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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. Behind the Scenes Tour of Raby Castle. Close up of an interior door handle

    Add Behind the Scenes Tour of Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Behind the Scenes Tour of Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Historical

    Staindrop

    Our exclusive behind-the-scenes tour offers a unique opportunity to step back in time, unlocking some of the hidden parts of the castle to reveal rooms, stories and treasures not usually seen by the public.

    Dates

    From:
    5 July 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    2 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    From:
    16 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Behind the Scenes Tour of Raby Castle
  2. Spanish Poet, Playwright and Artist Federico Garcia Lorca

    Add Durham Fringe Festival: LORCA & Margot to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival: LORCA & Margot

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Owengate, Durham City

    Lorca and Margot collide in a double bill. Forget about Brexit and join your European cousins for a night of clown, mime and absurdity.

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025to25 July 2025Open 20:00 -
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival: LORCA & Margot
  3. Illustration of faceless person - Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan book of Japanese ghost stories

    Add Lafcadio Hearn – Kwaidan at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Lafcadio Hearn – Kwaidan at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Durham

    This Autumn at Ushaw, see a touring exhibition of prints inspired by the writing of Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan book of Japanese ghost stories. Perfect for spooky season!

    Dates

    From:
    6 Sept 2025to2 Nov 2025
    More info for Lafcadio Hearn – Kwaidan at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
  4. Bill Ryder Jones with some Alpacas

    Add Durham Brass Festival: Bill Ryder-Jones & NASUWT Riverside Band presents "Iechyd Da" to your Itinerary

    Durham Brass Festival: Bill Ryder-Jones & NASUWT Riverside Band presents "Iechyd Da"

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Following Bill’s recent collaborations with the BBC Concert Orchestra, this show will bring a bold new reimagining of Iechyd Da to this year’s Durham Brass Festival.

    Dates

    From:
    15 July 2025Open 19:30 -
    More info for Durham Brass Festival: Bill Ryder-Jones & NASUWT Riverside Band presents "Iechyd Da"
  5. The organ in St Peter's Chapel  at Auckland Palace

    Add Organ Recital Series at Auckland Palace to your Itinerary

    Organ Recital Series at Auckland Palace

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Bishop Auckland

    The popular Organ Recital Series returns to St Peter’s Chapel.

    Venue

    The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland

    Dates

    From:
    16 Aug 2025Open 13:00 - 14:00
    From:
    18 Oct 2025Open 13:00 - 14:00
    From:
    13 Dec 2025Open 13:00 - 14:00
    More info for Organ Recital Series at Auckland Palace
  6. Exterior image of Brancepeth Castle through the trees.

    Add Brancepeth Castle Summer Craft Fair 2025 to your Itinerary

    Brancepeth Castle Summer Craft Fair 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Fete / Fair

    Durham

    Three-Day Summer Craft Fair at Brancepeth Castle (25–27 July 2025): Explore over 70 indoor and outdoor craft stalls, offering unique handmade creations like art, pottery, ironwork, woodwork, jewellery, textiles, garden plants, and more. Try craft…

    Dates

    From:
    25 July 2025to27 July 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Brancepeth Castle Summer Craft Fair 2025
  7. Black and white image of Steve Pledger playing guitar and singing on stage

    Add Durham Fringe Festival - Steve Pledger to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival - Steve Pledger

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Owengate, Durham City

    Steve Pledger will again be performing a selection of award-winning songs at Durham Fringe Festival 2025. His songs - taken from across his 4 critically-acclaimed albums - reflect the times in which we live and are sure to be delivered with his…

    Dates

    From:
    26 July 2025to27 July 2025Open 18:45 -
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival - Steve Pledger
  8. A person dressed in Shakespearean clothing, holding up a moustache on a stick in front of their face. Poster, 'Shakespeare in Love'.

    Add Shakespeare in Love - Mickleton Village Hall to your Itinerary

    Shakespeare in Love - Mickleton Village Hall

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Mickleton

    The Castle Players invite you to experience a heartwarming tale of love, theatre, and passion!

    Dates

    From:
    3 July 2025Open 18:00 - 21:30
    More info for Shakespeare in Love - Mickleton Village Hall
  9. A family at Beamish Museum standing with a vintage bus being driven by a Transport Engager.

    Add Summer Fun at Beamish 2025 to your Itinerary

    Summer Fun at Beamish 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Stanley

    Enjoy a fantastic summer of fun at Beamish Museum!

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025to1 Sept 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Summer Fun at Beamish 2025
  10. Streets of Brass performers in Durham City

    Durham Brass Festival: Streets of Brass

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Durham City comes alive in July with some of the very best street bands from the UK and beyond in ‘Streets of Brass’.

