For several years now Bridgwater has hosted a special event to celebrate our international links. Always held at the Bridgwater Arts Centre and often featuring touring musicians and guests from our partner countries we are once again hosting an event and the date has been set for Saturday 24th July to coincide with the many other cultural events of the Quayside Festival. In 2020, due to the pandemic, we held the event online, but this year we are going to do a hybrid version which will see the Art Centre converted into a TV studio for the evening with local musicians on stage playing live and film links to our partner countries. The event will start at 8pm and finish at 11, onstage at the Bridgwater Arts Centre, and at the same time live streamed via You Tube. There will be a live audience and the bar will be open-but tickets will be limited due to covid distancing precautions. Tickets are on sale now from the Bridgwater Arts Centre.

Bridgwater has 6 official Twin towns – La Ciotat in France, Homberg in Germany, Uherske Hradiste in the Czech Republic, Marsa in Malta, Priverno in Italy and Camacha in Madeira. We also have special links with Bridgewater Massachusetts in the USA.

Students, musicians, sports teams and general tourists frequently visit these places, although tours have all but dried up during the pandemic.

As a preliminary taster to the event we held an ‘International Petanque Tournament’ between the Twinning Clubs  at Victoria Park from 12-3pm on the Friday 9th July. The Czech Team won and you can read how here.

The Art Centre event on the 24th July will feature live musicians including Yvette Staelens, Elaine Di Campo, Brian Smedley, Allan Gadd, Andy Burston, the talented Polish singer songwriter Mariusz, Cat’n’Uke plus the Bridgwater Ukelele Strummers Club (BUSC).

For more about Bridgwater’s twinning links click here.