There are some great events for people of all ages to get involved in this summer in Newcastle. July sees the GemArts Masala Festival and Pride celebrations. August brings the Novum Summer Festival and the annual Newcastle Mela. Find out more about what’s on below and how to get involved.
13-19th July, Newcastle and Gateshead venues
GemArts award winning Masala Festival is held in July each year and celebrates a decade of bringing a blend of the finest South Asian arts and culture, music, dance, literature, performances and workshops, family fun days, food and more to venues, places and spaces in Newcastle and Gateshead. Click on the links for events:
- 13th July – Bulleh Shah: Seeker of Light by Gaurav Bhatti
- 14th July – Playback / Rewind: South Asian Sound & Memory
- 14th July-10th Oct – Through the Lens: Photographs by Anna Miller
- 14th July – Free Flow Classikal
- 14th July – Masala Festival x Art Diamonds: Print Workshop with Michelle Wood
- 14th July – Creative Writing with Tahmina Ali
- 15th July – Freespill: A Night of Unfiltered Desi Soul Flow
- 15th July (and up to 1st Aug) Care / Work: An Exhibition by Nayeema Ahmed
- 16th July – Shape of Momo film screening
- 16th July – Movement & Meditation Session
- 17th July – The Mohan Brothers (sitar & sarod), Sanju Sahai (tabla) and Jasdeep Singh (jorī)
- 18th July – Bijlee / बिजली / Electric club night
- 18th July – An Evening with Nikesh Shukla: Celebrating 10 Years of The Good Immigrant
- 19th July – Demons in Paradise film screening
Keep up to date:
- Sign up for the mailing list here
- Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
- Visit GemArts website here for more activities
25-26th July, Newcastle City Centre
Newcastle Pride is returning. After 17 incredible years shaped by registered charity Northern Pride, the festival steps into an exciting new chapter led by the Curious family. 2026 promises a return to the city centre, city-wide celebrations and a Pride weekend designed with the community at its heart.
Further details about the Festival weekend, including the free programme, dedicated zones (Market Village, Trans+ Zone, Family and Youth) and a range of activities, will be released very soon, whilst tickets for the Pride Arena at Times Square are now on sale.
- Visit the Newcsatle Pride 2026 website here
- Click here for ticket sales for the Pride Arena (12 noon on 25th to 11pm on 26th July)
- Click here to sign up for updates
- Follow on Facebook, Instagram, youtube and LinkedIn
7th-9th August, Newcastle City Centre
Newcastle’s multi-arts festival experience returns for 2026, with a three-day takeover of creativity, entertainment and unexpected moments across Newcastle city centre. The programme is to be announced, but you can sign up for the latest news and follow the Festival on social media (links below).
Volunteers can sign up by expressing an interest from the link on the Festival webpage and also access information packs about general volunteering and dominoes volunteering (a giant domino chain running through the city centre as the headline finale of the festival).
Keep up to date:
- Visit the Festival website here and sign up for event announcements, programme and everything happening at the Novum Festival in 2026
- Follow the festival on social media: instagram, facebook.
Mela in the City – 29th August at Grey’s Monument and Newcastle Mela – 30th and 31st August at Exhibition Park
Newcastle Mela is a joyful annual event, suitable for all ages and families, with fun, laughter, music, arts, entertainment and performance, as well as stalls selling food, clothing and jewellery and opportunities to try out crafts and activities. There will be performances by circus acts, dance artists and local groups.
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:
Love Newcastle has produced a North East Music Festival Guide for 2026, with a host of music events taking place across Newcastle and the region from March to December.