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You are here > Home > What's On > Summer Highlights

Summer Highlights

From festivals and fetes to vintage vehicles and open air theatre, enjoy a packed summer of fun in Durham with events to enthral and excite the whole family.

Embrace the warmth and vibrancy of summer in Durham with our curated guide to seasonal highlights. Discover a plethora of events, from lively festivals and outdoor performances to family-friendly activities and cultural showcases. Immerse yourself in the richness of summer arts, enjoy open-air concerts, and savor culinary delights at seasonal workshops. Whether it's nature excursions or festive celebrations, Durham's summer highlights offer a diverse array of experiences for all. Stay connected with the latest happenings and make the most of your summer in Durham, where every moment becomes a highlight.

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  1. Christopher Eccleston and Jo Clement on a blue background surrounded by books.

    Add The Working Class Library on Tony Harrison with Special Guest Christopher Eccleston - Durham Book Festival to your Itinerary

    The Working Class Library on Tony Harrison with Special Guest Christopher Eccleston - Durham Book Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Award-winning actor Christopher Eccleston joins hosts of the Working Class Library podcast, Richard Benson, editor of The Bee, and Claire Malcolm, CEO of New Writing North, to discuss the legacy of the renowned poet Tony Harrison, in a special live…

    Dates

    From:
    11 Oct 2026Open 17:00 - 18:00
    More info for The Working Class Library on Tony Harrison with Special Guest Christopher Eccleston - Durham Book Festival
  2. A telescope silhouetted against a Star-filled night sky, with the Milky Way visible in the background.

    Add Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival to your Itinerary

    Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Stargazing Events

    nr Mickleton

    The event on Friday 16 October 2026, 8pm to 11pm, will begin with a welcome from the lead astronomer at Grassholme Observatory, Gary Fildes. Gary is a very experienced science communicator and astronomer, and founder of the Kielder Observatory,…

    Venue

    Grassholme Observatory, Teesdale

    Dates

    From:
    16 Oct 2026Open 20:00 - 23:00
    More info for Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival
  3. Close up of the Grinch looing quizzical at the camera wearing a Santa hat in the snowy night

    Add Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Stanley

    Transport yourself to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in our beautifully restored 1950s Grand cinema. The Grand cinema, from Ryhope, in Sunderland, has been recreated and brought to life in our 1950s Town.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Dec 2026Open 13:45 -
    More info for Grand Cinema: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  4. Festive scene of street lamps and Christmas lights decorating a stone building.

    Add Christmas Light Switch-On Spectacular - South Causey Inn to your Itinerary

    Christmas Light Switch-On Spectacular - South Causey Inn

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Stanley

    Join us for a magical festive evening as South Causey Inn lights up for Christmas in unforgettable style. 

    Dates

    From:
    20 Nov 2026Open 18:00 -
    More info for Christmas Light Switch-On Spectacular - South Causey Inn
  5. A green steam train in the snowy wilderness.

    Add North Pole Express - Tanfield Railway to your Itinerary

    North Pole Express - Tanfield Railway

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Tanfield Lea, Stanley

    Step aboard the Tanfield Railway’s famous North Pole Express for a steam train journey to the North Pole! Tanfield Railway’s famous North Pole Express is one of the most popular and magical festive experiences in the North East, perfect for families…

    Dates

    From:
    28 Nov 2026to20 Dec 2026Various Opening Times
    From:
    22 Dec 2026to24 Dec 2026Open 10:25 - 16:25
    More info for North Pole Express - Tanfield Railway
  6. Image of a person wearing glasses, sat in a dark room, on a yellow background with books.

    Add Festival Game Jam - Durham Book Festival to your Itinerary

    Festival Game Jam - Durham Book Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    Do you love reading books but also enjoy the stories told by games? Are you a budding game designer on a quest for new sources of inspiration? 

