What’s on in NewcastleGateshead

2026 is going to be a massive year for events, festivals and fun in NewcastleGateshead! Take a look at some of the highlights...

Starting off 2026, the ever popular NE1 Restaurant Week will take place from the 12th until the 18th of January. A range of eateries within Newcastle city centre will offer delicious discounted dishes, making January a fantastic time to visit NewcastleGateshead if you're a food-loving fanatic.

Celebrations welcoming the Year of the Horse will get February off to an exciting start, with Lunar New Year bringing colourful parades, dancing and delicious food to the city centre, with exact dates of the celebrations still to be announced.

Spring will see the opening of a brand-new immersive experience at the Metrocentre, where the world of Peppa Pig will be brought to life with Peppa Pig: Surprise Party. This brand new attraction makes for a fun family day out while you explore beloved locations from the show and help Peppa and friends plan the best party yet.

Culture-lovers can experience art, film and theatre like no other, with the return of award-winning The Late Shows  8th - 9th May 2026. This popular late night culture crawl will see over 60 venues open their doors after-hours to host one-off interactive events, installations and workshops.

If you're looking for running events in 2026, the Newcastle-Gateshead Marathon will be back 3rd May, as well as the half marathon and 10k, all set against the backdrop of our fantastic cityscape. Jumping ahead to later in the year, the world's biggest half marathon will once again bring thousands of runners and spectators to the banks of the River Tyne in September for the Great North Run and Great North 10k in July.

Newcastle Pride will bring city-wide celebrations to NewcastleGateshead 25th - 26th July, including the return of the Pride Arena at Times Square as well as the community village and the Pride March which winds through Newcastle city centre every year.

When it comes to music, 2026 is nothing short of a gig or two, or even three! Venues such as The Cluny, The Grove, The Glasshouse and many more have a packed bill of events from all genres across the entire year.

The festive season in NewcastleGateshead will be jam packed with Christmas markets, events and celebrations old and new. Be dazzled by the annual decoration of the city and fill up your stockings with festive shopping at Eldon Square and the Metrocentre. The eagerly anticipated annual Fenwick Christmas window reveal is a huge part of the Geordie calendar and will be unveiled in the build up to the Christmas holidays. But what will the Christmas window theme be for 2026?

As always, we will be keeping you up to date on the biggest and best events of 2026, so keep an eye on our website!