Bishop Auckland Food Festival will bring together more fabulous local and UK street food traders and producers to sell their delicious treats. There will be outdoor with live music and attractions including our live Cookery Theatre, plus lots to see and do for the kids and lots of food festival goodies to take home too. There is an extensive range of Street Food Catering and Bars offering delicious food & drink from around the world and so so much more. Read more

Lumiere, the UK's largest light festival, will return to Durham in 2019, illuminating Durham City for the sixth time. The event will run from November 14 - 17 and will bring back a number of the most popular artworks and installations from the previous five festivals, illuminating the city in delightful and unexpected ways. Read more

Kynren - An Epic Tale of England the action-packed live blockbuster performed by a cast and crew of 1,000, taking you on an amazing journey through 2,000 years of history, myth and legend. Kynren, a world class show brought to life with magnificent sets, combat, stunts, horsemanship, stunning pyrotechnics and amazing special effects set to a thrilling original soundtrack. Kynren is a captivating experience for all the family, it really has to be seen to be believed! Read more

Great Exhibition of the North is a free, summer-long celebration of the North of England’s pioneering spirit. The country’s biggest event in 2018, it will pack a programme of amazing exhibits, live performances, displays of innovation, new artworks and unforgettable experiences into 80 days. Read more

Everyone’s favourite giant is coming to The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle this summer, in a magical exhibition of Quentin Blake’s enchanting illustrations. The BFG in Pictures, which opens at the Museum on Saturday 14 July 2018, is the first major display of artwork by Quentin Blake for Roald Dahl’s enduring tale. Read more

Taking place in Bishop Auckland, ‘Kynren – an epic tale of England’ is a mesmerising live action extravaganza that takes you on a whistle stop tour of 2,000 years of history, myth and legend. Taking place on a vast landscaped stage with a huge lake at its centre hiding a host of surprises, you’ll meet many of the characters and events that have shaped the north east - and the country as a whole - as the 29 scenes, encompassing the Roman occupation to World War II, unfold in front of your eyes. Read more

We are so excited to hear that stage three of Tour de Yorkshire is starting in Richmond on Saturday 5th May 2018! It is the first time the tour has visited Richmond and since it's just on our doorstop we can't wait to get involved with the celebrations! Read more

From 2:00PM, Saturday, December 09, 2017 to 5:30PM, Sunday, January 14, 2018 Venue: Darlington Hippodrome The fairest panto in all the land! We are proud to announce that this year's spectacular family pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, will star boyband Blue and EastEnders heart-throb Lee Ryan, West End leading lady Zoe Birkett, Middlesbrough born funny man Patrick Monahan, Coronation Street's Eric Potts and actor / comedian Liam Mellor. Be amongst the first to step inside the newly restored theatre as we welcome pantomime to Darlington Hippodrome. Read more

Christmas is around the corner! More to See, Try, Touch, Taste, Enjoy and Buy A magical five-day Christmas Festival involving cultural venues in picturesque Barnard Castle in County Durham is taking place this December 2017. Read more

Tim Peake's historic capsule lands at the National Rail Museum in November, along with a space-age virtual reality experience narrated by the astronaut himself. Date: 22 Nov 2017 - 15 Jan 2018 Time: 10.00–16.00 Price: Free entry; Space Descent VR: £5 Read more

29 July - 5 November Flying in from somewhere far out in the black of space, a strange mechanical seed has landed in our temporary exhibition gallery and unfurled to fill it with the beautiful interactive Clockwork Garden Exhibition. It needs to learn the secrets that make our human gardens so full of life, joy and beauty, so it can take them back to its own planet, which has no gardens of its own. But will the ominous Orange Moon and its shadowy Mechanized Grizzlies find the seed before it's ready to return? Read more

29 July 2017 - 5 November 2017 Follow the trail of tulips through the Museum this summer for an enlightening insight into our relationship with Europe and the Middle East brought to you through the eyes of over 30 contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Cornelia Parker, Gavin Turk and Sir Peter Blake. Read more

The event, now in its eighth year, is acknowledged as one of the best events in the north of England, with a mix of exhilarating Motor Sport, Military vehicle displays with living history encampments, Classic vehicles from the 1930’s to the 1970’s and barnstorming flying displays from period aircraft. We encourage members of the public to enter into the spirit of the event and don some period clothing and have some fun at the festival. Read more

Lumiere Durham, 16th - 19th November 2017 Transforming cities across the UK, for each Lumiere festival Artichoke invites international artists to create works that light buildings and public spaces, changing the way that we think and feel. Read more

From Roman times to the Second World War, encompassing the Viking and Norman invasions, medieval feasts, the splendour of the Tudors, the Industrial Revolution and the Roaring Twenties, Kynren takes you on an action-packed voyage. Read more