Byrd: Singing in Secret

The Marian Consort, with director Rory McCleery

Saturday 17 May 2025, 7:30pm, Bath Abbey

Tickets: £45 / £35 / £20 / £10 (10 student/U18 in Band B/C) exc. fees

William Byrd, arguably the greatest of English Renaissance composers, lived and worked as a Catholic in England at a time when to do so meant constantly courting danger. Despite this, Byrd wrote a huge amount of music for the Catholic liturgy and this programme is woven around his unforgettable four-part mass.  

The Marian Consort is one of today’s most renowned choral ensembles and ideal for this repertoire.

Stile Antico: Palestrina The Prince of Music

Wednesday 21 May 2025, 7:30pm, Bath Abbey

Tickets: £45 / £35 / £20 / £10 (10 student/U18 in Band B/C) exc. fees

Stile Antico, making a welcome return after a stellar performance at The Bath Festival 2024, are one of the world’s leading a cappella ensembles. 

Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s remarkable career was inextricably entwined with the Papacy and the great churches of Rome for which he composed five centuries ago.. This programme explores the music he would have sung at the Sistine Chapel, the changes in his style demanded by the Counter-Reformation, his tragic personal life, and his influence on his successors. 

The repertoire is sumptuous, including several of Palestrina’s most beloved and timeless motets and excerpts from the timeless masterpiece Missa Papae Marcelli.

Image: Stile Antico

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason: Piano Recital

Friday 23 May 2025, 7:30pm, The Bath Forum

Tickets: £41/£31/£21/£11 (£11 student/U18 in Band B/C)

A member of the extraordinary Kanneh-Mason family, who last performed together at The Bath Festival in 2018, Jeneba made her debut on the international scene at the BBC Proms, performing the Florence Price Concerto and was much heralded by the press. Now an exclusive Sony Classical Artist, Jeneba’s debut solo album will be released in Spring 2025. She now performs worldwide both in recital and with major orchestras. 

Her programme is a fantastic combination of gorgeous music ranging from the high baroque of Bach and the classical drive of Beethoven to the impressionistic perfection of Debussy’s Preludes.  This prodigiously talented young pianist will also be adding a dash of American flavour to this evening programme.

Image: Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, credit Elias Jerusalem 

Coming Soon... 

Bath Festivals will be announcing early bird tickets for Bath Literature Festival 2025 author events very soon - visit their website for the latest: https://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival. 

Get your tickets

You can book tickets online at: https://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/whats-on/, or by phone on +44 (0)1225 463362 from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, or in person during those hours at the Bath Box Office counter, 1A Forum Buildings, St James’ Parade, Bath BA1 1UG.