A Month of Fun & Celebration
2nd May 2023
2nd May 2023
At The Pantiles we have just kicked off a month of fun and celebration. The beginning of May heralds a month-long schedule of entertainment at our historic venue, based in the heart of Tunbridge Wells.
From weekly jazz nights to the Kings Coronation and dedicated food and drink festivals to regular markets, there’s no better place to be this spring.
Jazz on The Pantiles takes place on the bandstand in the centre of The Pantiles every Thursday night throughout the summer months – this year starting on Thursday 4th May.
The weekly shows have attracted an array of local, national and international talent over time, with the audience being just as diverse. Performers have included The Skatonics, Spice Fusion, Derek Nash, The Vince Dunn Orchestra and many more.
In the past, Jazz on The Pantiles has won awards – most notably in the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year category at The Beautiful South Awards, securing a silver. Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of Tourism South-East commented: “Achieving excellence isn’t easy – it takes vision, years of commitment and a lot of hard work from talented people.”
On Thursday 4th May we welcome Dino and Darby to the bandstand. Dino Baptiste is a highly energetic pianist, vocalist and entertainer from London. Now residing in Birmingham, Dino has strong links to Blues, Boogie Woogie & Rock & Roll as well as performing mainstream classics & current cover songs. His influences revolve around three idols since a teenager – Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis & Ray Charles.
Other performances include:
11th May: The Fabulous Red Diesel
The Fabulous Red Diesel will be serving up totally original off the wall jazz-fusion; think funky mayhem, flute and sparkly tuba soul!
18th May: The Simon Spillett Quartet
Over his 25-year career, Simon has been a multi-award-winning instrumentalist, quartet and big band leader, recording artist, record producer, magazine columnist and more! However, he identifies most strongly as a powerful tenor saxophonist. The Guardian describes Simon Spillett as “Straight-ahead, high-energy jazz… he does it with aplomb.”
25th May: Sue Rivers & Quartet
Sue Rivers is known for her musicality, her natural, mellow tone and the sheer emotion she pours into her performance, delighting audiences wherever she sings.
Royal Tunbridge Wells is proud to be one of only four towns in the United Kingdom to have been granted the ‘Royal’ prefix. To celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on the 6th of May, the town will be decorated in red, white and blue.
The Pantiles will be hosting various events to celebrate on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th May. We will be televising the King’s Coronation on a big screen located on our iconic bandstand – giving attendees the chance to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime moment with the local community.
There will also be a variety of activities for children, including a free craft workshop to design and decorate crowns and tiaras. Little ones can then pose for a “sovereign selfie” on The Pantiles’ throne, protected by two of the King’s guards.
From Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th May, Tunbridge Wells’ tastiest event is back for another year to make your mouth water – Sankey’s Food Festival. From 10am to 4pm on both days, you can enjoy over 500 products and flavours from over 30 local and national producers.
There will also be special guest chefs cooking up a storm on stage, with a range of locally sourced produce. This will be accompanied by live music and entertainment for the whole family.
Returning to The Pantiles, the incredibly popular Gin and Jazz Festival will be held from 11am to 10pm on Saturday 27th May and 11am to 5pm on Sunday 28th May. With over 150 gins from over 30 local and national producers, there will be plenty of ways to say ‘cheers’ to the spring season!
There will also be product sampling, sparkling wine, a special selection of champagnes and street food. Of course, there will also be an array of fantastic live music and entertainment.
The Pantiles’ Market takes place every weekend throughout the spring and summer months. From 10am to 4pm each Saturday and Sunday, you can browse a selection of stalls selling fashion, homeware, plants, flowers, sweet treats and much more.
Be sure to save the dates, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Pantiles throughout May.