- Play Hard
- 28th Jul 2026
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20 Things to Do in the North East This Weekend (1–2 August 2026)
Culture House Walking Tour – Sunderland
When: Thursday 30th July
Where: Culture House
Price: £3.28
RIBA North East’s YAPF group returns to Sunderland for a walking tour of Culture House, the major new civic and cultural destination at the heart of Riverside Sunderland, home to the City Library. The tour is followed by informal networking and refreshments.
ARROW x Wildfire City – Sunderland
When: Thursday 30th July
Where: Wildfire City
Price: Free
Wildfire City hosts a 5km social run with Alex Tuckwell, kicking off summer evening plans for runners and non-runners alike. Expect pizza, pints and great company.
Ladies, Wine & Design Summer Social – Gateshead
When: Thursday 30th July
Where: Summer on the Southside
Price: Free
Ladies, Wine & Design mark their belated 9th birthday with a riverside summer social, offering a welcome drink and pizza as regulars and newcomers alike catch up with the group’s community of women and non-binary creatives.
Dirty Dancing Outdoor Cinema – Alnwick
When: Thursday 30th July
Where: Alnwick Castle
Price: Tickets from £17.37
Ready to have the time of your life? Alnwick Castle hosts an open-air screening of Dirty Dancing this summer, bringing the film to life beneath the Northumberland sky as part of the castle’s July and August evening events.
Summer Parties – Sunderland
When: Friday 31st July
Where: The Fire Station
Price: £23
The Fire Station launches its Summer Parties, the first event being a silent disco on the outdoor stage. Put on the wireless headphones, choose your decade and get down in The Parade Ground!
Festival of Archaeology – Yeavering – Northumberland
When: Friday 31st July & Saturday 1st August
Where: Yeavering
Price: Day tickets are free & evening tickets cost £5 (donations are welcome)
The Festival of Archaeology returns to Yeavering, near Wooler, bringing Anglo-Saxon Northumbria to life with a working encampment, craft demonstrations, expert talks and an evening Lumiere light show on the Friday.
Make a Ceramic Fairy House – Washington
When: Friday 31st July
Where: Adventure into Art CIC
Price: £20
Adventure into Art CIC in Washington runs a ceramic hand-building workshop, where Gemma Allen guides beginners through creating their own fairy house tealight holder using the slab-building technique.
Queen Celebration Outdoor Cinema – Alnwick
When: Friday 31st July
Where: Alnwick Castle
Price: Tickets from £22.97
Watch and Sing-A-Long to Bohemian Rhapsody at Alnwick Castle, then dance the night away to a Queen & 80s disco. 80s fancy dress is obviously encouraged.
Soft&Salty – Whitley Bay
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Seaton Sluice Beach
Price: £16.96
Am.society hosts a soft&salty beach morning at Seaton Sluice Beach, with 45 minutes of slow-flow yoga led by Ellisha, a wellness drink and snacks, and an optional sea dip to finish.
The Pilates Shot X Emmys Coffee Pod – Sunderland
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Roker Beach
Price: £6.13
Victoria Stewart’s The Pilates Shot teams up with Emmys Coffee Pod for a beachside session at Roker, combining a 45-minute Pilates class with coffee, mingling and a free hot shot to finish.
The Gaderung – Northumberland
When: Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd August
Where: Ad Gefrin
Price: Free admission (tastings & tours priced separately)
The Gaderung returns to Ad Gefrin for a weekend celebrating Northumbria’s whisky, food and heritage. Capture the Spirit brings tastings, distillery tours and live music on Saturday 1st August, while Share the Spirit offers a family-friendly harvest festival with local makers, street food and folk music on Sunday 2nd August.
Dog on the Tyne – Newcastle
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Wesley Square, Quayside
Price: Free (walks & yoga sessions require pre-booking)
Dog on the Tyne returns to Newcastle Quayside with a free day of agility courses, dog yoga, doggy selfie stations, organised walks and market stalls for dogs and their owners alike.
Baltic Beer Festival – Gateshead
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
Price: Tickets from £13.96
Baltic hosts a one-day craft beer festival, bringing together ten North East breweries, including Rigg and Furrow, Full Circle, and Wylam, with a keepsake festival glass, DJs Deja Brew, and street food throughout.
HAY DAY – Sunderland
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Southpaw Studio
Price: £22.33
Southpaw Studio at Sheepfolds Stables launches HAY DAY, a daytime clubbing experience from 3pm to 7pm with 90s and early 2000s anthems from DJ Aaron Swales, plus atmospheric lighting and pop-up performances from Southpaw’s dancers.
Wicked Sing-a-long Outdoor Cinema – Alnwick
When: Saturday 1st August
Where: Alnwick Castle
Price: Tickets from £15.62
Alnwick Castle hosts a Wicked Sing-A-Long, letting fans belt out songs like Defying Gravity and Popular on a huge open-air screen as Elphaba and Glinda’s story comes to life under the stars.
The Ritual Table – North Shields
When: Sunday 2nd August
Where: Harbour House
Price: £58
Harbour House hosts The Ritual Table, a slow morning created with Hold and Alma Cacao that moves through a guided ceremonial cacao tasting, breathwork and meditation, and a closing facial massage ritual using cacao oil.
Made Up North – Newcastle
When: Sunday 2nd August
Where: Boiler Shop
Price: £2.88 entry fee
Made Up North’s Summer Market brings together 60 northern creatives at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop, with drinks from the in-house bar, work from local potters, textile artists and jewellers on show, and a free gift for the first 15 through the door.
Walk & Sketch – Northumberland
When: Sunday 2nd August
Where: Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre
Price: £17.43
Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre hosts Walk and Sketch, a nature painting workshop where watercolour artist Gillian Cross guides attendees around the site for some en plein air sketching, ages 18+.
Latte Art Workshop – Newcastle
When: Sunday 2nd August
Where: Cafe Beam
Price: £41.88
Cafe Beam in Gosforth is running a Latte Art Coffee Workshop with Collie Makes Coffee, teaching beginners and coffee lovers alike how to pour the perfect espresso and latte art.
An Afternoon with Jamilah – Newcastle
When: Sunday 2nd August
Where: The Grove
Price: £15
Jamilah celebrates her new EP with an intimate live band performance at The Grove in Byker, one of the first chances to hear the songs performed live, with behind-the-scenes stories woven between them in a relaxed, welcoming setting for longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Molly Ferry
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