What to Expect from NOVUM in Newcastle This Summer
Newcastle's NOVUM Summer Festival is back - and this time it's taking over the city centre
From Friday 7th to Sunday 9th August, streets and unexpected corners of the city centre will come alive with theatre, dance, live music, immersive installations, colourful creativity and unforgettable moments that invite people of all ages to see Newcastle differently. Explore, discover, enjoy, have fun!
Whether you're chasing breathtaking performances, looking for a family day out in the city centre during the Summer hols or simply fancy stumbling across something extraordinary, #NOVUM26 has something around every corner just for you.
Giant performances take over the streets
Expect the unexpected as international, national and regional artists and performers transform the city into an outdoor stage.
Grey Street hosts BLOCK by Motionhouse, an exhilarating outdoor dance-circus spectacular where eight fearless performers build, climb and leap across 20 giant moving blocks, creating an ever-changing cityscape packed with jaw-dropping acrobatics and impossible feats.
Spanish street performance collective Sound de Secà bring explosive rhythms and infectious energy with Possê, while North East artists Lizzie Klotz and Luca Rutherford invite audiences to gather beneath one giant white parachute in Fabric of Us, a joyful celebration of connection, movement and community.
Elsewhere, Curious Arts' Wheelie Proud turns Northumberland Street into a disco on wheels, the mischievous troupe behind TRUTH promises laughter and surprises wherever they appear, and over at Northern Stage, Bird Rave mixes birds, ‘90s dance music and glorious silliness into one unforgettably brilliant performance.
A once-in-a-lifetime city spectacle
The festival reaches its spectacular finale on Sunday 9th August with Dominoes Newcastle by internationally-acclaimed artists Station House Opera.
Thousands of breeze blocks will topple through the city centre in one extraordinary chain reaction, transforming Newcastle into a giant moving domino run.
Visitors can follow the 2.5km route through the city from 2.30pm starting at new Newcastle City Library before the domino run begins at 4.30pm, unfolding over 30 unforgettable minutes.
Featuring dramatic drops from buildings, giant sculptural installations and moments guaranteed to stop people in their tracks, it's expected to attract thousands of spectators and promises to be one of the biggest public art events the North East has ever hosted.
And if watching isn't enough, there's still time to become part of it, with more than 300 volunteers helping build and protect the route.
Music, play and creativity
Music spills into the streets throughout the weekend, from the joyful brass sounds of Mr Wilson's Second Liners to an intimate secret acoustic gig, family silent discos and a grown-up evening edition beneath Squidsoup's mesmerising light installation.
Outside the Great North Museum, Beats, Cycles & Song brings together South Indian Carnatic rhythms, Afro music and North East folk traditions in a vibrant celebration of music, movement and community.
Families can head to Playing Out at Newcastle Civic Centre, packed with giant swings, den building, mud kitchens, face painting, theatre, bubbles and creative play.
Elsewhere, everyone is invited to leave their mark on Colour Outside the Lines, a giant collaborative artwork by North East artists Josie Brookes and Tom Madge, while Little Inventors encourages children to imagine mythical creatures, magical places and fantastical inventions for modern-day Newcastle.
Teenagers can design their own record sleeve artwork with Nrthrn Baby, before diving into dance battles and breakin’ workshops at NOVUM: JAM.
By the city, for the city
NOVUM is also a celebration of Newcastle itself.
Hundreds of colourful flags and bunting, co-designed by more than 500 local people, will transform the city centre, while community-grown flowers, large-scale paper art, playful installations and immersive audio experiences invite visitors to look again at familiar streets and discover hidden stories.
With further announcements still to come, there's never been a better time to plan a summer day out in Newcastle. See you there?
Most events are free, with a few requiring advance booking.
Find the programme at novumnewcastle.com and follow #NOVUM26 on Facebook and Instagram for the latest announcements.
