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You are here > Home > What's On > Festivals

Festivals

Experience the vibrant spirit of Durham with our curated guide to festivals.

From cultural celebrations and music extravaganzas to arts and crafts showcases, Durham's festival scene offers a diverse array of events for every interest. Immerse yourself in the joy of community gatherings, indulge in culinary delights at food festivals, and enjoy the lively atmosphere of local celebrations. Stay updated on the latest festival happenings, and discover the rich tapestry of events that make Durham a festival destination like no other.

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Number of results: 66

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  1. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add High Spen Blue Diamonds Centenary - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    High Spen Blue Diamonds Centenary - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    High Spen Blue Diamonds: A Century of Rapper

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 11:00 - 12:00
    More info for High Spen Blue Diamonds Centenary - Durham Folk Festival
  2. Four sisters, smiling shoulder to shoulder in pink clothing, in front of a body of water. The text 'The McKeaney Sisters' underneath.

    Add An hour or so with The McKeaney Sisters - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    An hour or so with The McKeaney Sisters - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    We were delighted when Anna, Rosie, Peggy and Kathleen accepted our invitation to perform at the first Durham Folk Festival for a rare opportunity to hear them in England. We can think of no better representatives of a true, honest singing tradition.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2026Open 15:30 - 16:30
    More info for An hour or so with The McKeaney Sisters - Durham Folk Festival
  3. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add Fiddle Workshop - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Fiddle Workshop - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Market Place, Durham

    With the wonderful Jackie Oates. A focus on learning traditional folk fiddle tunes by ear, along with bowing styles and ornamentation.

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 10:00 - 11:00
    More info for Fiddle Workshop - Durham Folk Festival
  4. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add Music Session - Holy GrAle - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Music Session - Holy GrAle - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    All instruments welcome!

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Music Session - Holy GrAle - Durham Folk Festival
  5. L-R John Lyons, Richard Turner and Alan Patrickson.

    Durham Jazz Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Old Cinema Launderette in Gilesgate,

    The 2026 Durham Jazz Festival will run from Friday 23rd October through to Sunday 25th October.

    Dates

    From:
    23 Oct 2026to25 Oct 2026
    More info for Durham Jazz Festival
  6. Four people standing on a balcony over the water, with the text 'Banter' underneath them

    Add Banter - Ceilidh - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Banter - Ceilidh - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Banter is a dynamic English folk and ceilidh quartet known as the "world's smallest big band", featuring Simon Care, Nina Zella, Tim Walker, and Mark Jolley. Prepare for a joyous night of dancing!

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 20:30 - 22:30
    More info for Banter - Ceilidh - Durham Folk Festival
  7. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add The Wilsons' Farewell Set; The Welfare Collective; Johnny Handle - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    The Wilsons' Farewell Set; The Welfare Collective; Johnny Handle - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    The Wilsons are our Patrons, and proud purveyors of North East song and the most powerful family vocal harmonies. Their set will close this year's festival.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2026Open 19:00 - 21:30
    More info for The Wilsons' Farewell Set; The Welfare Collective; Johnny Handle - Durham Folk Festival
  8. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add Amber Films Retrospective - Saturday - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Amber Films Retrospective - Saturday - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    Screenings of short films from the Amber Films archives, spanning 6 decades and reflecting many aspects of working-class life in the North East. Full programme announced soon.

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 13:00 - 16:00
    More info for Amber Films Retrospective - Saturday - Durham Folk Festival
  9. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add Macdara Yeates; Holly Carter; Seb Stone - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Macdara Yeates; Holly Carter; Seb Stone - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Historical

    Durham

    Macdara Yeates is one of the driving forces in Dublin's the young traditional music scene. Known for his performances of Irish classics, docker songs and the forgotten ballads of his Dublin neighbourhood, he's a mesmerising performer.

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 15:30 - 18:30
    More info for Macdara Yeates; Holly Carter; Seb Stone - Durham Folk Festival
  10. Musician Katie Howson, holding an accordion with her name at the bottom.

