The last Bank Holiday weekend of the year will be celebrated across the region with a huge variety of events laid on, from county shows and classic car displays to festivals and music. Here we pick out 10 ideas for things to do and places to go across the August long weekend, spanning from Northumberland to County Durham.
Some events require tickets which are cheaper when booked in advance, so anyone wanting to make a saving should act quickly as online sales will stop ahead of the event, then on-the-day prices will apply at the gate.
Classic car shows in County Durham
Vintage vehicles will be out in their droves in County Durham where two classic car shows will grab the spotlight over the weekend.
The Ushaw Classic Car & Bike Show takes place at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens on Sunday, August 30. The annual event is a favourite there, with thousands of people expected to turn out to see around 600 vehicles on display throughout its grounds, making it one of the region's biggest events of its kind. Adding to the atmosphere will be music from Northern Soul DJs, food vendors and an on-site bar.
Mark Nixon, Ushaw’s visitor experience and event manager, said: “I'm incredibly proud of how the Ushaw Classic Car Show has grown over the past five years. Its success is down to the passion and dedication of the car owners, whose enthusiasm for preserving and sharing these incredible vehicles is what makes the event so special.” The car show is included in the admission price to Ushaw. Day tickets - which include access to the former Catholic seminary's historic chapels, gardens and exhibitions - cost £12, or £7 for a child, when booked online, or £14 and £8 if bought on the day.
On Bank Holiday Monday, August 31, it will be the turn of Durham city centre to host the Durham Classic Car Show. More than 100 gleaming retro motors will feature in the free show, with vehicles spotted at Palace Green, where Durham Cathedral will form the backdrop, and on Framwellgate Bridge as well as Elvet Bridge. More can be seen in the Market Place during the 11am-4pm event, which will showcase vehicles from across Britain as well as overseas, and car enthusiasts will have opportunities to meet their owners.
City centre festivals in Newcastle
Newcastle parks are hosting two festivals this weekend, with a range of music on offer and, at one annual favourite, plenty of added entertainment for families.
After a city centre preview at the Monument on Saturday from 11am-4pm, the Newcastle Mela will transform Exhibition Park into a vibrant hub of music, dance, family activities, workshops and entertainment over the Bank Holiday weekend. The free Mela will run throughout Sunday and Monday, with highlights including a funfair and henna, jewellery and traditional clothing stalls, plus a wide variety of street food stalls. Organised by Newcastle Asian Art and Music and showcasing Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian culture, the festival is now in its 32nd year and attracts around 40,000 visitors.
Its packed programme will include Rising from the East, featuring some of the North East’s top Indian performers creating a journey through different Indian regions and traditions, first separately then coming together in a vibrant finale combining classical dance, Bollywood style and drumming. Taj Mohammed, chairperson of Newcastle Asian Art and Music, said: “Newcastle Mela has become such an important part of the city’s cultural calendar and it’s amazing to see how it continues to grow. It’s all about community - and everyone is welcome.”
Leazes Park is set for three days of music action with The Park Series. McFly will take to the stage on Friday, with timings and support acts now announced, then the Noughty 90s on Saturday will feature the likes of Vengaboys, East 17 and Gareth Gates. On Sunday, the stage will be taken over by eighties electro favourites The Human League. Tickets are still available for McFly for £49.50, for the Noughty 90s for £49.99, and for The Human League for £45, with some VIP options costing £80 or £85. All prices still have fees to be added, and there are offers of four tickets for the price of three.
County shows across the region
Glendale Show in Wooler takes place this year earlier than usual, on Saturday, August 29 rather than its traditional Bank Holiday Monday slot, with gates opening at 9am. One of the UK's smallest agricultural societies boasts one of north Northumberland’s largest rural events, with attractions from animals - including sheep, horses, donkeys, goats, alpacas, sheepdogs, falcons and giant tortoises - to livestock parades and live music pipers. This is the 138th outing of the show, organised by the volunteer-led Glendale Agricultural Society, and it attracts around 12,000 visitors a year. Society secretary Sally Brewis says: “Whether you come for the animals, the entertainment, the shopping or simply to enjoy a fantastic day out with family and friends, there really is something for everyone.” Tickets are cheaper if bought in advance at £12, free to under-16s; after Friday, on-the-day prices will apply at £17.50.
