The centre of Newcastle will be transformed from August 7-9 as NOVUM festival returns with road closures, free performances and a headline 2.5km domino run.
Sunday road closures
A series of road closures will be in place on Sunday only, from 12pm to 6pm, for the Domino Run. Grey Street between Market Street and Mosely Street, Shakespeare Street between Pilgrim Street and Grey Street, and High Bridge between Grey Street and Bigg Market will all be shut.
Some traffic holds are also expected between 4pm and 5pm at New Bridge Street West, Pilgrim Street, Market Street and Grainger Street, with each hold lasting no longer than a few minutes.
What to expect at NOVUM
This year's event promises a monumental participatory artwork spanning the city centre, free performances, live music and engaging walkabout acts across Newcastle, a drop-in Creative Family Zone packed with hands-on activities for children, young people, families and communities, large-scale outdoor spectacles from national and international artists, and playful installations and pop-ups.
The big talking point is the spectacular 2.5km domino run connecting Newcastle's iconic landmarks, communities and neighbourhoods. Presented by internationally acclaimed artists Station House Opera as the headline finale of NOVUM Summer Festival, thousands of breeze blocks will tumble through Newcastle's streets, creating a giant moving sculpture unlike anything the region has seen before. The work has previously captivated audiences in Toronto, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Rennes and Helsinki.
Summer of events
This summer has already seen Radio 1's Big Weekend at Herrington Park in Sunderland, the Hoppings in Newcastle bathed in warm sunshine, fine weather for Plate Day racegoers, England World Cup fan zones across Newcastle, and large turnouts for Ladies Day and Newcastle Pride, which included a rally at Grey's Monument attended by thousands.
