- Play Hard
- 29th Apr 2026
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BBC Proms in the North East grows into a three-city celebration of music
A festival that started as a Gateshead celebration has become one of the most exciting things happening in UK music right now. The BBC Proms in the North East returns from Thursday 23rd – Saturday 25th July, and this year it’s not just bigger, it’s bolder.
For the first time, it’s stretching across three cities: Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
The North East isn’t just hosting great music anymore; it’s positioning itself as one of the best places in the country to experience it. And the whole thing is built on a pretty simple belief: world-class music shouldn’t be reserved for a handful of big cities. It belongs everywhere. Including right here.
THE GLASSHOUSE, GATESHEAD – WHERE IT ALL STARTED
Formerly Sage Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is still the spiritual home of the Proms in the region. But in 2026, things are getting a bit of a remix. With Sage One having a summer refresh, performances are spilling out into the concourse. And honestly? It might be the most exciting shift in how audiences experience the Proms yet.
Think soaring ceilings, open space, music unfolding all around you rather than from a traditional stage. It’s immersive, a little unexpected, and very much in step with where the Proms is heading. This is also where some of the biggest moments land – including a major late-night collaboration from Nadine Shah, making her Proms debut alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia.
THE FIRE STATION, SUNDERLAND – INTIMATE AND ELECTRIC
Over in Sunderland, The Fire Station keeps proving that you don’t need a massive venue to create a massive musical experience. Its more intimate setting that brings you closer to the orchestra, you feel every note a bit more, and that matters.
This year it’s hosting a standout classical programme with Royal Northern Sinfonia, including the Proms debut of Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings, a piece that has somehow never been performed at the Proms before.
Add Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Bacewicz’s Divertimento into the mix, and you’ve got a night that balances genuine discovery with pure classical joy. It’s also being broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, which means Sunderland’s sound is going to travel a lot further than the city limits.
MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL – A PROPER LANDMARK MOMENT
For the first time ever, the Proms heads to Middlesbrough Town Hall. And it’s a big deal. The festival opens here, which, in itself, says something about where things are heading.
Royal Northern Sinfonia and The Unthanks kick things off together, their blend of storytelling, folk and orchestral sound feeling perfectly at home on the Proms stage. There’s something quite fitting about starting in Teesside, too. It sends a clear message that this isn’t just an expansion for expansion’s sake. It’s a genuine move towards a more connected, more confident regional music scene.
Middlesbrough is also home to BBC Young Composer workshops, giving 12–18-year-olds the chance to experiment, create and build real confidence in their own music. A reminder that the Proms isn’t just about the big performances, it’s about what comes next, too.
THE MUSIC – ACROSS GENRES, ACROSS BOUNDARIES
At the heart of everything, as ever, is Royal Northern Sinfonia. But don’t expect a purely classical line-up. This programme moves comfortably between worlds, classical, contemporary, indie, folk, jazz and choral, all sitting side by side without it feeling forced. One night you’re in the middle of Morton Feldman’s hypnotic Crippled Symmetry, the next you’re deep in a late-night indie collaboration.
There’s also a strong North East thread woven through the whole thing. Alongside Nadine Shah and The Unthanks, the BBC Introducing showcase puts emerging artists in the spotlight, including boundary-pushing names like corto.alto, Maddie Ashman and ATFK. And then there’s the choral centrepiece: a large-scale gathering featuring the BBC Singers, the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and Voices of the River’s Edge. The kind of performance that fills a space completely, physically and emotionally.
MADE FOR EVERYONE
Tickets start from £8. And there’s a real effort throughout to make the experience feel genuinely welcoming, whether you’re a classical regular or stepping into your first live orchestral performance.
The expansion into Sunderland and Middlesbrough isn’t just about geography either. It’s about reaching more communities and making the festival feel like it actually belongs to the whole region — not just one part of it. And if you can’t make it in person, BBC Radio 3 broadcasts will carry the performances far beyond the North East, putting local talent on a national and international stage.
A REGION FINDING ITS CONFIDENCE
Now in its fifth year, the Proms in the North East feels like part of something bigger. Alongside major events and growing investment in music across the region, it’s helping to build a reputation that’s been a long time coming.
There’s a real confidence to this year’s programme, not just in its scale, but in its identity. It’s proudly local but outward-looking. It celebrates what’s already here while making space for new voices.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway. This isn’t just a festival that visits the North East anymore. It’s a festival that’s been shaped by it.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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