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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. 60 years of the Pennine Way National Trail logo in purple on a white background

    Add Exhibition Celebrating 60 Years of the Pennine Way - A Trail of Inspiration to your Itinerary

    Exhibition Celebrating 60 Years of the Pennine Way - A Trail of Inspiration

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Newbiggin

    Throughout 2025 there will be a rolling exhibition along the trail - showcasing how people have been inspired by the Pennine Way and inspiring others to get out and walk a bit (or even all!) of the route.

    Dates

    From:
    3 July 2025to31 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Exhibition Celebrating 60 Years of the Pennine Way - A Trail of Inspiration
  2. Four steam engines at Tanfield

    Add Railway 200: Diesel Pioneers Gala at Tanfield Railway to your Itinerary

    Railway 200: Diesel Pioneers Gala at Tanfield Railway

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Marley Hill, Tanfield

    Join us this September for the Diesel Pioneers Gala, a standout event in our Tanfield300 celebrations! Taking place on the 20th and 21st of September 2025, this gala is a tribute to the industrial diesel locomotives that played a vital role in…

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2025to21 Sept 2025
    More info for Railway 200: Diesel Pioneers Gala at Tanfield Railway
  3. Dragon Quest Poster with details of the event and dressed in a white dragon costume

    Add Dragons Quest at Brancepeth Castle to your Itinerary

    Dragons Quest at Brancepeth Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Brancepeth

    Come and join us for a morning or afternoon of questing for dragons at Brancepeth Castle!

    Dates

    From:
    16 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 16:30
    More info for Dragons Quest at Brancepeth Castle
  4. Portraits of historical women of Raby

    Add Women of Raby Tour - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Women of Raby Tour - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Historical

    Staindrop

    This exclusive event at Raby Castle highlights stories of some of the fascinating women who once walked our halls. From the familiar history of Cecily Neville, known as the 'Rose of Raby', to the lesser-known experiences of the women who worked in…

    Dates

    From:
    13 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    27 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Women of Raby Tour - Raby Castle, Park and Gardens
  5. Exterior view of Escomb Saxon Church

    Add Heritage Open Days - Escomb Saxon Church to your Itinerary

    Heritage Open Days - Escomb Saxon Church

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage Open Days

    Escomb, Bishop Auckland

    Have a guided tour of this ancient, Anglo-Saxon Church, built in the 7th century, and learn about its history and heritage.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2025Open 13:00 - 17:00
    More info for Heritage Open Days - Escomb Saxon Church
  6. Child colouring in mandala pattern.

    Add Family Activities: Mandala Making - Durham University Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    Family Activities: Mandala Making - Durham University Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Durham City

    Paint your own colourful Indian-style mandala onto fabric.

    Dates

    From:
    6 Sept 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for Family Activities: Mandala Making - Durham University Oriental Museum
  7. Flowers in Auckland Palace Garden

    Add Auckland Gardens Tour at Auckland Palace to your Itinerary

    Auckland Gardens Tour at Auckland Palace

    Type

    Type:

    Talks

    Bishop Auckland

    Join our weekly ‘walk and talk’ sessions with our dedicated volunteers as they reveal the story behind the gardens and highlight special features. Wednesday and Saturday.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    29 July 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Auckland Gardens Tour at Auckland Palace
  8. Blanchland Show Arial View

    Add Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show to your Itinerary

    Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Blanchland

    Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show is an annual country show held in the picturesque village of Blanchland.

    Held each summer on August Bank Holiday Monday, the show draws visitors from across Northumberland, County Durham, and beyond. It features a…

    Dates

    From:
    25 Aug 2025Open 10:30 - 17:00
    More info for Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show
  9. Two people sawing a log - Beamish Museum

    Add Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North to your Itinerary

    Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Beamish

    Visit our 1940s Farm to learn about life in the British countryside during the Second World War.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Sept 2025to21 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Home Front, Home Farm 2025 - Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
  10. Flying Scotsman at Locomotion Winter 2023 - Science Museum Group

    Add Flying Scotsman Experiences at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    Flying Scotsman Experiences at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Shildon

    From 5 August Flying Scotsman is back at Locomotion this summer—what memories will you make with the famous locomotive?

    Dates

    From:
    5 Aug 2025to31 Aug 2025
    More info for Flying Scotsman Experiences at Locomotion
  11. Details of event with a decorated Christmas wreath and snow flakes

    Add Ferryhill, Sedgefield and District Flower Club Demonstration to your Itinerary

    Ferryhill, Sedgefield and District Flower Club Demonstration

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Sedgefield

    Julia Loudon presents Midwinter Magic.

    Dates

    From:
    18 Nov 2025Open 19:15 - 21:15
    More info for Ferryhill, Sedgefield and District Flower Club Demonstration
  12. Ray Bradshaw

    Add Ray Bradshaw "CODA" to your Itinerary

    Ray Bradshaw "CODA"

    Type

    Type:

    Comedy

    Barnard Castle

    A funny, heart-warming show all about the brilliant things that happen when you grow up in a house where sign language is the first language used,

    Dates

    From:
    28 Feb 2026Open 19:30 - 21:30
    More info for Ray Bradshaw "CODA"
  13. A child sitting beside an illuminated reindeer on the Enchanted Christmas Trail.

