What’s on in Newcastle this summer? Food Battles, beach days and everything in between

Whether you’re staying in the city, working, or just not quite ready to go home yet, there’s a lot more going on than just sitting in Jesmond pretending to revise.

Newcastle in the summer is either the best city in the UK or a collective delusion caused by one day of sunshine. Either way, when it does hit 18 degrees, everyone suddenly remembers how to live.

Food events that are definitely worth leaving the house for

The biggest one to know about is Wylam’s 2026 Food Battles, a year-long series of themed food competitions taking place on Bank Holiday weekends from February to November at Wylam Brewery. Some of you may have already taken advantage of this local event with vendors battling for the top pizza spot recently at Slice Wars.

Each weekend has a different theme, from Battle of the Burger to Lord of the Wings. This weekend the Mexican Stand Off is set to take place, with plenty of tacos and margs available to indulge in.

It’s free entry, you just turn up, buy tokens, and eat your way around the best food vendors in the North East.

There’s live DJs and outdoor seating, it’s one of those events where you go just for bit and leave five hours later, slightly sunburnt but fully convinced it was worth it.

Music, gigs and events that make the city feel alive

The North East in the summer basically turns into a festival.

There’s BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland. This is the kind of event where even if you didn’t get tickets, you’ll hear about it constantly and feel like you were there anyway.

Wolf Alice is playing at Exhibition Park, which is guaranteed to be an atmosphere to remember.

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Throw in This Is Tomorrow Festival and smaller Ouseburn gigs, and suddenly there’s something on every week.

Comedy Gigs and Other Alternatives (the underrated option)

Wholesome days out for when you need to romanticise your life

Not every summer plan has to involve a hangover. A trip to Ouseburn Farm to see the lambs is weirdly therapeutic, and you’ll forget about your deadlines for at least an hour. If you’re willing to travel a bit further, The Alnwick Garden during cherry blossom season genuinely feels like you’ve left the UK. And then there’s Beamish Museum which sounds niche until you go and end up loving it.

Slightly random but worth it

There’s also a whole category of activities you go to as a joke and then end up loving. Alpaca walks, goat feeding and random Northumberland day trips all fall into this category. Canny Crafty are also a local gem for a fun and creative pottery experience where you can paint away the hangover and take home your own memento to treasure.

Day drinking (of course)

It wouldn’t be a Newcastle summer without it. Ouseburn pub crawls, Quayside drinks, and just one pint turning into missing the last Metro are basically a rite of passage.