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Immerse yourself in the cultural wonders of the Culture County and dive into a world of art, music, and creativity at every turn and discover exciting exhibitions and festivals across the Culture County. We have picked a few highlights below…
Explore a range of fun, family activities at Beamish Museum this February half term and explore the museum and discover all about fantastic inventions from the region. As Beamish Museum looks at Canny Creations: Wonderful Inventions from the North East running from 14 February to 1 March.
Experience the enchantment of Fire and Ice in Durham City from 27 to 28 February, which will transformed the city centre into a breathtaking winter wonderland. Marvel at stunning ice sculptures crafted by world-class artists and illuminated with vibrant lights throughout the streets. As night falls, fiery performances light up the dark with spectacular displays of heat and flame.
Chinese New Year 2026 Celebrations - The Year of The Horse
Durham City is gearing up to host vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations. On Saturday, 21 February, the city will welcome the Year of the Horse with a fantastic lineup of traditional events and activities. Festivities will take place across multiple locations, including Durham Town Hall, Clayport Library, The Oriental Museum, and the bustling city centre.
Tom McGuinness: Out of the Darkness at Mining Art Gallery
The new Tom McGuinness exhibition opens on 18 February at the Mining Art Gallery. In his centenary year, the gallery celebrates this quiet man who communicated through his art. Tom McGuinness found a rich seam of artistic inspiration in the coal mines of Durham, painting the industry and its people from his own experiences.
The popular Durham County Council-run festival will return to Bishop Auckland on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April, for a weekend of sizzling street food, celebrity chef demonstrations, delicious desserts and fun-filled family entertainment. Across the two days, visitors can try produce from over 140 independent traders selling everything from burgers and savoury snacks, cakes and sweet treats, to jams, pickles, breads and a range of distillers.
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Ushaw Classic Car & Bike Show
The Ushaw Classic Car & Bike Show returns on Saturday 23 May, bringing a stunning display of vintage, classic, and modern vehicles to the historic grounds of Ushaw. Enjoy a day of motoring heritage and live entertainment.
Consett Cycling Festival
The festival is set to return once again in June with a men’s and women’s Tour de Reservoir race. The race will start and finish in the town centre and the cycling festival will help highlight the town and county as a cycling hub.
Durham Brass Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever as it celebrates two decades of bringing one of the biggest celebrations of brass to the region. The festival will run from 12 to 19 July, for a week packed with spectacular performances, new commissions, free concerts, community activities and lively street bands. Plus discover the Durham Miners' Gala is the world's greatest celebration of community, international solidarity, and working class culture and will take place on 11 July. It is a unique and inspiring spectacle.
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Durham City Run Festival
Durham City Run celebrates its 10th year this July, the event is the perfect chance to enjoy a summer evening running past Durham Citty's historic landmarks. Take part in the 10km or 5km races or bring the whole family down to enjoy the ‘Families on Track’ event, which is a fun team relay. The Durham City Run Festival will run from 16 to 18 July.
Between 29 July and 2 August, Durham Fringe Festival will host a spectacular array of performing arts. Genres include theatre, music, stand-up comedy, magic, spoken word, cabaret, dance, physical theatre, circus, and children and youth shows across more than 10 city centre venues.
Seaham Food Festival will return on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August. The festival welcomes thousands of visitors each year for two days of sun, sea, family fun and, of course, food. It features more than 120 traders selling everything from street food to local beverages. Another highlight of Seaham Food Festival is its cookery theatre, where it hosts a series of cookery demonstrations from a star-studded line up of celebrity chefs.
Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,000 local people and organisations, and thousands of volunteers. The event will be running from 11 to 20 September, and venues across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences and it’s all free to attend.
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Impressions of Light: Masterpieces from MuMa at Le Havre and The Bowes Museum
Impressions of Light: Masterpieces from MuMa Le Havre and The Bowes Museum is a major partnership between The Bowes Museum and the Musée d'Art Moderne André Malraux (MuMa), Le Havre. Bringing to the UK a collection of Impressionist masterpieces never-before-seen here, the exhibition traces the evolution of landscape painting from Pre-Impressionism to Post-Impressionism, featuring works by Monet, Boudin, Courbet, Pissarro and Dufy. The exhibition will be running from 26 September to 14 march 2027.
The Durham Jazz Festival will run from 23 to 25 October. The programme will include an exciting high profile festival headline show at the Gala Theatre on Saturday evening, with a number of national and local acts.
Durham Book Festival
Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and entertained by top authors visiting Durham City. Enjoy over 25 events across three days, covering history, humour, poetry, and fiction. Durham Book Festival is taking pace in October and is organised by New Writing North and Durham County Council.
Discover even more events, or make an exciting exhibition or festival part of a great getaway to Durham.
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