Issue #25 | Monday 20 July 2026

Good morning, Mendips! Booking is ticking down for the Glastonbury Symposium's 36th year of ideas and alternative thinking, a hidden Wells garden throws open its gates for charity, and Glastonbury Abbey's Night at the Abbey has grown into a full-blown mini-festival. Ska, reggae and open-air theatre round out the week ahead too — here's everything worth knowing.

📸 The Glastonbury Symposium 2026 - Today's featured event

📅 What's On This Week — across the Mendips

Wells hidden garden opens for charity

Glastonbury Abbey's Night at the Abbey grows into a mini-festival

Ska and reggae head to Wookey for Burcott SkaFest

The Big Bad Wolf brings open-air theatre to Bishop's Palace

🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast

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Step Beyond the Mainstream: What to Expect at the Glastonbury Symposium

For 36 years, seekers and curious minds have been gathering in the heart of historic Glastonbury for an event unlike any other. The Glastonbury Symposium, proudly calling itself the "Expand Your Horizons" event, returns this July with three days of exploration into the paranormal, spirituality, cover-ups, and everything in between.

A Magical Atmosphere in a Historic Setting

From 24th to 26th July 2026, Glastonbury Town Hall will transform into a gathering place for those seeking alternative perspectives and meaningful conversations. Organizer Andy Thomas explains what makes the location so special: "There is something about this part of the world that draws seekers. We create a beautiful and magical atmosphere in Glastonbury Town Hall, which somehow makes it a special event, different to all the others."

Running daily from 10:00am until 21:00, attendees will have ample opportunity to immerse themselves in the Symposium's unique energy and explore topics rarely discussed in conventional circles.

Cutting-Edge Speakers and Compelling Topics

This year's lineup features an impressive range of speakers at the forefront of their fields. Professor Chris Roe, one of the most respected scientists who believes in psychic phenomena, will explain how science and the paranormal are converging in ways that may shape future research and understanding.

With UFO disclosure becoming an increasingly important topic, Dave Hodrien will address what these revelations mean for the world. Meanwhile, Maya Bracknell-Watson will guide attendees through the fascinating realm of legal psychedelics and the entities people encounter during their explorations.

The weekend culminates with spiritual author John Siddique as the special Sunday night closing speaker, bringing together the Symposium's diverse threads in what promises to be a powerful finale.

More Than Just Talks

What attendees can expect goes beyond simply listening to presentations. The symposium creates space for meaningful connections and conversations with like-minded individuals. "Anyone who has an interest in looking beyond the mainstream and wants to have very interesting conversations with like-minded people and hear really unusual but very important topics from the speakers would enjoy this event," Andy notes.

"We know that people who come to the symposium feel that it's almost like the center of their year," Thomas shares, "They come away feeling bolstered, feeling that they've heard new ideas that are going to help them through a world that currently feels very strange and very unpredictable."

Whether you're deeply involved in exploring these topics or simply curious about alternative viewpoints, the symposium welcomes all. You can attend individual lectures for £15 per speaker, or take advantage of bargain whole-day and full weekend tickets. While pre-booking is recommended, entry is also available on the door, subject to availability.

The Glastonbury Symposium takes place at Glastonbury Town Hall from 24th to 26th July 2026. For tickets and more information, visit www.glastonburysymposium.co.uk/tickets or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram @glastonburysymposium.

Listings change week to week — check the website below for this week's exact titles and showtimes.

→ Full listings and booking at Wells Film Centre

Edelweiss
An unused bench clamp.

Eerie
A bit like an ear.

Ego
He left.

Elbow
Spanish archer.

Emulator
A device for synthesising the thirteenth letter of the alphabet by artificial means.

Endear
This is where it stops.

A hidden garden behind one of Wells' oldest houses opens to the public for one day only on Saturday 25 July, in aid of the National Garden Scheme. The Rib, on St Andrew Street, sits right against Wells Cathedral and has its own sacred well, with an ancient walled orchard, cottage planting and roses on show from noon to 5pm. Entry is £6 for adults and free for children — the venue is cashless, and there's no parking at the garden itself, so organisers suggest a city car park and a walk in.

Read full story → (Wells Nub News)

Glastonbury Abbey's Night at the Abbey is stepping up from a concert-in-a-setting to a full mini-festival when it returns on Saturday 12 September, with four stages, more than 20 acts, DJs, street food and illuminated ruins. Sophie Ellis-Bextor headlines a bill that includes Inspiral Carpets and The Blow Monkeys, with Orbital's Phil Hartnoll and Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor on DJ duties and the medieval Lady Chapel again hosting the silent disco Rave In The Nave. Early tickets have already sold out, but Tier Two tickets remain, with every sale helping fund the Abbey's conservation.

Read full story → (Glastonbury Nub News)

The Burcott Inn in Wookey turns its garden over to ska and reggae from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July for Burcott SkaFest 2026, the pub's home-grown weekend festival. Expect live bands, a relaxed beer-garden atmosphere and a proper Somerset welcome just a few minutes outside Wells. Tickets are on sale now through the Burcott Inn.

Read full story → (Burcott Inn)

The Plandits bring their outdoor production of The Big Bad Wolf to the grounds of Bishop's Palace on Friday 24 July, with the show starting at 5.30pm against the backdrop of the moated Palace. Tickets are £16 for adults, £12 for children and £50 for a family ticket — a fine excuse to make the most of one of Wells' most atmospheric outdoor spaces.

Read full story → (Bishop's Palace)

🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Week of 20 July 2026

The warm, mostly dry spell continues across the Mendips this week, with highs in the mid-20s°C and only a slim chance of rain — though it'll feel muggier by midweek, so keep pets and elderly neighbours cool and topped up with water. Expect plenty of sunny spells for anything outdoors, including this week's events in Wookey and Wells, with the settled weather holding into the weekend.

→ Full 7-day forecast on BBC Weather

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