The NEXT! Big Thing with Sonny Tennet

Celebrate local talent at the NEXT! Big Thing Showcase. Headlining is Sonny Tennet, an incredible solo artist from South Shields! Support from Cortney Dixon, Patrick Gosling, Drum Young, plus more TBA.

Venue:

Bents Park, Sea Road, South Shields

Date:

Jul 13th 2025

Time:

12:00 - 16:30

Price:

Free

Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

As ever, Jools continues to dazzle, involve and impress audiences with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and their exuberant live performances.

Venue:

Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

From £39

Jessica Pratt

Revered Los Angeles artist and one of the most singular and distinctive songwriters of her generation.

Venue:

The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

£27-£29.30

Left Lane Cruiser

Indiana’s favorite blues duo.

Venue:

The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£15

Bill Ryder-Jones & NASUWT Riverside Band presents Iechyd Da

Bill Ryder-Jones first rose to prominence as a founding member of The Coral. Following his recent collaborations with the BBC Concert Orchestra, this show will bring a bold new reimagining of Iechyd Da to this year’s Durham Brass Festival.

Venue:

Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£25

Julian Lage

Julian’s vivid, wondrously textured new album Speak To Me offers a series of dispatches from his ongoing search for narrative beyond words. It travels a wide range of American music, and delight in the deliberate crossing of wires between gospel hymn and rural blues, California singer- songwriter sunshine and skronky jazz.

Venue:

The Exchange, 1 Howard Street, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE30 1SE

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£34

Memoria

Mix Wave presents Memoria’s return to the Forum as they hit the stage for the first time since January with a new lineup and a much heavier punk turn they are back and better than ever. Support from Deer Shed & Jim Soler.

Venue:

The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington, DL1 1SG

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£6

Steve Hensby Band

9-piece ensemble who are splitting at the seams with an assault to the musical senses with elements of funk, soul, ska, world, a sprinkle of psychedelia and a dash of folk. Support from Spilt Milk.

Venue:

The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 15th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

Free

The Glam Rock Show: Get It On

Bringing you the biggest hits from the likes of The Bay City Rollers, Sweet, T.Rex, Mud, Slade, Bowie, Suzi Quatro, Wizzard and many more.

Venue:

Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR

Date:

Jul 16th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£18.50-£36

Masala Festival: Baadal Dvaar se Nazar

Baadal Dvaar se Nazar (A Glimpse Through the Cloud Door), is an original experimental work by William Rees Hofmann featuring Benedict Taylor, where sarod meets viola. Inspired by the soundtracks of the films of Mani Kaul, the piece is a new work rooted in Indian classical tradition yet which moves beyond and experiments with form.

Venue:

The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 16th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£12adv/£15otd

Dez Dare

Brighton-based DIY psych-punk legend Dez Dare. Support from Edinburgh's garage/synth punk prophets​ Sha Rivari & the Maybes.

Venue:

Alphabetti Theatre, St James Boulevard, Newcastle, NE1 4HP

Date:

Jul 16th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£10/£5/no questions £3

Country Roads

Enjoy the very biggest country songs of all time; '9 to 5', 'The Gambler', 'Walk the Line', 'Ring of Fire', 'King of the Road', 'Crazy', 'Rhinestone Cowboy', 'Jolene', 'Dance the Night Away', 'Walkin’ after Midnight' and many, many more.

Venue:

Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR

Date:

Jul 17th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£18.50-£36

Carnivore A.D.

A band of New York City Hardcore/ Metal scene veterans: bassist/vocalist Baron Misuraca (ex Sheer Terror, Darkside NYC), guitarist Chuck Lenihan (ex Crumbsuckers/Christian Death) and drummer Joe Cangelosi (ex Kreator, Massacre, Whiplash).

Venue:

The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 17th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£15

Cheekface & Martha + Fresh

It lurks in the shadows: a five-ton, red-eyed monster ready to crush its prey. It’s Cheekface and Martha with special guest Fresh: the high-flying, awe-inspiring megastars of modern rock!

Venue:

The Grove, 1 St Michael's Rd, Byker, Newcastle, NE6 1QU

Date:

Jul 17th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£18

Eve Selis & Friends: Dark Sky Blue ~ Healing Hearts Tour

Eve Selis has spent over 30 years crafting powerful Americana music that heals and connects.

Venue:

Gosforth Civic Theatre, Regent Farm Road, Newcastle, NE3 3HD

Date:

Jul 17th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£20.50

Chris Murphy

Chris’s virtuoso fiddle playing is second to none & ​with his ability to loop tracks together, creates ​absolute symphonies & musical masterpieces as he goes.

