Join National Poetry Day Ambassador and acclaimed children’s author Simon Mole and musician and TikTok sensation Gecko for their brand new family show The Great Big Bug Show at the Hat Factory Arts Centre in Luton on Sunday 1 March 2026, for two performances at 11:30am and 2pm.
The Great Big Bug Show is packed full of poems, raps and songs about all your favourite bugs (and some you haven’t heard of yet!).
Which beetle has a blaster on its bottom? Which many-legged minibeast took the first ever steps on land? Which eight-legged hunter has fangs as big as a cheetah’s claws?
Simon Mole and Gecko invite children and their families to join them for a fun and interactive exploration of the secret world beneath our feet. As well as being packed full of delightfully disgusting and wonderfully weird facts, the show is an inspirational call to action to appreciate the smaller creatures in our world. Expect Minibeasts and Massive Beats. In this show, every tune is an earworm – even the ones about woodlice!
The Great Big Bug Show’s recent premiere at the Natural History Museum had children buzzing with excitement and bug-filled fun, and it was even featured on ITV News.
The Great Big Bug Show is inspired by the recently released A First Book of Bugs, written by Simon Mole, illustrated by Adam Ming and published by Walker Books. This title is the eagerly anticipated follow up to The Sunday Times pick, A First Book of Dinosaurs.
Simon Mole is an acclaimed children’s writer and performer, who has shared stages with Michael Rosen, Hollie McNish and Simon Armitage. He has published three picture books, and two themed poetry giftbooks for younger children. His next book, Poetry Pizza, is a poetry collection for 7-11 years olds which will be published in February 2026. Simon is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, with over ten years’ experience using poetry with children and families, Simon works in schools and libraries across the country and overseas. The videos on his YouTube channel are used by hundreds of thousands of children and teachers across the world each year and have been featured on the BBC.
Gecko is a singer-storyteller who has performed across the world including at Glastonbury, Latitude, the Southbank Centre, 6 Music and the BAFTA winning Sky Arts show Life & Rhymes. In 2025 he released his third album The Big Picture. His songs have received millions of views on TikTok and Instagram and hardly any mean comments.
The Great Big Bug Show is created by Simon Mole, Gecko and Peader Kirk. It is co-produced by Rua Arts and funded by Arts Council England.
To book for the Hat Factory Arts Centre performances of The Great Big Bug Show, visit www.culturetrust.com/whats-on/great-big-bug-show
Show running time: 50mins approx, no interval. Suitable for children aged 4-11 years and their family.
