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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. Isabel Maria.

    Add Brassed On featuring Dilettante, Vice Killer & Isabel Maria alongside brass to your Itinerary

    Brassed On featuring Dilettante, Vice Killer & Isabel Maria alongside brass

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Durham City

    Celebrating the incredible versatility of brass, Brassed On will perform a show featuring North East local artists.

    Dates

    From:
    18 July 2026Open 19:30 -
    More info for Brassed On featuring Dilettante, Vice Killer & Isabel Maria alongside brass
  2. Durham Brass Festival logo on colourful backdrop of Durham.

    Durham Brass Festival 2026

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham

    BRASS is back in 2026 with a fantastic programme of brass-inspired events coming to Durham from 12 - 19 July. 

    Dates

    From:
    12 July 2026to19 July 2026
    More info for Durham Brass Festival 2026
  3. Trader at Barnard Castle Farmer's Market at stall taking money from customer

    Add Barnard Castle Farmers' Market to your Itinerary

    Barnard Castle Farmers' Market

    Type

    Type:

    Markets

    Barnard Castle

    Barnard Castle Farmers’ Market is one of the North East’s most popular markets featuring a wide range of artisan food and crafts from the region. Open 9:00 to 14:00 on the first Saturday of each month.

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2026to31 Dec 2026
    More info for Barnard Castle Farmers' Market
  4. Tracks of Change - Perfume by Yann Nguema Exhibition, part of the S&DR200 festival.

    Add S&DR200 - Tracks of Change - Perfume by Yann Nguema to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 - Tracks of Change - Perfume by Yann Nguema

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees

    S&DR200 culminates with Perfume, a free exhibition at Preston Park by world-renowned, visionary projection artist Yann Nguema. 

    Dates

    From:
    17 Jan 2026to10 May 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for S&DR200 - Tracks of Change - Perfume by Yann Nguema
  5. Two members of staff holding knitted Easter items such as eggs, chicks, and hens.

    Add Easter Celebrations - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Easter Celebrations - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Easter

    Beamish

    Enjoy an Egg-cellent Easter at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North.

    Dates

    From:
    3 Apr 2026to19 Apr 2026
    More info for Easter Celebrations - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  6. The Flying Scotsman outside of the Locomotion Collections building

    Add Stephen Bainbridge Exhibition at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    Stephen Bainbridge Exhibition at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Shildon

    Original railway artwork on display.

    Dates

    From:
    22 June 2026to17 July 2026
    More info for Stephen Bainbridge Exhibition at Locomotion
  7. Solo Pianist Sherri Lun posing with head in her hands.

    Add Bishop Auckland Music Society 2026 Concert Series Continues in May with Solo Pianist Sherri Lun to your Itinerary

    Bishop Auckland Music Society 2026 Concert Series Continues in May with Solo Pianist Sherri Lun

    Type

    Type:

    Concert

    Bishop Auckland

    Born in 2003, in Hong Kong and currently based in London, Sherri Lun has swiftly established herself as a rising soloist on the international stage. She has performed extensively across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

    Dates

    From:
    22 May 2026Open 19:00 - 21:30
    More info for Bishop Auckland Music Society 2026 Concert Series Continues in May with Solo Pianist Sherri Lun
  8. An ornate 19th-century lace parasol with an intricately patterned cream lace canopy. The handle is made of ivory or bone with a decorative metal finia

    Add Lace and Legacy: Fashion Treasures from The Blackborne Collection to your Itinerary

    Lace and Legacy: Fashion Treasures from The Blackborne Collection

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Barnard Castle

    Lace and Legacy: Fashion Treasures from The Blackborne Collection marks 20 years since the landmark exhibition Fine & Fashionable: Lace from the Blackborne Collection and commemorates the gift of the Blackborne lace collection to The Bowes Museum.

    Dates

    From:
    14 Nov 2026to11 Apr 2027Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Lace and Legacy: Fashion Treasures from The Blackborne Collection
  9. Andy Zaltzman

    Add Funny Way To Be Comedy: Andy Zaltzman - The Zaltgeist 2026 – A Second Thwack to your Itinerary

    Funny Way To Be Comedy: Andy Zaltzman - The Zaltgeist 2026 – A Second Thwack

    Type

    Type:

    Comedy

    Barnard Castle

    Following a sell-out 2024/2025 national run, Andy Zaltzman – host of The Bugle podcast and BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz, statistician on Test Match Special, and champion of Taskmaster series 18 – extends his hit tour into 2026.

    Dates

    From:
    24 Apr 2026Open 19:30 - 21:30
    More info for Funny Way To Be Comedy: Andy Zaltzman - The Zaltgeist 2026 – A Second Thwack
  10. Close-up of a mannequin wearing a vibrant, multicoloured fuzzy coat in shades of blue, purple, and yellow. Underneath is a white shirt with a bold pin

    Add Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary at The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary at The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Barnard Castle

    Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary (28 March 2026 – 6 September 2026) is a multi-gallery exhibition honouring one of fashion's most provocative and imaginative designers.

