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Come and Play: #NOVUM26 Reveals the Full Festival Programme ahead of weekend

• #NOVUM26 set to take over Newcastle city centre from 7–9 August, with music, performance, play, fun and creativity.
• Most events are FREE. With the full programme now live, it's time to plan your perfect festival weekend.
• Visitors are invited to explore a city alive with creativity from headline spectacles and hidden gems to hands-on family creative adventures and world-class artists.

The city is our playground

For three days, 7–9 August, Newcastle city centre won't just host a festival; it becomes the festival for #NOVUM26

Expect spectacular outdoor performances, live music, creative experiences, colourful takeovers, silent discos, surprises and unforgettable (and very Instagrammable) moments around every corner as the city centre becomes a giant playground of creativity.

With the full programme now revealed, it's time to plan your festival weekend!  From Newcastle Civic Centre to Northern Stage, Great North Museum: Hancock, Northumberland Street, Grey Street, High Bridge Works and Newcastle City Library, every location has something waiting to surprise you.

Councillor Colin Ferguson, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “NOVUM Summer Festival is about bringing high-quality, ambitious and accessible cultural experiences right into the heart of our city, giving people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to experience something new and enjoy the very best in performance, creativity and culture.

“It is a key part of our ambitious ten-year cultural programme, helping us to animate our city centre, support our cultural sector and strengthen Newcastle’s reputation as a leading cultural destination. With most events completely free, NOVUM gives residents and visitors alike the chance to explore our city in a whole new way and discover something unexpected around every corner.

“We’re proud to be bringing this ambitious festival to Newcastle and look forward to welcoming thousands of people to come together, get involved and enjoy what promises to be a truly unforgettable weekend.”

NOVUM Summer Festival is delivered and funded by Newcastle City Council and supported using public funding by Arts Council England through National Lottery Project Grants and by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, helping bring ambitious, high-quality cultural experiences to the North East.

The streets will come alive

NOVUM26 offers outdoor performance galore!

Watch Motionhouse defy gravity with BLOCK. Feel the pulse of Possê. Play within a giant white parachute in The Fabric of Us. Join the wonderfully rebellious TRUTH!. Dance alongside Wheelie Proud's disco on wheels. Then embrace the glorious madness of Bird Rave, where birds, rave culture and 90s anthems become the perfect combination.

Ellen Dainty, Motionhouse marketing manager said: “BLOCK is a thrilling show that’s perfect for the whole family. Twenty oversized blocks, resembling giant Jenga pieces, form an ever-changing environment for the performers to play on, move with and explore. Audiences can expect split-second timing and daring feats. We really hope people in Newcastle are ready to be wowed over the weekend.”

And wherever you are, chances are the soundtrack will find you. Roaming through the city, Mr Wilson's Second Liners and Sticky Lips Brass Band will keep the streets bouncing with big brass and party energy.

Discover something unexpected

Some of the festival's best moments happen when you step inside.

Lose yourself in Squidsoup's mesmerising sea of light during one of #NOVUM26's hottest tickets. Three battling DJs. One spectacular dancefloor. Endless bangers. Dance beneath thousands of glowing lights at the Family Glow Silent Disco at 11am on Saturday and Sunday.

Or wander into A Room in Bloom at Newcastle Contemporary Art, where towering flowers, intricate paper blooms and an immersive floral landscape create the setting for a drop-in paper flower workshop with artist Yvette Ja by day, before becoming an iconic location for live performances from North East favourites Melanie Baker and Staithe.

Hannah Brady, Squidsoup Director said: “Bringing the internationally acclaimed artwork Submergence to NOVUM with a live VJ and a silent disco brings a new dimension to the work for Newcastle audiences; it becomes something a crowd makes together, changing with every set and every performance. We're looking forward to being part of such an incredible festival.”

Get creative

Pick up a pen and become part of Colour Outside the Lines, transforming giant outdoor blocks into a festival-sized masterpiece alongside North East artists Josie Brookes, Tom Madge and Studio Raskl.

Families will find adventure around every corner, from creative playground, den building and mud kitchens to giant bubbles and theatre, workshops and hands-on creativity. Teenagers can design their own vinyl artwork with Nrthrn Baby, learn fresh breakin' moves with Triple Threat, while explorers of every age can uncover hidden installations, playful art and immersive experiences scattered across the city.

Made by Newcastle

NOVUM26 belongs to Newcastle. Hundreds of local people have helped shape this year's festival, from co-creating performances and installations with alumni from our Creative Producer Training programme to working with local artists to design colourful flags, banners and artwork that will fill the city throughout the weekend.

It's a festival built with the city, for the city.

North East mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We fund events like NOVUM Summer Festival because they create chances for local artists to grow, puts creativity in the spotlight, and are an inspiration to young aspiring creatives in the North East.

“They also give people the chance to take part and experience something new, and feel even more proud of this amazing region we live in. From big cultural moments to events in the heart of your community, we all want to see more of them, and our support is making that happen.”

Don't blink or you'll miss it

The headline finale moment arrives on Sunday 9 August.

Dominoes Newcastle by internationally acclaimed artists Station House Opera will send thousands of breeze blocks tumbling through 2.5km of Newcastle city centre in one breathtaking chain reaction.

Beginning near Newcastle City Library at 4.30pm, the route snakes through streets, buildings and public spaces before reaching an epic finale at Newcastle Helix. It's ambitious, and completely unrepeatable.

Get planning your #NOVUM26

With most events completely free, there's never been a better excuse to spend the weekend exploring Newcastle.

The full #NOVUM26 programme is available now, with maps, accessibility information and booking for ticketed events online.

For three days, the city is your playground. Come and play.

For full programme information visit www.novumnewcastle.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Bdaily Publishing .