Happy February! Looking for something to do over the first week of the month? I’ve got you covered. As part of my feature on BBC Tees and Newcastle, I select my top picks of things happening across the North East, and here’s what I’ve chosen for the start of February 2024.
Festival of Flame – Hexham Abbey – Fri 2nd and Sat 3rd Feb
We’re starting at Hexham Abbey with their Festival of Flame that marks their 1350th anniversary. This is going to be held over Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd, and whole event is inspired by the Abbey’s history, both ancient and modern, and 1350 candles will be lit inside every night. Alongside this, the cloister lawn will be lit up by a flock of illuminated sheep, designed by Queen’s Hall Arts and Deepa Mann-Kler, plus an installation of a thousand origami stars, live music and street food and drink. It sounds like it’s going to be a really lovely way to start the weekend and it’s free to attend, so definitely go take a look if you can.
MANIA: The ABBA Tribute – Stockton Globe – Fri 2nd Feb
I don’t think there’s a single person who doesn’t like even just a little bit of ABBA, but if you consider yourself a mega fan, you might want to check out MANIA at the Stockton Globe on Friday 2nd. This is considered as one of the world’s top touring ABBA tributes, forming in 1999, performing in over 30 countries, and even having a stint in the West End. They’ll be playing all of the hits, like Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia, so if you’re looking for an excuse to get your flares and platform boots on, and have a good old boogie, then this could be the answer. As this is on tomorrow, the tickets are running very low, so get in there while you can.
Howay The Lasses – Seventeen Nineteen, Sunderland – Fri 2nd Feb
Howay The Lasses is what you get when you cross talented musicians with a rich history of Northern women. They are a vibrant collective including vocalists, a guitarist and a cellist to highlight a few members, who are passionate about bringing the notable women of the North East to the forefront with original songs and arrangements. From writers, poets and painters, to engineers, champions of industry and social reformers, some of the women’s stories are well known, and some of them aren’t, but Howay The Lasses want to shed light on them all. You’ll be able to see them play at Seventeen Nineteen in Sunderland on Friday 2nd, and it sounds like it’ll be a really great start to the weekend.
The Northern Wedding Show – Newcastle Utilita Arena – Sat 3rd and Sun 4th Feb
If you’ve just got engaged or you’ve got the date booked but need to sort your suppliers, then this is for you. The Northern Wedding Show is coming to the Newcastle Utilita Arena this Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th, bringing a weekend-long wedfest to the toon. There’ll be more than 130 suppliers there, like luxury wedding venues, cake makers, stationery designers and so many more, plus all day entertainment. I’ve also heard that there’s going to be a competition to win your dream honeymoon, so you’ve got to be in it to win it. If you fancy it, you can get your tickets from the Utilita Arena website.
Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time – Tyne Theatre & Opera House and Darlington Hippodrome – Sat 3rd and Sun 4th Feb
We love a bit of comedy in the North East and I reckon that as a collective, we’ve got one of the best sense of humours in the UK, but sometimes we need to use that sense of humour to deal with the difficult things in life, and that’s what Ed Byrne is exploring in his new show Tragedy Plus Time. He’s on at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House on Saturday 3rd and Darlington Hippodrome on Sunday 4th with a set that’s open about grief, regret and holding your loved ones close, despite everything, while you still have the chance, all through the medium of comedy, of course. It had rave reviews after appearing at Edinburgh Fringe last year, so if you’re a fan of comedy, this one is definitely for you.
Teesside Comic Con – Teesside University, Middlesbrough – Sun 4th Feb
This is one for the gamers, film and TV buffs, and anime fans. The popular Teesside Comic Con is back at Teesside University this Sunday 4th and if you want to do some star spotting, I’ll give you a tip off that THE Colin Baker of Doctor Who will be there, so look out for him. As well as the star guests, there’ll be costume characters, a gaming are provided by Fire and Dice Games, a merchandise and collectables market and so much more. This is a pay on the door event, so you don’t have to worry about tickets selling out. Entry is fiver but please do remember to take this in cash.
Planetarium shows – Twice Brewed Inn, Hexham – Sun 4th Feb
Even though the nights are getting lighter, stargazing is still a pretty big thing and one spot that offers stargazing evenings is Twice Brewed Inn near Hexham, but they’re also about to kickstart their planetarium shows for February this Sunday 4th. They’ll be hosting four different shows for different age ranges in their purpose-built 360 degree immersive planetarium dome, including From Earth To The Universe, which explores the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope and the giant telescopes that are used today. I think it sounds like a really cool thing to take your kids along to, so if you want to grab some tickets for any of the four shows, take a look at the Twice Brewed Inn website.
Shrek The Musical – Sunderland Empire – Tues 6th to Sat 10th Feb
We all know and love Shrek the film, but what about the musical? It’s a Broadway and West End smash hit, and is supposed to be absolutely brilliant, so it’s really exciting that it’s coming to the Sunderland Empire from Tuesday 6th to Saturday 10th. Shrek the Musical follows the same story as the film, with the ogre and his sidekick, Donkey, heading off on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon-guarded tower, except with more ridiculously catchy songs. The tickets are starting to run super low for this, so if you’re in the mood for a trip to the theatre, then get your skates on to book this.
Make sure you check back next week for more amazing events!
