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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. Aerial view of Ushaw Classic Car and Bike Show

    Add Ushaw Classic Car and Bike Show - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens to your Itinerary

    Ushaw Classic Car and Bike Show - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

    Type

    Type:

    Show / Display

    Durham

    Ushaw Classic Car & Bike Show returns for more motoring madness on Saturday 24 May 2025. Featuring hundreds of vintage and classic vehicles, live music, trade stalls and family friendly activities. What’s better than one Ushaw Classic Car & Bike…

    Dates

    From:
    31 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 16:00
    More info for Ushaw Classic Car and Bike Show - Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
  2. Young girl with coloured hair braids

    Add Hair Braids & Milkshakes - Lanchester Garden Centre to your Itinerary

    Hair Braids & Milkshakes - Lanchester Garden Centre

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Bargate Bank, Lanchester

    Join us for some more hair-raising fun with another helping of our Hair Braids & Milkshakes event.

    Dates

    From:
    15 Aug 2025Open 10:00 - 16:30
    More info for Hair Braids & Milkshakes - Lanchester Garden Centre
  3. Three images of artwork depicting activities on the train

    Railway 200: Exhibition Train - Inspiration

    Type

    Type:

    Heritage

    Welcome to Inspiration.  Discover the past, present and future of railways on our incredible exhibition train Inspiration, touring Britain from 27th June 2025.

    Dates

    From:
    27 June 2025to1 Oct 2025
    More info for Railway 200: Exhibition Train - Inspiration
  4. Brass Band member playing the trumpet

    Add Durham Brass Festival: The Fairey Band presents Acid Brass to your Itinerary

    Durham Brass Festival: The Fairey Band presents Acid Brass

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    For the first time at Durham BRASS Festival, The Fairey Band brings Acid Brass an unlikely but exciting fusion of Acid House anthems performed by traditional British brass band.

    Dates

    From:
    20 July 2025Open 19:30 -
    More info for Durham Brass Festival: The Fairey Band presents Acid Brass
  5. runners set off rom the start line of Durham City Run

    Durham City Run Festival 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Sporting Event

    Durham City

    The Durham City 5K and 10K races returns to Durham on Thursday 17th July 2025.

    Dates

    From:
    17 July 2025to19 July 2025
    More info for Durham City Run Festival 2025
  6. A Japanese fan

    Add FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum to your Itinerary

    FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Durham City

    Make a beautiful fan to help you stay cool over the summer!

    Venue

    Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham City

    Dates

    From:
    19 July 2025Open 13:00 - 15:00
    More info for FANtastic! at The Oriental Museum
  7. advert for Christmas 80s & 90s party

    Add Christmas Smash Hits 80s & 90s Party to your Itinerary

    Christmas Smash Hits 80s & 90s Party

    Type

    Type:

    Christmas and New Year

    Peterlee

    It's time to rewind the clock and turn up the volume at the Christmas Smash Hits Party Night – your ultimate throwback festive bash!

    Dates

    From:
    20 Dec 2025Open 15:00 - 19:00
    More info for Christmas Smash Hits 80s & 90s Party
  8. Jack and the Beanstalk written in Gold on a green background

    Add Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham to your Itinerary

    Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham

    Type

    Type:

    Pantomimes

    Durham City

    Join Jack and his friends as we are transported to a land of magical creatures and a very hungry Giant.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Nov 2025to31 Dec 2025
    More info for Jack and the Beanstalk - Gala Durham
  9. Sam Slatcher smiling and playing guitar on public transport, standing with four women who are also smiling.

    Add Durham Fringe Festival: Passengers & Pioneers to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival: Passengers & Pioneers

    Type

    Type:

    Music Event

    Durham

    Original folk songs by Sam Slatcher featuring poetry from award winning North East poets that celebrates the bicentenary of the modern railway.

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025Open 17:00 -
    From:
    25 July 2025Open 17:00 -
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival: Passengers & Pioneers
  10. Children playing at The Bowes Museum

    Add Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Barnard Castle

    Time for The Bowes’ youngest visitors to explore and play in the Conversation Gallery, investigate materials and be creative in this self-led, free-play session.

