Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970

The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music, held on June 27–28, 1970 at the Shepton Mallet Showground in Somerset, was arguably Britain's greatest rock festival and one of the finest lineups ever assembled. Over 150,000 people attended to see Led Zeppelin (who headlined and delivered what many consider their greatest-ever live performance), Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Frank Zappa, The Byrds, Fairport Convention, John Mayall, Colosseum, Hot Tuna, and many others. Led Zeppelin's performance was so powerful it reportedly eclipsed every other act and cemented their status as the world's most important rock band.

The 1970 festival was the second Bath event — a 1969 festival had been more modest in scale. The 1970 incarnation benefited from its timing: one year after Woodstock, with the British festival scene still developing its identity and major American acts willing to travel. The site, a large agricultural showground in rural Somerset, was transformed into a temporary city. No significant film or recording of the event survived intact for decades, though bootleg recordings of the Led Zeppelin set have circulated among collectors.

The Shepton Mallet Showground is still an active events venue today, hosting the Royal Bath and West Show among other events. No permanent marker commemorates the 1970 festival. The site is in the Somerset countryside, about 20 miles south of Bath, and is accessible by road.