Venue:

The White Room Music Cafe, 15 Station Rd, Stanley, Durham, DH9 0JL

Date:

Jul 17th 2025

Time:

19:45

Price:

£12

Easington Colliery Band

Playing a varied programme of brass band classics and solos from the top band in the North of England.

Venue:

Alnwick Playhouse, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£17

The Duran Duran Experience

The premier Duran Duran tribute band in the UK.

Venue:

The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£20

The Rat Pack – Live In Concert

Get ready to swing into the Golden Age of Hollywood and experience the timeless sounds of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

Venue:

Tyne Theatre and Opera House, 111 Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 4AG

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£29.50-£36.50

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac

Personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member, Mick Fleetwood, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is the ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most remarkable groups.

Venue:

Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£20-£47

Youth Fountain (Acoustic)

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Youth Fountain (Pure Noise Records) is cemented as a driving force in the world of emotionally charged pop-punk and emo revival.

Venue:

The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£15

GemArts Masala Festival: Blossoming - Eeshar Singh with Royal Northern Sinfonia

Experience Blossoming at Masala Festival, a breath-taking collaboration between Eeshar Singh and Royal Northern Sinfonia. Inspired by ancient mythology and Indic folklore, this mesmerizing live performance seamlessly weaves Indian classical instrumentation with Western orchestration and neoclassical textures.

Venue:

The Glasshouse, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2YR

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

£11.30-£22.50

Me Lost Me Album Launch

The project of Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent who takes influence from folk, art pop, noise, ambient and improvised music

Venue:

Live Theatre, 27 Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle, NE1 3DQ

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£16/£11

Beat The Drum: The Runrig Experience

Experience two hours of classic Runrig hits (with a few surprises) giving audiences the chance to add a new chapter to their own ‘Book of Golden Stories’.

Venue:

The Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3HA

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

From £26

The Enemy

Indie rock legends.

Venue:

Times Square, Near Centre for Life, Scotswood Road, Newcastle, NE1 4EP

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

17:00

Price:

£35

Sugar Roulette

The band are back to bring their signature energy and genre-blending live set to the Quayside.

Venue:

Zerox, 48-52 Sandhill, Newcastle, NE1 3JF

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£6

Twin Atlantic

Soaring Scottish rock outfit that traffics in all the elements of alternative music.

Venue:

KU, Prince Regent Street, Stockton, TS18 1DB

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£27.50

Who’s Next?

The Sound & Spirit of The Who.

Venue:

The Forum Music Centre, Borough Road, Darlington, DL1 1SG

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£13adv

Negatives

Five-piece heavy metal band from the North-East. Support from Perpetua & Culturist.

Venue:

The Grove, 1 St Michael's Rd, Byker, Newcastle, NE6 1QU

Date:

Jul 18th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£10

Ponyland

A psychedelic punk, force of nature, a multi-limbed monster of scuzzed-out riffs and thunderous ritualistic grooves.

Venue:

The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£12.50

Last Resort

The UK’s BIGGEST touring Nu-Metal tribute band playing all the biggest Nu-Metal Hits.

Venue:

Think Tank?, Digital, Times Square, Centre For Life, Newcastle, NE1 4EP

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£11.25adv

The Funk Collective Presents: Funk Fest!

The North-East’s Premier Funk and Soul Band, The Funk Collective, are ready to party and invite you to join them for their brand new Summer bash.

Venue:

The Georgian Theatre, Green Dragon Yard, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1AE

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

£18adv

Brassed On

This unique programme pairs Northeast artists with talented brass ensembles to create new music and take part in a unique and unforgettable performance. Featuring Liz Corney, Faithful Johannes + Neocia and Amateur Ornithologist.

Venue:

Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£12

Seaside Folk - The Bookshop Band

The award winning Bookshop Band write and perform songs inspired by books. Between them Beth Porter and Ben Please bring the books to the stage along with a multitude of instruments, including cello, harmonium, glockenspiel, guitars and ukuleles.

Venue:

Saltburn Community Theatre, Albion Terrace, Saltburn by The Sea, TS12 1JW

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£12

Palestine Red Crescent and Scotswood 3 Fundraiser

Featuring Gaydar, Nadine Hurley, Elijah Oak and Ellen Moss.

Venue:

Star & Shadow Cinema, 210 Warwick Street, Newcastle, NE2 1BB

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

Pay as you feel otd/£8-£16adv

Sensational Sounds Showcase

Charity night in aid of Cystic Fibrosis with performances from Stephen Mcguire, Jessica Grace, New Dimension, Hi Met duo and a headline set from Lilac Lane.

Venue:

The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 19th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£6

James Bond Concert Spectacular

The world’s finest and most critically acclaimed tribute to the music of James Bond.

