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The S&DR200 Festival’s epic outdoor event ‘Ghost Train’ will steam through Darlington and Stockton this September. This two-part outdoor performance, created and produced by Avanti Display Ltd and Walk the Plank, is part of the regional celebrations marking 200 years since the world’s first passenger railway journey.
The event begins with Ghost Train: The Departure in Darlington on Saturday 20 September. A theatrical reimagining of Locomotion No. 1 will be installed on a large plinth in Darlington Market Square, its cogs and wheels moving as they did 200 years ago. Across the afternoon six large-scale structures - each mounted on customised Nissan Micras - will bring to life through performance, music, sound and feats of engineering, some of the most significant inventions of the last 200 years. There will be performances across the afternoon in the town centre, and then the parade is at dusk. At 7pm, Locomotion No. 1 will steam to life - fuelled by 'coal of the future' made by 900 primary school children from across Darlington - and lead our carriages on a magical procession to Darlington's flagship attraction Hopetown.
The journey will reach its thrilling conclusion with Ghost Train: The Arrival in Stockton on Sunday 28 September, where an epic outdoor performance will unfold on Stockton Riverside at 7:30pm. Featuring a reimagining of Locomotion No. 1 and six illuminated carriages, the after-dark show includes a specially composed musical score by Sarah Llewellyn, live music, projection, and a community cast of national and local performers, including performance students and local volunteers from across Darlington and Stockton. It tells the human story of this industrial revolution and explores the impact it had on the region. The performance will combine storytelling, music, and physical theatre with fire, and pyrotechnic effects. The event will also bring a weeklong of anniversary events to a close with a spectacular finale.
Over the last year Avanti have been working with the Northern School of Art across four departments with student from all three years. The students have helped create costumes and props for the show, while Graphic Design students have produced colourful banners that will appear throughout Darlington and Stockton. Ten Performing Arts students will also take to the stage in the Stockton performance.
Imaginative model railways designed by students will be showcased in the iconic Binns shop window ahead of the parade.
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S&DR200 FestivalThe 27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), which gave birth to the modern railway. To celebrate this landmark anniversary, the nine-month S&DR200 Festival will take place across Durham and Tees Valley from March to November 2025.
Find out what’s happening this week across the Culture County. From festivals and exhibitions, to sport and theatre, you’re certain to have an eventful time in Durham.
