Bedford Remembrance Sunday 2026: 8 November, Embankment

Remembrance Sunday in Bedford is a parade, service and wreath laying at the war memorial on the Embankment at 11am, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday 8 November. Bedford Borough Council and the Bedford and District branch of the Royal British Legion organise it, and the place and time were the same in both 2023 and 2025. The council has not published its 2026 details yet; last year it announced them on 26 September, so they are due any day.

The quick answer

• Remembrance Sunday: Sunday 8 November 2026, 11am, War Memorial, Bedford Embankment. Arrive by 10.40am; the parade marches in from Russell Park.
• Armistice Day: Wednesday 11 November 2026, with a two-minute silence at 11am. Last year’s was in Harpur Square.
• The 2026 programme is not confirmed yet. Everything below is from the council’s 2025 and 2023 announcements.

How Remembrance Sunday runs in Bedford

This is how the council described the day in its 2025 announcement, published on 26 September 2025:

• Where: the War Memorial on Bedford Embankment (what3words ///leave.river.fans).
• When: 11am, with the public asked to be at the memorial by 10.40am, ready for the parade arriving from Russell Park.
• The service: once the parade has formed up, civic leaders, the armed forces, veterans’ associations and civil and community organisations lay wreaths.
• Afterwards: the parade continues along the Embankment and finishes in Harpur Square.
• Order of service: published online on the Monday before, at bedford.gov.uk/Order-Of-Service, with a QR code on the day and a few paper copies handed out by cadets.
• Wheelchair users: a limited number of spaces by the memorial for a wheelchair user and one carer, first come, first served.

The council’s 2023 announcement, reposted by Kempston Town Council, gives the same place and time: the war memorial on the Embankment at 11am.

Armistice Day, Wednesday 11 November

The borough also marks Armistice Day itself with a short ceremony and a two-minute silence at 11am. It has moved around the town centre:

Sources: the council’s 2022 announcement as reposted by Sharnbrook Parish Council, the 2023 announcement via Kempston Town Council, and the 2025 council release.

In 2025 the public were asked to arrive at 10.40am for the silence, followed by an inspection of the parade by the Mayor and the Lord Lieutenant. Before that, a private ceremony at the memorial in the Mayor’s Parlour reads the names of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry men who died in the First World War. For the first time last year it was live-streamed into the Harpur Suite, with the public invited in from 10.15am for a 10.25am start.

The Poppy Appeal

Last year poppies went on sale in Bedford and Kempston supermarkets on Friday 24 October, and the appeal was launched on Saturday 25 October in the Harpur Centre with a short service at 10am. A Poppy Appeal stall stayed in the Harpur Centre until Remembrance weekend.

Services in the villages and Kempston

The council says many other services are held across the borough and points people to parish and town council websites, noticeboards and newsletters. Kempston Town Council had published nothing for 2026 by 25 September.

Getting there

The council’s own parking note for last year’s events: Queen Street car park is free for the first two hours, and all council-owned town centre car parks are free all day on Sundays. Our parking in Bedford page has the full list, and Bedford roadworks has anything affecting the roads.

Still to be confirmed

• The 2026 programme from Bedford Borough Council and the Royal British Legion: last year’s was published on 26 September.
• Where the Armistice Day silence will be held on Wednesday 11 November.
• Order of service: online on the Monday before, going by last year.

We will update this page as soon as the council publishes. For the rest of the season, see Bedford fireworks and the Christmas lights switch-on.