Venue:

Darlington Hippodrome, Parkgate, Darlington, DL1 1RR

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£18-£33

Maya Hawke

Musician, songwriter, actor and producer. She has released two lauded albums of music to date, Moss (2022) and Blush (2020), both of which showcase her natural gift for songwriting and storytelling.

Venue:

NX, Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 1SW

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£28.50+bf

Desperados

The Definitive Eagles Tribute Band.

Venue:

Middlesbrough Town Hall, Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2QJ

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

18:00

Price:

£25

Go Your Own Way

Fleetwood Mac tribute.

Venue:

The Exchange, 1 Howard Street, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE30 1SE

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£28

Boo Hewerdine & Yvonne Lyon

Boo and Yvonne have formed an inimitable songwriting partnership weaving these ephemeral stories with their own, creating an album full of nostalgia and beauty, hope and longing.

Venue:

The Engine Room, Tanners Bank, North Shields, Tyneside, NE301JH

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

18:00

Price:

£15.90

Lindisfarne

Legendary 70’s folk-rock pioneers.

Venue:

Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Exhibition Park, Newcastle, NE2 4PZ

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£30+bf

Des Demonas

The group is made up of some familiar names from the DC punk, garage, and indie scenes.

Venue:

The Cluny 2, 34 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£15

The Fairey Band performing Pictures at an Exhibition and Traditional Brass Concert

Experience one of the world’s finest brass bands like never before as The Fairey Band presents a breathtaking performance of Pictures at an Exhibition. This unique concert pairs a stunning brass arrangement of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece with mesmerising, animated interpretations, creating an unforgettable audiovisual experience.

Venue:

Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

13:30

Price:

£25/£15

The Fairey Band presents Acid Brass

For the first time at Durham Brass Festival, The Fairey Band bring Acid Brass, an unlikely but exciting fusion of Acid House anthems performed by traditional British brass band.

Venue:

Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£18.50

Pope / Garner / Byrne / Alderson

Playing as a quartet for the first time, this unusual chordless line-up of two rhythm and two front-line players will tease out a common and novel language in real-time.

Venue:

The Globe, 11 Railway Street, Newcastle, NE4 7AD

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

£10adv/£12otd/under 25s £7

Sunday Concerts (Pride in South Tyneside) - Shayne Ward, Liberty X and Scooch

Support from The Future is Queer, Shelley Stevens, plus more TBA.

Venue:

Bents Park, Sea Road, South Shields

Date:

Jul 20th 2025

Time:

12:00 - 16:30

Price:

Free

The Armstrongs and the Lit & Phil: a century of progress | A lecture by Henrietta Heald

For the entire 19th century, there was an Armstrong at the heart of the Lit & Phil. Henrietta Heald recounts the story of the Lit & Phil during this momentous period through the prism of the Armstrong family and their achievements.

Venue:

The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 1SE

Date:

Jul 21st 2025

Time:

18:00

Price:

£5

Joshua Burnside

An experimental folk songwriter, singer and producer who takes influence from alternative electronica and Irish folk, chopping and blending them with a mixture of found sounds, world music and unorthodox production methods.

Venue:

The Grove, 1 St Michael's Rd, Byker, Newcastle, NE6 1QU

Date:

Jul 22nd 2025

Time:

19:00

Price:

£12

The Ultimate Irish Hooley

Join Irelands No.1 Folk n Roll band Keltic Storm and an all-star cast of award winning musicians and singers for The Ultimate Irish Hooley, direct from the Emerald Isle.

Venue:

Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, NE46 3LS

Date:

Jul 22nd 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

From £28

Kirsty Hall: What is Home?

What is Home? A multi-media show (songs, spoken word, digital art) has been created to explore this question. The bespoke artistic content will include songs, spoken word, and digital art, taking the audience through themes relating to land ownership, connection, displacement, precarity and security.

Venue:

The Lubber Fiend, 81 Blandford Square, Newcastle, NE1 3PZ

Date:

Jul 22nd 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£12/£6/no questions asked £4

Whitney: Queen Of The Night

Venue:

Whitley Bay Playhouse, Marine Avenue, Whitley Bay, NE26 1LZ

Date:

Jul 24th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

From £24

Home Service

Characterised by Graeme Taylor’s fiery lead guitar and a stirring brass section, the music of Home Service explores contemporary themes, often through historical settings, and crosses musical genres from folk and classical through to trenchant rock.

Venue:

Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA

Date:

Jul 24th 2025

Time:

19:30

Price:

£26

BBC Proms: ‘Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch

Join jazz saxophonist, hip-hop artist, curator, and presenter Soweto Kinch, plus an eclectic mix of special guests including fearless jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, the boundary-pushing Joe Webb Trio and North-East artist Rivkala.

Venue:

The Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland, SR1 3HA

Date:

Jul 24th 2025

Time:

20:00

Price:

From £8