    Dates

    From:
    10 Oct 2026Open 10:30 - 13:00
    More info for Festival Game Jam - Durham Book Festival
  7. A bush of green leaves and figs

    Add Modern Calligraphy Workshop with Mellor & Rose - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Modern Calligraphy Workshop with Mellor & Rose - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Summer Event

    Darlington

    Discover the joy of calming and creative Calligraphy at Raby Castle with Mellor & Rose on our Christmas Calligraphy Workshop this October! Christmas is a perfect time to pick up a pen and learn the art of Calligraphy to letter up your greetings…

    Dates

    From:
    17 Oct 2026Open 11:00 -
    More info for Modern Calligraphy Workshop with Mellor & Rose - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens
  8. A pretend spider crawling in a large spiderweb at Hopetown.

    Add Into the Wild! - A Halloween Bushcraft Experience - Hopetown Darlington to your Itinerary

    Into the Wild! - A Halloween Bushcraft Experience - Hopetown Darlington

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Darlington

    Venture into the shadowy corners of Hopetown for a Halloween-themed bushcraft adventure where strange things lurk in the woods and only the bravest little monsters will thrive.

    Dates

    From:
    26 Oct 2026Open 10:15 - 15:15
    More info for Into the Wild! - A Halloween Bushcraft Experience - Hopetown Darlington
  9. A group of parkrun volunteers in pink jackets outside Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens.

    Add Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens - parkrun to your Itinerary

    Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens - parkrun

    Type

    Type:

    Wellness Event

    Durham

    A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you! Nearby Sunday 2k junior parkrun events for 4 to 14 year olds and their families can be found here.

    Dates

    From:
    3 Jan 2026to26 Dec 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens - parkrun
  10. A lilac poster for Lumley Castle's Children's Halloween Disco, decorated with a cartoon bat, ghost, Frankenstein's Monster and a spooky full moon.

    Add Children's Halloween Disco to your Itinerary

    Children's Halloween Disco

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Chester le Street

    Get ready for a spooktacular afternoon of Halloween fun! Join us for games, dancing, music, prizes and plenty of spooky surprises. Come dressed in your favourite Halloween costume and show off your spooky style, there’ll be a prize for the best…

    Dates

    From:
    30 Oct 2026Open 14:00 - 16:00
    More info for Children's Halloween Disco
  11. Poster for 'The Nice List', text which reads 'Tom Rolfe Production Proudly Presents, A Magical Family Santamime.' A large festive book open with red r

    Add The Nice List! Santamime to your Itinerary

    The Nice List! Santamime

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Barnard Castle

    Step into a sparkling festive adventure this Christmas as Tom Rolfe Productions proudly present The Nice List!

    Dates

    From:
    10 Dec 2026Open 18:00 -
    More info for The Nice List! Santamime
  12. The silhouette of the vampire Nosferatu climbing up the stairs.

    Add Grand Cinema: Nosferatu (1922) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema: Nosferatu (1922) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Halloween

    Stanley

    Join us for an evening of horrors at the Grand Cinema, Beamish Museum, as we show the original version of Nosferatu, accompanied by a live score played by Stuart Angus. The spooky evening will be accompanied by Vampire Cupcakes, Bloody Raspberry…

    Dates

    From:
    17 Oct 2026to18 Oct 2026Open 18:00 -
    More info for Grand Cinema: Nosferatu (1922) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  13. A telescope silhouetted against a star-filled night sky, with the Milky Way visible in the background.

    Add Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival to your Itinerary

    Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle

    A welcome from the lead astronomer at Grassholme Observatory, Gary Fildes. Gary is a very experienced science communicator and astronomer, and founder of the Kielder Observatory, where he was Director and CEO for over 11 years. After the welcome…

    Venue

    Grassholme Observatory, Teesdale

    Dates

    From:
    17 Oct 2026Open 20:00 - 23:00
    More info for Dark Sky Astronomy and Stargazing - North Pennines Stargazing Festival
  14. Runners partaking in Park Run by the river, with Durham Cathedral in the background.