Bellingham Show and Country Festival also takes place in Northumberland on Saturday, with its theme this year 'celebrating 100 years of forestry at Kielder Forest'. With 2026 seeing the 140,000-acre forest - the largest man-made one in England - celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the start of its planting, there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to find out about ongoing work around the region’s woodlands and communities. Taking place in the show field in Hexham Road, Bellingham, from 9am until 5pm, there won't be a sheep section this year due to concerns over recent outbreaks of the bluetongue virus, but all traditional favourites will be present, from traditional to Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling plus the addition of the likes of Kangaroo Kid and Viking axe and spear-throwing and archery. Discounted tickets are available online in advance up until Saturday evening, costing £10 - £2 cheaper than at the gate - and £5 for children, with family tickets priced £25.
Weardale Agricultural Show, clocking up its 156th outing this year, is always held in upper Weardale, County Durham, on the last Saturday in August. Run by a small group, Weardale Agricultural Society, in the village of St. John's Chapel, it is a celebration of rural life with livestock showing and judging, a dog show and agility display. It will open at 9am and, food-wise, visitors can expect local burgers, fish and chips and hog roast, with a fully-licensed bar including draught beers from the Blue Bell Inn. All children's entertainment, including an inflatable 'super slide' and obstacle course, face-painting, archery and a bouncy castle for under-fives, will be free, and the day will wrap up with live entertainment on the show field. Tickets cost £8 and £4 for children.
BBQs, music and Roman history
Blackfriars in Newcastle is hosting a number of BBQs over the Bank Holiday weekend, starting on Friday and including Saturday specials to celebrate the restaurant's 25-year anniversary. These 12noon, 3pm and 6pm BBQs cost £25 and take place in its Cloister Garden, beginning with a welcome glass of fizz, local beer or soft drink, followed by a three-course 'BBQ feast', it says, with seasonal sharing starters, a choice of dishes cooked over the grill and a seasonal dessert. There will also be live music and activities for children, who can enjoy the BBQ for half-price. If the weather takes a turn for the worst, heated parasols, fire pits and cosy blankets will keep the party mood going.
Martin Kemp's Ultimate 80s Summer Party brings the eighties music star to Wylam Brewery in Newcastle on Sunday, marking a return visit there. The brewery at Palace of the Arts in Exhibition Park, where it celebrates its 10th birthday this year, will run its Battle Royale food event from Friday to Saturday, before Kemp takes to the stage on Sunday, spinning all his favourite 1980s hits. Doors will open at 7pm, with Kemp expected on stage around 8.15pm. The support act for the over-18s night will be World Headquarters founder and DJ Tommy Caulker. The brewery says: "Ask anyone who has seen any of his past amazing shows here at Wylam, this will be a proper, fun eighties night out." Tickets are still available, costing £24 plus fees.
Visitors to Binchester Roman Fort in County Durham over the August Bank Holiday will be able to watch history being brought to life by 'Roman cavalry and Germanic warriors'. The fort will host re-enactments from Saturday to Monday, with highlights including cavalry displays from The Yorkshire Knight and his horse Raven, artillery demonstrations from Roma Antiqua, hands-on pottery-making sessions, and opportunities to dress up as soldiers, meet archaeologists and handle genuine rare Roman artefacts. Also on the 10am to 4.30pm daily programme will be craft activities, guided tours and stone-baked pizza for sale.
Dr John Castling, manager of the 80AD Binchester Roman Fort - once known as Vinovia - and archaeology curator at The Auckland Project, said: “There is no better way to understand Binchester than to see it filled with the sights and sounds of the Roman world again. This weekend will give visitors the chance to experience everything from cavalry and artillery to crafts and archaeology, while discovering the remarkable story of the people who lived and worked here almost 2,000 years ago.” The event is included in the project's 'Bishop's Key' all-access pass or in the fort admission price, which is £8 for adults and £5 for children aged five to 15 years.