    Add The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens to your Itinerary

    The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Staindrop

    Enchanted Christmas Trail at The Plotters’ Forest – Day & Evening Experiences. Step into a world of festive wonder this Christmas.

    Venue

    Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, Staindrop

    Dates

    From:
    15 Nov 2025to16 Nov 2025
    From:
    22 Nov 2025to23 Nov 2025
    From:
    29 Nov 2025to30 Nov 2025
    From:
    3 Dec 2025to7 Dec 2025
    From:
    6 Dec 2025to7 Dec 2025
    From:
    10 Dec 2025to14 Dec 2025
    From:
    13 Dec 2025to24 Dec 2025
    From:
    17 Dec 2025to23 Dec 2025
    From:
    29 Dec 2025to31 Dec 2025
    From:
    1 Jan 2026to4 Jan 2026
    More info for The Plotters’ Forest Enchanted Christmas Trail at Raby Castle Park and Gardens
  14. Someone reading The Magna Carta

    Add Magna Carta and its Influence Today: A Durham Cathedral Institute Debate - Durham Cathedral to your Itinerary

    Magna Carta and its Influence Today: A Durham Cathedral Institute Debate - Durham Cathedral

    Type

    Type:

    Talks

    Durham

    Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in Britain’s legal history. First issued in 1215, it established the principle that everyone, including the King, is subject to the law and it guaranteed new individual rights.

    Dates

    From:
    15 Oct 2025Open 14:00 -
    More info for Magna Carta and its Influence Today: A Durham Cathedral Institute Debate - Durham Cathedral
  15. Drums in a steel barn decorated with fairy lights and cushions

    Add Drum Circle & Sound bath - Dalton Moor Farm to your Itinerary

    Drum Circle & Sound bath - Dalton Moor Farm

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Seaham

    Awaken the Fire, Soothe the Soul. A Deeply Restorative Session of Rhythm and Sound for Wellbeing - Immerse yourself, mind, body, and soul, into the layers and healing frequencies of sound and rhythm. From Drum Beat to Deep Peace - Join the Journey…

    Dates

    From:
    2 Sept 2025Open 17:30 - 19:30
    From:
    7 Oct 2025Open 17:30 - 19:30
    More info for Drum Circle & Sound bath - Dalton Moor Farm
  16. Street view of the Fitzhugh library

    Add Heritage Open Days - The Fitzhugh Library to your Itinerary

    Heritage Open Days - The Fitzhugh Library

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage Open Days

    Middleton in Teesdale

    Visit the hidden gem of the Fitzhugh Library and its collection of photographs, books and documents concerning the County Palatine of Durham and the ecclesiastical parish of Romaldkirk. It contains over 70,000 items. Special Exhibition for S&D200.

    Dates

    From:
    12 Sept 2025to16 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 15:00
    More info for Heritage Open Days - The Fitzhugh Library
  17. Pizza and Pizza oven

    Add Saturday's of Alfresco Pizza on The Vinery Terrace to your Itinerary

    Saturday's of Alfresco Pizza on The Vinery Terrace

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Staindrop

    Enjoy delicious seasonal dining this summer on the beautiful Vinery Terrace at Raby Castle. Our pop-up kitchens offer the perfect way to relax and savour fresh, handcrafted pizzas in the stunning castle grounds.

    Dates

    From:
    16 Aug 2025
    From:
    30 Aug 2025
    More info for Saturday's of Alfresco Pizza on The Vinery Terrace
  18. Cartoon image of a group of people sitting around a table playing musical instruments

    Add Folk at the Hearth - The Auckland Project to your Itinerary

    Folk at the Hearth - The Auckland Project

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Bishop Auckland

    Join us for a monthly evening of traditional tunes, songs, and easy-going community spirit. Hosted by renowned local musician Paul Martin (aka ‘The Dunholm Piper’) with special guest players, these sessions bring people together through…

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    1 Aug 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Folk at the Hearth - The Auckland Project
  19. Black and white photo of Tom Stade looking off to the left.

    Add Tom Stade "Naughty By Nature" - The Witham to your Itinerary

    Tom Stade "Naughty By Nature" - The Witham

    Type

    Type:

    Comedy

    Barnard Castle

    The legendary Canadian stand-up star is back on the road with a brand-new show.

    Dates

    From:
    22 May 2026Open 20:00 - 22:00
    More info for Tom Stade "Naughty By Nature" - The Witham
  20. Crook Hall gardens

    Add Axe throwing with B Outdoors: Summer of Play at Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Axe throwing with B Outdoors: Summer of Play at Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Channel your inner warrior with family-friendly axe throwing. Ready to test your aim? Step up, take a deep breath, and hurl your axe!

    Dates

    From:
    15 Aug 2025Various Opening Times
    From:
    18 Aug 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Axe throwing with B Outdoors: Summer of Play at Crook Hall Gardens
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