Over nearly two weeks, the magnificent surroundings of Britain's finest Roman city are graced with the world's best music. From classical to jazz, world music and beyond, the Bath International Music Festival presents its annual musical extravaganza.
Bath's annual Fringe Festival brings more than 150 different events to this Roman spa town. With a visual arts programme spread across the city, fringe theatre, plenty of live music and comedians galore this is Bath's biggest arts festival.
The Dot to Dot Festival is a unique opportunity to sample a broad range of established and up-and-coming global music acts. Various venues across Bristol play host to this year's festival, which also visits Nottingham and Manchester.
Pick up tips and advice on how to live an eco-friendly, vegetarian life. Bristol Harbourside's Eco Veggie Fayre features vegetarian cooking demos and classes, live music on two stages from lunchtime onwards and children's entertainment.
Tetbury holds an extraordinary annual event on May Bank Holiday. Locals arrange themselves into teams of four and, in pairs, relay a 60lb woolsack (35lb for ladies) up and down Gumstool Hill between the Crown and the Royal Oak pubs.
The southwest's premier agricultural event, the Royal Bath and West Show is held at a dedicated showground in Shepton Mallet and features the best in livestock, food and country produce - a fun family day out.
Picturesque Stanway House in Gloucestershire, built between 1580 and 1630 of mellowed Cotswold stone, is a beautiful place to spend a leisurely afternoon. The 18th-century water garden boasts a majestic 70-foot single jet fountain.
The Friends Life T20 begins with a group format in June, before quarter finals in July and Finals Day at Southampton's Rose Bowl in August. Gloucestershire Gladiators play their home games at the County Ground in Bristol.
Firmly grounded ethical policies form the basis of Sunrise Celebration, which takes place at Gilcombe Farm near Bruton in Somerset. The field-frolicking event features cutting-edge music, art, performance, permaculture and ecology on numerous stages and divided into distinct arenas.
Held throughout the UK, the Sky Ride encourages cyclists of all abilities to hop on their saddles and hit the streets. Taking place in Bath, this event allows cyclists to reclaim the city and enjoy a day of bike-based entertainment.
Cheltenham's annual Science Festival, taking place at venues across town, explores everything from future energy to why Kate Moss was hooked on Pete Doherty. The packed programme includes talks, debates, family events, an interactive exhibition and a drop-in cinema.
Do your bit for climate change by taking part in Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride, an annual event that promotes two wheels over four. Run by the council, the event gives keen cyclists a choice of traffic-free routes.
Bath Guitar Festival presents a programme of workshops and creative technology courses at venues around town. Featuring some of the best classical and popular guitarists in the world, the majority of courses take place at the Michael Tippett Centre.
Bristol goes wild for the annual Festival of Nature, held every summer along the picturesque harbourside. With events ranging from a local food market to interactive workshops, the whole family is invited to come and explore the natural world.
For all the X-Files fans out there, the truth may be found at the Glastonbury Symposium, one of Britain's largest crop circle conferences. Debates and presentations aim to dissect the truth about crop circles, what they symbolise and how they materialise.
The Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the highlights of the city's summer events programme. It features tall ships and a variety of other vessels, music, dance, circus and street theatre, markets and a spectacular fireworks show.
Chastleton House, situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, was built between 1607 and 1612. Remarkably, the house has remained essentially unchanged for nearly 400 years, suffering minimal intrusion from the 21st century.
Mayfest is Bristol's annual celebration of outstanding new theatre from the South West, the UK and beyond. Performances take place at venues around the city and feature a mixture of productions from new and innovative to esteemed and established.
The 120-foot, neo-classical Beckford's Tower in Bath offers fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. The museum inside has displays of furniture made for the tower as well as paintings, prints and objects illustrating the life of arts patron William Beckford.
Hailes Abbey is one of the most striking abbey ruins in southern England, located near a host of other historic sites. A must-see in any central Cotswolds itinerary, the abbey marked its 750th anniversary in 2002.
Once the home to a West India sugar merchant and his slave, Bristol's Georgian House, in the city centre, has been restored and furnished to show a typical 18th-century house, including the elegant living rooms, servant quarters and kitchen.
Kiftsgate Court's gardens are often overlooked on account of their famous neighbour (Hidcote Manor) across the road. But the formality of Hidcote is beautifully offset by Kiftsgate's steep terracing, unusual planting and breathtaking beauty.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswold Hills, Sudeley Castle is steeped in a rich royal history and surrounded by 14 acres of stunning gardens. Boasting a royal pedigree, it's one of Gloucestershire's prize attractions.
Based at Bath's Claverton Manor, The American Museum in Britain traces the heritage of the United States. It comprises a series of diverse and authentically decorated rooms, tracing the American way of life from colonial times to the mid-19th century.
Fashionistas have cause to rejoice at Bath's Fashion Museum as it once again dedicates a display to The Dress of the Year. An annual occurrence, the dress can vary from decadent to demure but it's always highly desirable.
The Cotswold Farm Park in Stow-on-the-Wold offers a fun day out regardless of the weather. Kids get to meet, cuddle and feed a variety of farm animals, and it's also home to a rare-breeds conservation centre.
Take a walk around Gloucestershire's 4th-century Chedworth Roman Villa and spot mosaics, bathhouses, a water shrine and latrine. The sweeping views across the valley from the villa are equally spectacular.