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When night falls and the Great Bath empties of visitors, it usually morphs into a quiet place of glimmering light and shadows. But not at weekends this summer.
DJs and musicians are to set up next to the steaming water and turn the historic space in the city of Bath into something of a party venue.
“It’s a departure for us, an experiment,” said Amanda Hart, the director of archaeology at the Roman baths. “We would like people to experience the baths in a different way and maybe attract a slightly different audience – visitors who wouldn’t necessarily come to the baths.”
The Summer Lates music series promises DJs playing disco, funk, gospel and jazz as well as live acoustic sets. It is not clear if people will dance. “We’re all a bit unsure as to how people are going to respond,” said Hart. “Maybe people will have a bit of a dance.”
But what would the Romans have made of it? Hart said there was no firm evidence music had been played at the baths in the south-west of England in Roman times 2,000 years ago – but she believes it probably was. Music was important in ancient Rome and was played on social occasions and at ceremonies and spectacles.
“I think we can make the assumption that music was played at the baths,” Hart said. “It was a very sociable place. People wanted to be seen there and hang out and some people did business there and ate there.
“It wasn’t just a place to go and partake in the bathing routine. It was a place to meet people and have fun as well. We’re picking up on that idea. These were not quiet, contemplative places to be.”
The Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger wrote vividly about how rowdy baths could be. He once lived directly above a public baths and described the noise in a letter: the arguments, the hullabaloo of a thief being caught, the cacophony of a bather who wrongly thought he was a good singer, the splash of a person leaping into the water.
“Think of the different shouts of the drinks seller and the sausage seller and the pastry seller and all the cookshop hawkers selling their wares, each with his own personal cry,” he wrote.
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The idea of the Summer Lates sessions is not to generate raucous evenings but to create a “subtle, ambient” atmosphere. The publicity material promises the baths will be turned into a “rich soundscape where heritage meets rhythm”.
There will be live performances by Hayden Thorpe, the former frontman of the band Wild Beasts, and Our Man in the Field, an Americana group. The Bristol-based DJs Beavs (Lauren Beavis) and Fivestylez (Oli Ackroyd) are among those who will play sets.
The Bath and North East Somerset council leader, Kevin Guy, said the Roman baths had long been a place where people came together.
“We’re continuing that tradition in a bold and contemporary way. It reflects our ongoing commitment to sharing Bath’s heritage in ways that are creative and relevant, and we look forward to welcoming residents and visitors to experience the Roman baths in this new way.”
Summer Lates is a six-week programme of evening openings from 21 July to 31 August. The Great Bath will be lit with torches and there will be a pop-up bar. The live music and DJ sets will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
From Monday to Thursday, the Roman baths will remain open until 8pm. On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and the August bank holiday Monday, the site will host visitors until 10pm.
