Following the success of its first opening, the Pittville Pump Room Pop-up Café will return for a festive run from Monday 22 December to Wednesday 31 December.

Designed and curated by The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, the pop-up café offers a relaxed way to experience one of Cheltenham’s most significant historic buildings. The design takes inspiration from the Georgian heritage of the Pump Room, alongside a display that explores the building’s story in six chapters. Visitors are also invited to share their favourite memories of the Pump Room and their ideas for its future, helping to shape the next chapter of this much-loved Grade I listed building.

The popular free programme of live music will continue throughout the festive period, adding to the atmosphere of the café. Performances include Incantata Strings on 22 December, acoustic bassist Mark Gunner on 23 December, composer and guitarist Dan Lewis on 27 December, and a Cheltenham Open Mic session on 28 December. The programme concludes on 31 December with a performance by singer-songwriter Saint Senara, marking both the final day of the pop-up and the end of the two-hundredth anniversary year since the foundation stone for the Pump Room was laid.

Commenting on the reopening, Jessica Brewster, CEO of The Cheltenham Trust, said that the response to the pop-up had been overwhelmingly positive. She noted that the festive reopening offers a further opportunity for people to enjoy the building before it closes for scheduled works, including plans to work with Cheltenham Borough Council on strengthening the sub-floor to support future heritage conservation. Feedback shared by visitors has already provided valuable insight, and the Trust is looking ahead to developing Pittville Pump Room as a space that can be permanently open to the public and celebrate its heritage.

The Pittville Pump Room Pop-up Café will be open from 22–31 December, with varying opening days and times across the period. Full details, including opening hours and the live music schedule, are available at pittvillepumproom.org.uk/pop-up