    Add Durham parkrun to your Itinerary

    Durham parkrun

    Type

    Type:

    Wellness Event

    Stockton Rd , Durham

    A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you! Nearby Sunday 2k junior parkrun events for 4 to 14 year olds and their families can be found here.

    Dates

    From:
    3 Jan 2026to26 Dec 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Durham parkrun
  15. Author with their book on a yellow background.

    Add Voices from the River Gaunless with Jake Morris-Campbell - Durham Book Festival to your Itinerary

    Voices from the River Gaunless with Jake Morris-Campbell - Durham Book Festival

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    In a new commission, writer Jake Morris-Campbell explores how a beguiling watercourse near Bishop Auckland – the River Gaunless, a tributary of the River Wear, known in Old Norse as ‘useless,’ – is being saved and enhanced for the community today.…

    Dates

    From:
    11 Oct 2026Open 16:00 - 17:00
    More info for Voices from the River Gaunless with Jake Morris-Campbell - Durham Book Festival
  16. Exterior view of Crook Hall Gardens during summertime.

    Add Crook Hall Gardens Tour: History and Literary Links - Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Crook Hall Gardens Tour: History and Literary Links - Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Historical

    Durham

    Join volunteer Chris for a guided tour of Crook Hall Gardens and the medieval hall. Learn about the history of the home, all the way back 1217, when it first appears in written records. Hear about some of the fascinating families who lived here over…

    Dates

    From:
    3 June 2026to28 Oct 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Crook Hall Gardens Tour: History and Literary Links - Crook Hall Gardens
  17. A garden in front of a historic stone house.

    Add Guided Walk: Durham and the River Wear - Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Guided Walk: Durham and the River Wear - Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Guided Walk

    Durham

    Join walk leaders Janet and Steven to explore the countryside on Durham's doorstep. You'll follow the River Wear through the peaceful surroundings of the green space surprisingly close to the city centre. Approximately 4 miles/6.5km.

    Dates

    From:
    10 Oct 2026Open 13:00 - 15:15
    More info for Guided Walk: Durham and the River Wear - Crook Hall Gardens
  18. Photograph of a museum or gallery setting where a guide explains exhibits to a group of four visitors.

    Add Bowes Book Club: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Bowes Book Club: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Workshop

    Barnard Castle

    Unravel the web of secrets within Rock Paper Scissors, Alice Feeney's psychological thriller about a couple whose anniversary trip to a remote chapel reveals the fragile games people play in relationships.

    Venue

    The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

    Dates

    From:
    22 Nov 2026Open 14:30 - 15:30
    More info for Bowes Book Club: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney - The Bowes Museum
  19. Four people wearing red festive clothing, hugging and laughing in the snow with a horse drawn carriage behind.

    Add Grand Cinema: White Christmas (U) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Grand Cinema: White Christmas (U) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Stanley

    Transport yourself to the golden age of cinema with a nostalgic afternoon in our beautifully restored 1950s Grand cinema. The Grand cinema, from Ryhope, in Sunderland, has been recreated and brought to life in our 1950s Town.

    Dates

    From:
    6 Dec 2026Open 13:45 -
    From:
    20 Dec 2026Open 13:45 -
    More info for Grand Cinema: White Christmas (U) - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  20. The book cover for Richard Osman's The Man Who Died Twice, a fox wearing a burglar mask on w blue background.

    Add Book Club - Merryoaks Community Hall to your Itinerary

    Book Club - Merryoaks Community Hall

    Type

    Type:

    Talks

    Durham

    Join Our Community Book Club! This month we are reading: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Come along for a friendly discussion, a cup of tea or coffee, and plenty of biscuits! Whether you've read the whole book or just a few pages, everyone…

    Dates

    From:
    5 Oct 2026Open 18:00 - 19:00
    More info for Book Club - Merryoaks Community Hall
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