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025to20 July 2025Various Opening Times
    More info for Durham Brass Festival: Streets of Brass
  11. Railway 200 logo

    Add Railway 200: Rail Bicentenary Variety Concert to your Itinerary

    Railway 200: Rail Bicentenary Variety Concert

    Type

    Type:

    Concert

    Shildon

    As this is a special year for Shildon and this date is very close to the Railway Institute’s own birthday date (the day when Timothy Hackworth and his friends founded the Institute in 1833) we’re going to have a special concert to bring our…

    Dates

    From:
    22 Nov 2025Open 19:00 -
    More info for Railway 200: Rail Bicentenary Variety Concert
  12. The Prince Bishop River Cruiser sailing on the River Wear in Durham City with the Cathedral in the background

    Add Durham Brass Festival: BRASS Boat Cruises Always Drinking Marching Band to your Itinerary

    Durham Brass Festival: BRASS Boat Cruises Always Drinking Marching Band

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    This year, Brass Festival will take over the streets…and the water too! Cruise along the River Wear on the Prince Bishop, with our fantastic street bands onboard.

    Dates

    From:
    20 July 2025Open 11:00 -
    More info for Durham Brass Festival: BRASS Boat Cruises Always Drinking Marching Band
  13. Opulent dining room in Raby Castle

    Add Discover the Beauty of Art at Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Discover the Beauty of Art at Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Staindrop

    Take a moment to slow down, breathe, and immerse yourself in the captivating world of art at Raby Castle. Our new programme invites you to step away from the hustle and bustle and spend an hour truly connecting with the artworks in our collection.…

    Dates

    From:
    7 July 2025
    From:
    5 Aug 2025
    From:
    2 Sept 2025
    From:
    7 Oct 2025
    More info for Discover the Beauty of Art at Raby Castle
  14. People looking at the exhibition display stand at Locomotion

    Add S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion to your Itinerary

    S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion

    Type

    Type:

    Exhibition

    Shildon

    Home to one of largest collections of historic rail vehicles in the world, Locomotion is pulling out all the stops to commemorate S&DR200.

    Dates

    From:
    15 Feb 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at Locomotion
  15. Liz Corney

    Add Durham Brass Festival: Brassed On to your Itinerary

    Durham Brass Festival: Brassed On

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    This unique programme pairs Northeast artists with talented brass ensembles to create new music and take part in a unique and unforgettable performance.

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025Open 19:00 -
    More info for Durham Brass Festival: Brassed On
  16. Illustration of the silhouettes of two people sitting on a  bench

    Add Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket (Tragic Comedy) to your Itinerary

    Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket (Tragic Comedy)

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Fowlers Yard, Durham

    Classic, ground breaking play of its time.

    Dates

    From:
    13 Aug 2025to16 Aug 2025Open 19:30 -
    More info for Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket (Tragic Comedy)
  17. A woman wearing a colourful embroidered jacket smiles as she looks into a glass display case filled with vintage bottles and framed items in a museum

    Add The Curator Series: Redressing the Balance - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    The Curator Series: Redressing the Balance - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Lecture

    Barnard Castle

    A thought-provoking talk exploring feminist and queer perspectives, social justice and radical ecology. Eleanor Thirlway, Co-Production Curator will discuss why it's crucial to rethink the stories we tell in museums, challenging dominant narratives…

    Dates

    From:
    7 Aug 2025Open 14:30 - 15:30
    More info for The Curator Series: Redressing the Balance - The Bowes Museum
  18. Crook Hall gardens

    Add Live Music at Crook Hall Gardens to your Itinerary

    Live Music at Crook Hall Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Outdoor Event

    Local musicians Julie and William bring an extra dimension to the historic gardens and hall with live performances on the third Monday of each month.

    Dates

    From:
    17 Feb 2025to20 Oct 2025
    More info for Live Music at Crook Hall Gardens
  19. 'Two Foolish' - woman in high heeled boots and a corset, and man in a purple suit.

    Add Durham Fringe Festival: Love Hurts to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival: Love Hurts

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Durham City

    Death has had a rebranding – the cape and scythe has had to go and he's here with his purple suit and his customer satisfaction survey to give death a more user-friendly vibe.

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025to24 July 2025Open 16:00 -
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival: Love Hurts
  20. Deer at Raby Castle Park

    Add Raby Through the Lens to your Itinerary

    Raby Through the Lens

    Type

    Type:

    Participatory Event

    Staindrop

    Join us for Raby Through The Lens, a relaxed and welcoming photography social held on the first Tuesday of every month.

    Dates

    From:
    1 July 2025Open 10:00 - 12:00
    More info for Raby Through the Lens
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