    Add Katie Howson: Carry on Squeezing - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Katie Howson: Carry on Squeezing - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    Musician, researcher and historian Katie co-founded the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust with her late husband John. 50 years of melodeon-playing are explored here with light-hearted (non-scary) audience participation: choose one of Katie's…

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 15:30 - 17:00
    More info for Katie Howson: Carry on Squeezing - Durham Folk Festival
  11. A photo of author Lucy Foley accompanied with the cover of her book The Hunting Party, on a blue background with cartoon books

    Add Lucy Foley: The Big Read - Durham Book Festival to your Itinerary

    Lucy Foley: The Big Read - Durham Book Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    We are delighted to announce that the Sunday Times number one bestselling novel The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is our 2026 Big Read. We will distribute 3,000 free copies of The Hunting Party to libraries, businesses and hospitals, and to students…

    Dates

    From:
    10 Oct 2026Open 15:00 - 16:00
    More info for Lucy Foley: The Big Read - Durham Book Festival
  12. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add The Demon Barber Roadshow; Spafford Campbell - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    The Demon Barber Roadshow; Spafford Campbell - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    For over two decades, The Demon Barbers have redefined live folk performance with their explosive fusion of traditional music, English folk dance and Hip-Hop choreography.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for The Demon Barber Roadshow; Spafford Campbell - Durham Folk Festival
  13. A person singing outside with a guitar and microphone, with the text 'Calum Baird' underneath.

    Add Calum Baird - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Calum Baird - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    Calum Baird is an emerging Scottish folk, punk and story-telling singer-songwriter and musician who's been featured on BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland.

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 14:30 - 15:30
    More info for Calum Baird - Durham Folk Festival
  14. outer space galaxy

    North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    The North Pennines Stargazing Festival is returning for 2026 – running between Friday 16 October and Sunday 1 November.

    Dates

    From:
    16 Oct 2026to1 Nov 2026
    More info for North Pennines Stargazing Festival 2026
  15. Durham Folk Festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', on a light yellow background.

    Add War of the Birds - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    War of the Birds - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    The War of the Birds is a collection of Eastern European stories from an old world where things were darker, colder, and altogether stranger. Storyteller Mark Borthwick weaves together traditional and electronic music, Klezmer and dance with…

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 16:00 - 17:00
    More info for War of the Birds - Durham Folk Festival
  16. A person wearing a shirt and tie, holding a guitar. The text  underneath reads 'Petunia.'

    Add Petunia - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Petunia - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Joining us from Canada, Petunia is more than just an entertainer; he’s a modern musical enigma. Imagine David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby that yodeled…or Tom Waits met Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s hobo junction. He’s been referred to as…

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 14:00 - 15:00
    More info for Petunia - Durham Folk Festival
  17. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add St Cuthbert's Journey - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    St Cuthbert's Journey - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    The Lindisfarne Gospels reside at the British Museum, but when they visited County Durham in 2013, Alistair Anderson was commissioned to create a new suite of music based on Northumbrian themes: A Lindisfarne Gospel.

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 10:00 - 11:00
    More info for St Cuthbert's Journey - Durham Folk Festival
  18. Four men singing on stage, with text underneath The Wilson Family.

    Add Welcome to Durham: an hour with The Wilsons - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Welcome to Durham: an hour with The Wilsons - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Flass Street, Durham

    Our Patrons set the tone for a fantastic weekend with an a capella hour of song at the Pitmen's Parliament.

    Dates

    From:
    18 Sept 2026Open 13:00 - 14:00
    More info for Welcome to Durham: an hour with The Wilsons - Durham Folk Festival
  19. A five piece band, holding their folk instruments on a white background, with the text 'Monster Ceilidh Band' underneath.

    Add Monster Ceilidh Band - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Monster Ceilidh Band - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    A nuclear tipped, instrumental folk warhead from Newcastle, Monster Ceilidh Band are one of the UK’s best known ceilidh bands and have been festival regulars for over 15 years. They’ve travelled all over Europe, and from Russia to Malaysia and back,…

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2026Open 14:00 - 16:00
    More info for Monster Ceilidh Band - Durham Folk Festival
  20. Durham folk festival logo with a purple sanctuary knocker as the letter 'o', with a light yellow background.

    Add Voices from the Tradition - Durham Folk Festival to your Itinerary

    Voices from the Tradition - Durham Folk Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Featuring Anne Lamb & Graeme Bell, the McKeaney Sisters, Ruth & Sadie Price, Katie Howson and Mark Borthwick

    Dates

    From:
    19 Sept 2026Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Voices from the Tradition - Durham Folk Festival
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