    Dates

    From:
    28 Mar 2026to6 Sept 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary at The Bowes Museum
  11. Three wedding dresses, part of the exhibition at Ushaw, Historic House, Chapels and Gardens.

    Add 150 Years of Wedding Dresses at Ushaw to your Itinerary

    150 Years of Wedding Dresses at Ushaw

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Durham

    150 Years of Wedding Dresses showcases the exquisite craftsmanship and evolving trends that have defined one of the most memorable days in countless lives.

    Dates

    From:
    28 Mar 2026to31 Aug 2026
    More info for 150 Years of Wedding Dresses at Ushaw
  12. Elvana frontman in swimming pool.

    Add ELVANA "Viva Brass Vegas" with Oompah Brass XXL to your Itinerary

    ELVANA "Viva Brass Vegas" with Oompah Brass XXL

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Durham City

    Blending the swagger of rockabilly with the raw punch of grunge, ELVANA rips through Nirvana's catalogue while smashing it together with the finest moments of Elvis Presley's legacy.

    Dates

    From:
    12 July 2026Open 19:30 -
    More info for ELVANA "Viva Brass Vegas" with Oompah Brass XXL
  13. A model railway including train and station.

    Add SMRC Spring Exhibition at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    SMRC Spring Exhibition at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Shildon

    Model railway layouts in a range of gauges.

    Dates

    From:
    6 June 2026to7 June 2026
    More info for SMRC Spring Exhibition at Locomotion
  14. A digger at Diggerland Durham.

    Add Diggerland Open Every Day for Easter Holidays! to your Itinerary

    Diggerland Open Every Day for Easter Holidays!

    Type

    Type:

    Easter

    Langley Park

    Diggerland Durham is home to over 20 different rides and drives, making it the UK's only construction-themed adventure park where families can dig, drive, and experience real machinery like never before. Open daily from 28th March to 19th April for…

    Dates

    From:
    28 Mar 2026to19 Apr 2026Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Diggerland Open Every Day for Easter Holidays!
  15. Chutney trader. Woman looking at stall and holding purse.

    Add Barnard Castle Market to your Itinerary

    Barnard Castle Market

    Type

    Type:

    Markets

    Barnard Castle

    Stroll through the stalls, savour delicious local treats, and soak up the friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday 8.00am to 16.30

    Dates

    From:
    1 Jan 2026to31 Dec 2026
    More info for Barnard Castle Market
  16. G4 members wearing santa hats and suits.

    Add G4 Christmas 2026 - Durham Cathedral to your Itinerary

    G4 Christmas 2026 - Durham Cathedral

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Durham

    Gather to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as G4 bring glad tidings of great joy this festive season, with the return of their 'G4 Christmas' tour in the most awe-inspiring cathedrals, priories, minsters, halls and abbeys across the UK.

    Dates

    From:
    23 Nov 2026Open 19:30 - 21:30
    More info for G4 Christmas 2026 - Durham Cathedral
  17. Choral Society choir

    Add Durham Choral Society - Lux Aeterna, Morten Lauridsen and Mass in D Major, Dvořák to your Itinerary

    Durham Choral Society - Lux Aeterna, Morten Lauridsen and Mass in D Major, Dvořák

    Type

    Type:

    Concert

    Durham City

    Durham Choral Society returns to Durham Cathedral for an uplifting and deeply contemplative evening of choral music, bringing together two radiant masterworks that explore faith, light and spiritual hope. Doors open 6.45pm for 7.30pm start.

    Dates

    From:
    16 May 2026Open 19:30 - 22:00
    More info for Durham Choral Society - Lux Aeterna, Morten Lauridsen and Mass in D Major, Dvořák
  18. Gardening Through the Seasons with Becky Crowley - Spring.  The greenhouse at Raby Castle with someone filling a wheelbarrow with plants in the foregr

    Add Gardening Through the Seasons with Becky Crowley - Spring to your Itinerary

    Gardening Through the Seasons with Becky Crowley - Spring

    Type

    Type:

    Nature

    Staindrop

    Step into the vibrant spring gardens of Raby Castle for an inspiring morning of hands‑on learning with Becky Crowley, Raby's Garden Specialist.

    Dates

    From:
    18 Apr 2026
    More info for Gardening Through the Seasons with Becky Crowley - Spring
  19. A group of performers singing.

    Add Ensemble 84 to your Itinerary

    Ensemble 84

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Peterlee

    Shakespeare - 28th May to 6th June followed by Pits, People and Players - 9th to 13th June, 125 years of Horden's history.

    Dates

    From:
    28 May 2026to6 June 2026
    From:
    9 June 2026to13 June 2026
    More info for Ensemble 84
  20. Little girl and boy participating in 'Little Dragons' at Durham University Oriental Museum.

    Add Little Dragons - Durham University Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Little Dragons - Durham University Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Durham City

    Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and…

    Dates

    From:
    7 Jan 2026to30 Sept 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Little Dragons - Durham University Oriental Museum
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