Festivals, cultural celebrations and awareness raising
Newcastle gets involved in a wide range of annual, internationally celebrated events, festivals and awareness raising campaigns. Find out more below about activities throughout the year. Do get in touch to let us know of any other annual festivals or cultural events that we can add to this listing and to our Directory.
Winter
Chinese New Year is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival. The date for Chinese New Year is different every year as it is set according to the Lunar calendar. It falls on the first day of the new moon which begins in either late January or February.
Celebrations last for around 15 days, ending on the day of the full moon. Customs differ, but Chinese New Year is important for families to come together and wish each other peace and prosperity for the year ahead.
In Newcastle, public celebrations focus around Stowell Street, China Town. Click here to find out more about Spring Festival 2025, Newcastle’s Chinese Community and an education resource pack for schools around the Year of the Snake.
27th January every year
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place every year on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by allied troops. It is a day to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust and the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
It is a time to learn from the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide doesn’t just happen – it is a process that begins when racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.
The Holocaust Memorial Memorial Day Trust theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 was ‘For a Better Future’ and there was an extensive range of events and activities in Newcastle, as well as the national HMD commemorations and activities. Click here to find out more.
St Patrick’s Day (March)
St Patrick’s Day in Newcastle centres around the Tyneside Irish Centre, with a range of activities and events from from mid March.
The Centre usually hosts a family day, where families can enjoy live music, ceili dances and dance displays and there is usually a full day of traditional events, music and concerts.
The rest of Newcastle joins in, with the town turning green.
Keep up to date with activities:
Spring
International Women’s Day (IWD) is on 8th March. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Every year there are activities and events in Newcastle and across the world celebrating IWD. The IWD organisation provides a range of resources and ideas to help people celebrate the day and explore the annual theme for the day.
For more updates follow IWD on social media: facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin, tiktok
Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages is a celebration of the diverse languages, cultures and communities in the region and our connections with the world.
The Festival runs from the start of January to the end of March every year. It offers free activities and events for children and young people aged 3-18 in the North East (as well as a UK programme): live events, competitions, classroom activities creative projects and more – these are participatory activities for schools and groups.
The Festival is hosted and co-ordinated by International Newcastle with support and contributions from a wide range of partners.
Keep up to date with latest news on the website, follow on twitter @EYFOLNEor join us onFacebookand Instagram /eyfolne
Holi
Holi is the ‘Festival of Colours’ or ‘Festival of Love’ usually in March. On this day people get to unite together forgetting all resentments and all types of bad feeling towards each other.
It starts in the evening of Purnima or the Full Moon Day in the month of Falgun. It is celebrated with the name Holika Dahan or Choti Holi on first evening of the festival and the following day is called Holi.
Gem Arts and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art provide a wonderful annual Holi celebration. This year it will be on Saturday 14th March 2026- click here to find out more. With artist workshops, dance, music and food, exhibitions, it culminates in a colourful pigment throwing event to celebrate the oncoming of spring.
GIFT is an artist led festival celebrating contemporary theatre, bringing together some of the most exciting theatre makers from across the UK, Europe and wider world for 3 days of festival fun, usually in May.
Placing artistic experimentation and collaboration at its core, GIFT always has an exciting programme of live performances, online conversations, sharings and workshops created for artists and audiences in the North East of England and across the world.
For latest news and updates on future activities:
The Late Shows 8-9 May
The Late Shows is an award-winning event, opening up our amazing cultural venues to people of all ages who may never have been before. It is an annual, free, late night cultural extravaganza that residents and visitors can enjoy.
Across venues in Newcastle and Gateshead, there are opportunities to experience a wealth of cutlural activities, featuring art studios, music, performance, galleries, museums and a host of fun and intriguing events.
To keep up to date:
Summer
July
GemArts award winning Masala Festival is held in July each year, bringing a blend of the finest South Asian arts and culture from venues, places and spaces across the North East.
Since 2016, the festival has brought audiences the best music, dance, visual arts, film, literature, performance, workshops, family fun days, food events and much more.
Keep up to date with the latest news on the Festival, as well as the wide range of other events and activities on offer:
- Visit the website here
- Sign up for the mailing list here
- WordPress
Newcastle Pride: 25-26th July 2026 (with Fringe throughout June)
Led by Curious Futures, a not for profit company part of Curious Arts, from 2026 Newcastle Pride returns to the city centre, with city-wide celebrations and a Pride weekend designed with the community at its heart.
Follow the links to find out further details about the Festival weekend, including the free programme, dedicated zones and a range of activities and to get tickets for the Pride Arena at Times Square.
Keep up to date with the latest news and activities:
- Sign up for updates here – click Subscribe
- Visit the website here
- Youtube
Novum is Newcastle’s summer festival for families and people of all ages all based in the city.
A party for the people, showcasing local, national and international talent. There are lots of activities including music, arts and culture participatory projects and communityworkshops.
Keep up to date with NOVUM:
Newcastle Mela is a joyful annual event, suitable for all ages and families, with fun, laughter, music, entertainment and performance.
The Mela is a free event, based around Pakistani, Bengali, Indian and other South Asian cultures. The event is open to the public and encourages an audience from a variety of backgrounds to attend its annual grand festival. It is a true display of diversity within Newcastle upon Tyne.
Keep up to date with the latest news about the Mela:
Customary to Igbo culture, NINEE celebrates New Yam Festival every first Saturday in August. Yam is a widely cultivated tuber that is consumed as staple food across Igbo land. In the olden days it was believed that a man whose yam harvest lasts until the following harvest was considered a wealthy man. Yam is usually cultivated at the beginning of the year and harvested in August, hence the celebration of New Yam festival in August.
This annual event is an opportunity to invite people from all walks life to share in the rich and colourful Igbo cultural heritage as well as enjoy the occasion through food, music and dance from the Igbo culture.
Autumn
Irish Festival (October)
The Tyneside Irish Cultural Society runs a series of concerts throughout the year as part of their ongoing programme of events culminating in an Irish Festival which takes place in October.
Since the inception of the cultural society, and the first Irish Festival in 1984, some of the biggest stars of Irish traditional music have performed.
Keep up to date with events and activities:
October
Black History Month takes place every year during the month of October and is a national celebration recognising the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of Black Britons in every area of endeavour throughout our history.
Every year resources are provided for the public and for schools and there is a programme of events around the country on a particular theme.
BHM shares news, information, opinion pieces and features on different aspects of history and the contribution of Black Britons.
November
Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a campaign founded in 2012 by a group of Muslim organisations which has a growing number of supporters. It aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims as well as raise awareness of Islamophobia in society. Their vision is to see a society free from Islamophobia in all of its forms and the Islamophobia Awareness Month campaign widely recognised and supported annually.
The campaign provides free resources, exhibition hire and advertises events that are taking place across the country. For more information and updates, follow the campaign on social media: