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- 5th Aug 2026
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Our top things to do in Northumberland National Park and Kielder – festivals, country shows and artisan pop-ups
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There’s no shortage of things to do in Northumberland this summer, with country shows, food festivals and brewery tours filling the diary from Kielder to Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Ospreys are nesting on the water, prize sheep are being judged in the show ring, and pints are being poured at breweries tucked into the hills.
Whether you’re chasing wildlife, sheepdog trials or a proper Northumbrian day out, there’s plenty to fill a summer weekend.
Here’s our round-up of the country shows, festivals and brewery tours happening across Northumberland this summer, plus the milestone anniversaries the county’s celebrating in 2026.
2026 IS A BIG YEAR FOR ANNIVERSARIES IN NORTHUMBERLAND
It’s not just the shows and festivals worth celebrating this summer, Northumberland is marking a run of landmark anniversaries throughout 2026. Kielder Forest reaches its centenary and Northumberland National Park celebrates 70 years of protected wild beauty, with the county also marking Berwick Lighthouse’s 200th and The Alnwick Garden’s 25th.
Langley Castle Hotel turns 40, the Vindolanda Trust marks 20 years of charitable status, and the AD122 Hadrian’s Wall Bus, which carried 40,000 passengers in 2025 alone, celebrates two decades of sustainable access to Hadrian’s Wall. Kielder Castle is also on track to reopen this spring, following a major refurbishment that began after its 2020 closure, a fitting homecoming in the forest’s 100th year.
With this many things to do in Northumberland this summer, the only real challenge is fitting it all in…
THINGS TO DO IN NORTHUMBERLAND THIS SUMMER
Watch ospreys nesting at Kielder Water
Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays until Sunday 16th August from 11am – 4pm
Address: Tower Knowe Visitor Centre, Kielder Water & Forest Park, NE48 1BX
Cost: free (£37 for cruise)
Don’t miss the free Osprey Watch sessions at Knowe Visitor Centre in Kielder with Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers on hand and a live 4K nest camera trained on the birds. High-powered telescopes let you scan the water for adults fishing, while the chicks can also be followed online via Forestry England’s YouTube channel. For a closer look, two-hour Osprey Watching Cruises sail from Kielder Waterside.
Crack a case at Steamworks: Festival Fiasco, Hexham
Monday 10th August from 10am
Address: Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham NE46 3LS
Tickets: from £20
Aimed at junior detectives aged eight to twelve, this hands-on forensic mystery at Queen’s Hall sees young sleuths investigate a tampered-with summer event using real techniques including fingerprinting, footprint analysis and fibre identification. It’s a drop-off session, so parents and carers don’t need to stay.
Learn to grill at the Kitchen BBQ Demo & Lunch, Blanchland
Saturday 15th August from 12pm
Address: The Gatehouse, The Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland DH8 9SP
Tickets: from £50
The Gatehouse hosts this month’s Demo & Dine event, with the head chef sharing tips and tricks for a summer BBQ before guests sit down to lunch built from the same dishes.
Sing along to The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Hexham
Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th August, various times
Address: Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham NE46 3LS
Tickets: from £15
Judith Kerr’s classic gets the stage treatment at Queen’s Hall, with the West End’s Olivier-nominated production bringing Sophie’s tea-time visitor to life through songs and family-friendly chaos.
See shepherds compete at the Falstone Border Shepherds’ Show
Saturday 22nd August from 9am
Address: Hawkhope Pasture, Mouseyhaugh, Falstone NE48 1BD
Tickets: under 16s free and adults £5
Running since 1885, this Kielder Forest show pits Blackfaced, Swaledale Cross and Mule sheep against each other, alongside shepherds’ dogs, terriers and a sheepdog trial, plus a fell race. This year’s classes celebrate 100 years of Kielder Forest, with categories for floral arrangements, handwritten poems and a Mocktail Class.
Tour the tanks at First & Last Brewery, Bellingham
Saturday 22nd August from 3pm – 4.30pm
Address: The First & Last Brewery, Old Ambulance Station, Foundry Yard, Bellingham NE48 2DA
Tickets: £15
This Bellingham brewery’s tour covers the science, art and history of brewing, with the team explaining what makes their foraged beers different over a route around the site. Tours run for around one to one and a half hours and include beer samples, with non-alcoholic options available for drivers or under-18s.
Cheer on the Sheep Show at Bellingham Show & Country Festival
Saturday 29th August from 9am – 5pm
Address: Bellingham Show Field, junction to Hesleyside, Bellingham, Hexham, Northumberland NE48 2JY
Tickets: adults £10, children £5 and family tickets £25
One of Northumberland’s biggest agricultural dates, Bellingham Show brings livestock judging, equestrian displays and vintage vehicles together with the famous dancing Sheep Show, Cumberland & Westmorland wrestling and Northumbrian piping. Giant Aldabra tortoises and a Bake Off-style craft tent round out the family offer, alongside a beer marquee and food stalls. Discounted tickets are available online, and dogs on leads are welcome.
Take in 135 years of farming at the Glendale Show, Wooler
Saturday 29th August from 9am – 5pm
Address: The Showfield, North Middleton, Wooler, Northumberland NE71 6QX
Tickets: adults – £12, student/young farmer – £10 and under 16s – free
More than 6,000 visitors head to the showfield at North Middleton for this long-running event, now in its 135th year, with livestock competitions, equestrian classes and horticultural displays alongside food stalls and craft stands. Around 1,600 school children visit the show’s Children’s Countryside Day each year.
Browse the stalls at Paxton Artisan Pop-Ups, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Tuesday 18th August from 10am – 4pm
Address: Paxton House, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1SZ
Cost: free
Around 14 local artists and makers from Northumberland and the Scottish Borders set up in Paxton House’s newly refurbished Ballroom for this monthly pop-up, organised by arts company The Tin Shed. Expect free demos alongside a changing line-up of printmakers, glassmakers, ceramicists, textile artists, weavers, sculptors and jewellery designers, with access to the gardens, grounds and house tours also available.
Take aim at Archery on the Frontier, The Roman Army Museum
Saturday 29th to Sunday 30th August from 10am – 4pm
Address: Roman Army Museum, Greenhead, Brampton CA8 7JB
Tickets: free with admission
History comes with a hands-on twist at the Roman Army Museum, where visitors can try their hand at archery inspired by Rome’s frontier defences. It runs alongside the museum’s Flower Fairies and The Living Landscape exhibition at The Sill.
HUNGRY? HERE’S SOME RESTAURANTS IN NORTHUMBERLAND NEARBY
WHY NOT MAKE A WEEKEND OF 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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