    Dates

    From:
    2 Jan 2025to8 Jan 2026Various Opening Times
    More info for Stay and Play - The Bowes Museum
  11. 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:
    1 July 2025to31 Aug 2025
    More info for Exhibition Celebrating 60 Years of the Pennine Way - A Trail of Inspiration
  12. Durham Fringe Festival 2025 - a group of singers performing on stage.

    Add Durham Fringe Festival 2025 to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival 2025

    Type

    Type:

    Festival

    Durham City

    Between 23rd and 27th July 2025, Durham Fringe Festival will host a spectacular array of performing arts across nine Durham City Centre venues. Audiences will be invited to explore over 110 unique acts across a programme of 270+ performances. Genres…

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025to27 July 2025
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival 2025
  13. Hands with strings attached to fingers and letters on each string which spell 'The Rubbish Puppets'

    Add Durham Fringe Festival: The Rubbish Puppets to your Itinerary

    Durham Fringe Festival: The Rubbish Puppets

    Type

    Type:

    Theatre

    Durham City

    A girl is hidden away in her bedroom, alone by design. Still, company seems to find her anyway when the messy room comes to life. The Rubbish Puppets bring her much needed friendship, but there’s only so much a rag tag group of animate objects can…

    Dates

    From:
    23 July 2025to24 July 2025Open 19:15 -
    More info for Durham Fringe Festival: The Rubbish Puppets
  14. Railway 200 logo

    Add Railway 200 Talk: “Timothy Hackworth – The Man who Engineered a Future for the Locomotive” – with Mike Norman to your Itinerary

    Railway 200 Talk: “Timothy Hackworth – The Man who Engineered a Future for the Locomotive” – with Mike Norman

    Type

    Type:

    Talks

    Shildon

    As we’re into the Stockton & Darlington Railway Bicentenary year, we’re teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth’s own Institute.

    Dates

    From:
    20 Aug 2025Open 19:00 -
    More info for Railway 200 Talk: “Timothy Hackworth – The Man who Engineered a Future for the Locomotive” – with Mike Norman
  15. 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
  16. The Bowes Museum and grounds

    Add Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum to your Itinerary

    Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum

    Type

    Type:

    Family Fun

    Barnard Castle

    Embark on a journey through The Bowes Museum’s galleries to learn about blood-curdling botanicals and tragic tales of the past.

    Dates

    From:
    1 May 2025to30 June 2025Open 10:00 - 17:00
    More info for Deadly Beauty from the Medicine Box Trail - The Bowes Museum
  17. An audience watching outdoor cinema at Raby Castle

    Add Adventure Cinema at Raby Castle to your Itinerary

    Adventure Cinema at Raby Castle

    Type

    Type:

    Film

    Staindrop

    Outdoor cinema at Raby Castle.

    Dates

    From:
    18 July 2025Open 19:30 -
    From:
    19 July 2025Open 18:30 -
    From:
    20 July 2025Open 13:30 -
    From:
    20 July 2025Open 19:30 -
    More info for Adventure Cinema at Raby Castle
  18. Brancepeth castle golf club

    Add Junior Opens - Brancepeth Castle Golf Club to your Itinerary

    Junior Opens - Brancepeth Castle Golf Club

    Type

    Type:

    Golf Events

    Durham

    Open events at Brancepeth are extremely popular and usually sell out very quickly as they attract visitors from all over the North of England and beyond.  We pride ourselves in making everyone’s visit to our golf course memorable by delivering…

    Dates

    From:
    28 July 2025
    More info for Junior Opens - Brancepeth Castle Golf Club
  19. 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
  20. Two women and three children walking around the lake at Hardwick Park

    Add Step into Storytime: The Three Little Pigs - Hardwick Park to your Itinerary

    Step into Storytime: The Three Little Pigs - Hardwick Park

    Type

    Type:

    Children/Family events

    Sedgefield

    Outdoor discover sessions involving storytelling, crafts activities, interactive trails, games and woodland play.

    Dates

    From:
    5 July 2025Open 10:00 - 13:00
    More info for Step into Storytime: The Three Little Pigs - Hardwick Park
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