25 Things to Look Forward to in 2025
2025, we're coming for you!
Happy Birthday to You!
This year, North Yorkshire Moors Railway (the first public railway in the world) celebrates its 200th birthday and to mark the occasion you can explore the 200 Trail. This year will also see the 10th North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival. In the North East, the Lit & Phil on Westgate Road has been standing on the same site for 200 years and the Stockton and Darlington Railway is also celebrating its 200th anniversary with a packed programme of events.
Bring the House Down
This year a whole host of musical talent is coming to the North East and Yorkshire. In April, the Sugababes will be performing at Utilita Arena Newcastle as part of their UK and European tour. International pop star Kylie Minogue will also be playing the venue in May during her Tension tour. In Yorkshire Bryan Adams will be playing at First Direct Arena in Leeds and in August, you’ll have the chance to see Coldplay at Craven Park Stadium in Hull. No local music line-up would be complete without the one and only Sam Fender, who will be returning to St James’ Park in mid-June.
Sporting Spectacular
The Women’s Rugby World Cup returns in 2025 and York Community Stadium will play host to a number of fixtures. In August, watch Canada face off against Fiji, New Zealand take on Spain, the USA try to defeat Australia and Italy go head to head with South Africa. The very first fixture of the event will be held at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland in late August, so get your tickets now to see England face off against the USA.
Bookworms
Although the final dates for Durham Book Festival are yet to be announced for 2025, Bay Tales (in Whitley Bay) will be taking place in March, Hexham Book Festival will return in May and Berwick Literary Festival will take place in October. In late June, Bradford Literature Festival will be making a return and in July crime fans will be overjoyed to hear that the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be returning to Harrogate. Brand new for 2025, the Whitby Literature Festival will be taking place in November.
As Seen on Screen
In early 2025 we will be saying goodbye to the iconic Vera, which will end after the airing of its 14th season. Robson Green will be returning to our screens with his third season of Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes and Danny Boyle’s newest instalment in the 28 Days Later saga is set to hit the big screen in 2025 and was seen filming locally. For Yorkshire this January, fans can expect the fifth season of All Creatures Great and Small to air and Riot Women is the all-new series from Sally Wainwright.
Bowled Over
England Men’s and Women’s International cricket fixtures have been announced and unsurprisingly Headingley is the place to be for them in Yorkshire. In June, catch the first of the Men’s Test Series against India, and in September, there’s an ODI where England Men will meet South Africa. In the North East Durham Cricket have secured two England international fixtures for the men’s and women’s teams. In June, England men will take on West Indies in a Friday evening showdown, and England women will play India in late July.
Fun at The Fair
With so many wonderfully talented makers in the region, we can’t wait for this year’s Living North fairs. Living North LIVE returns to York Racecourse in March and Newcastle Racecourse in May where you can enjoy stylish shopping, live demonstrations and talks and tastings from the North East’s top talent. Living North’s Christmas Fairs will also make a spectacular return later in the year, and new for 2025 Living North is also coming to Haydock Park Racecourse in November.
An Eye for Art
The North East and Yorkshire are packed full of exceptional art galleries and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for this year. Top of our list is Romance to Realities at Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery, a fascinating exhibit exploring more than 200 years of landscape painting in the North of England and Scotland. The Late Shows (a late-night culture crawl through Ouseburn Valley) will also be returning in May. In May, The Hepworth Wakefield will show the work of Caroline Walker in ‘Mothering’, a series of intimate slice of life paintings depicting quiet scenes of motherhood.
Keep on Running
South Yorkshire’s most challenging and scenic half marathon returns – the Sheffield Half Marathon is famous for its mile-long climb up Ringinglow Road (which boasts amazing views of the Peak District). In the North East this September AJ Bell’s Great North Run returns and remains the world’s biggest and best half marathon. Feeling extreme? The Wall is an ultramarathon taking place in June which covers an astonishing 70-mile route through Hadrian’s Wall Country.
Starry Eyed
The Northern Lights were brilliantly bright in 2024 – but get ready for even more in 2025! The sun is due to reach the peak of its 11-year activity cycle this year (which makes the Northern Lights more visible) which means this extraordinary phenomena can be seen by so many more of us, and with the naked eye.
The Greatest Show
The Great Yorkshire Show will return to Harrogate this July for its 166th celebration of farming, food and the countryside, once again featuring the best in the county. Shipley dairy farmer Rachel Coates is preparing to make history as the first female to take over the role of Show Director and we’re excited to see the line-up for 2025.
