From a food festival full of treats to an exhibition by one of the country’s most celebrated artists, here’s some dates for the diary.
9. Unrestricted crowds at Stadium of Light, August 7
Sunderland are playing Wigan at home on August 7 at the SOL, in their first home league game of the new season. On the back of the latest announcement, it should be to unrestricted crowds, who can soak up the atmosphere once more. In a statement, the Football League has welcomed the positive step in the right direction ahead of the new season. It reads: "Football has been planning for this outcome since the outset of the pandemic and having been forced to endure empty stadiums since March 2020, the message from EFL Clubs is that we are ready to re-open and welcome fans back in numbers." Photo: submitted
10. Seaham Food Festival, August 7 & 8
Taking place on Saturday, August 7 to Sunday, August 8, Seaham Food Festival will be offering tasty treats from around 100 traders and producers, family-friendly fun and demonstrations from a range of top chefs. The the free Durham County Council event is set to play a key role in supporting the economic recovery of the county and its local businesses from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The inaugural festival in 2019 proved hugely successful, but last year’s event couldn’t take place because of the pandemic. Photo: JPI Media
11. Let's Rock the North East, August 21
Having postponed their 2020 summer series due to the pandemic, the Let’s Rock series of festivals have confirmed the rescheduled dates for summer 2021. The festival was initially due to take place on June 12, 2021, at Herrington Country Park, but has moved to August 21, with the line-up including OMD, The Human League, ABC, Sister Sledge, Midge Ure’s Electronica and more. Tickets are free for children aged three to 12, or from £46.20 for adults from letsrock80s.com Photo: JPI Media
12. Live Forever indie night, The Point, September 10
Gig-goers can relive the glory days of indie with a touring tribute show. Taking place at the recently refurbished venue The Point, in Holmeside on Friday, September 10, the Live Forever tour is set to feature the world's number one Oasis tribute, Oasis UK, as well as The Kar-pets, an Inspiral Carpets tribute band actually fronted by the original band's most famous singer, Tom Hingley. Tickets priced £11 plus booking fee are available on Skiddle. It's part of a strong line up at the venue, check their website for more. Photo: submitted