Second Wind
Whether it’s by wind or sea, the North East has an unshakeable reputation for leading the way in renewable energy and 2025 is set to be one of the biggest leaps forward yet with the installation of the first turbine of the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm – soon to be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, 195 kilometres off the North East coast.
You’re Snookered
Pitting the top 16 players in Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, tickets are now live for the UK Snooker Championship at York Barbican in late November. Attracting world class talent like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Allen, this is one snooker fans shouldn’t miss.
Put on a Show
Northern Ballet will present a captivating retelling of Jane Eyre at both Leeds Grand Theatre and Sheffield Lyceum Theatre in March and April. Both venues will also host Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in March and July (which is always a hit with families). In the North East, highlights include Hamilton coming to Sunderland Empire from June to July, and local lad Joe McElderry will be playing Pharaoh in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at Newcastle Theatre Royal in June.
Chugging Along
The hotly anticipated Northumberland Line is projected to be fully finished in 2025, connecting Ashington to Newcastle. It’ll allow easy access to the stunning south east corner of Northumberland including the town of Blyth, historic Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park.
Let Me Entertain You
Promising to be the North East’s biggest outdoor live music event ever, Come Together Festival will be hitting Newcastle’s Town Moor from 4th–8th June, with an incredible line up of artists already confirmed, including international pop star Robbie Williams, Kaiser Chiefs, Perrie Edwards and a whole host of local talent too. Tickets are on sale now.
See the Light
An immersive light and sound experience created by award winning Luxmuralis is bringing a stunning display to Beverley Minster in February, with projected artworks centred around the theme of time. In Durham, Lumiere makes a return and this hugely popular light festival transforms the city’s buildings, bridges and waterways with sparkling artworks by artists from across the world.
New Escapes
From rustic boltholes to grand city-centre hotels, the North East and Yorkshire have plenty of fabulous hotels to choose from and we’re so excited for a clutch of newcomers in 2025, including Hotel Indigo in Leeds, eco hotel Room2 in York, the luxury wellness retreat Saltmoore, Hotel Gotham in Newcastle and Bailiffgate Hotel in Alnwick.
Horsing Around
For all you equine enthusiasts, the dates have just been announced for Belsay International Horse Trials in May with a new Chatsworth replacement fixture, as well as its regular June event. At Newcastle Racecourse, Northumberland Plate Day will be held at the end of June, and the Gainford Group Ladies’ Day will return in late July. In Yorkshire Bramham International Horse Trials will return in June and the Allerton Park Horse Trials will also be returning in September.
A Taste of Something New
Trinity Kitchen in Leeds is set for an incredible expansion with a brand new rooftop terrace, and Jöro (Sheffield’s Michelin-recommended gem) is opening a fabulous new restaurant with rooms – reservations are open now. Italian brasserie Babucho will be expanding to a second location in the Old Church, Gosforth and authentic Indian street food restaurant Mowgli will also be coming to the city in spring. Hexham’s Cilantro will bring its unique Indo-Latin tapas to the Quayside too.
Time Travel
Kynren – An Epic Tale of England will return to its spectacular seven and a half-acre outdoor stage in Bishop Auckland this year, with an impressive cast of volunteers and animals, daring stunts and dazzling pyrotechnics to tell 2,000 years of history, myth and legend in just 90 minutes. The only show of its kind in the UK, it’s a must-see!
And the Award Goes to…
The iconic MOBO Awards are coming to Utilita Arena Newcastle for the very first time in February and tickets are on sale now. The awards honour the best in black music and culture from the UK and beyond and previous artists include Stormzy and Beyoncé.
Busy In Bradford
Bradford becomes the fourth UK City of Culture in January 2025 – and there’s so much to see and do. Highlights include REPLAY, a recycled playground built entirely from waste materials, a performance of The Railway Children by the train tracks where the film was shot (Keighley & Worth Valley Railway), and a huge drawing project inspired and supported by iconic Bradford-born artist David Hockney.
Wonderful Wakefield
Visit WX – Wakefield Exchange. The former Market Hall is now a dynamic new creative hub which offers a chance to meet, eat, and experience the best of culture and community in Wakefield. Throughout the year don’t miss Sentinel, a light installation inspired by West Yorkshire’s rich coal mining heritage, and In Season, a new artwork by neon artist April Key as part of Wakefield’s Rhubarb Festival.
Barrel of Laughs
Peter Kay will be at Utilita Arena Newcastle in late August and early September, and Rob Beckett will be at O2 City Hall in November. In Yorkshire you can also catch Josh Widdicombe in Hull, Doncaster and Halifax from October to November, and Rhod Gilbert will be making the rounds at Doncaster, Hull, Harrogate and Scarborough in 2025 too.
