11apr9:00 AM11:00 PMFeaturedSaturday of 58th Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering
Event Details
Annual festival of Northumberland's traditional music, dance, dialect, crafts, stories, heritage, family events - + special themed Vanbrugh Revisited events for 300th anniversary of Town Hall architect Sir
Event Details
Annual festival of Northumberland’s traditional music, dance, dialect, crafts, stories, heritage, family events – + special themed Vanbrugh Revisited events for 300th anniversary of Town Hall architect Sir John Vanbrugh.
Many free events. Prices: adult /school age. Under 5s free. Sorry no card/phone payments – please bring cash/ cheque.
Latest update 24 February 2026
Festival Office: – Town Hall
09:00-16:00 FREE Park & Ride operating from County Hall to Bus Station
09.30 – 16.30 CRAFTS EXHIBITION + refreshments; craft competition entries, craft displays, stalls, CDs, books, posters, archive photos
10.00– 16.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS Punch & Judy, music, Ellington Colliery Band, local Morris, clog and rapper teams Market Place, Park, Bakehouse Millennium Green
10.00 – 16.00 MORPETH CASTLE OPEN DAY history, stories & music. Arranged with Landmark Trust free
10.00 – 10.45 MEET THE NORTHUMBRIAN PIPERS Drop-in to hear the small pipes Bagpipe Museum free
10.00 – 10.50 POP-UP FOLK ENSEMBLE Prepare for tonight’s concert (tunes: http://phoenixfolk.co.uk/morpeth to download or just turn up) St Robert’s Church Hall, Oldgate (donations)
10.15 RING O’ BELLS; followed by Clock Tower tours from 12 approx
11.00 PROCESSION Gadgy’s Welcome at Market Place
(road closed 10.30-11.45am from Chantry to Manchester St, traffic diverted Dark Lane/Stanley Terrace/Wellway).
12.00– 16.00 STORYTELLER’S GARDEN Taffy Thomas’s stories, dancers, music Old Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green
12.00–1.15 CATERWAULING SCRAPES OF THRASHING FIDDLERS Vic Gammon St Robert’s Church Hall. Oldgate £4/£1 door
12.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile (donations)
12.00 – 3.00 SINGAROUND Venue tbc (donations)
Competitions:
All-venue passport ticket for Saturday competition entrants and audience including craft exhibition £3.00/£1.00. Doors open 30 mins before times below to allow entrants to register.
12.00 CLOG DANCE solos & groups competitions relaunch with demo by Two Step Town Hall Ballroom
13.45 SPEAKING & WRITING: dialect, stories, results of pre-judged written items (deadline 7 Mar). featuring launch of Alex Swailes Memorial young performer award St Robert’s Church.Hall, Oldgate
13.45 NORTHUMBRIAN PIPES & LOWLAND/ BORDER /HALF-LONG PIPES Chantry Bagpipe Museum
14.00 BANDS, ACCORDIONS, FIDDLES, OTHER INSTRUMENTS, DUETS St. George’s UR Church
15.30 SINGING: solos and groups Town Hall Ballroom
13.30 – 14.30 FAMILY SHOW Storytellers’ Street Band and Silly Song spots St James Centre £3/£1 requested at door
16.00 – 17.00 WOR HOOSE Heather Laurence introduces her dialect play on NE life St Robert’s Church Hall £3/£1 at door
16.00 – 18.00 SLOW & STEADY session led by BITS NE for beginners+intermediates The Wansbeck, Kirkhill (donations)
16.00 – 17.15 MORPETH’S MERRIE MUSICKES Early 18th century music from countryside and theatre (Vanbrugh’s vintage) with Bennett Hogg, Matt Seattle and friends on strings and Border pipes Chantry Bagpipe Museum £6/£2 ticket
16.30– 20.30 WINNERS’ CONCERT 2025 winners, Pop-up Band, guests Ape House Town Hall £9/£5 ticket (time to be confirmed)
20.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile (donations)
20.00 NORTHUMBRIAN & BORDER PIPING SESSION Venue to be confirmed Free (donations welcome)
20.30 – 23.00 BARN DANCE Blue Hat Ceilidh Band, guest spots. Bring own drinks Town Hall Corn Exchange £9/£5 ticket
M.N.G.Committee, part of Morpeth Antiquarian Society, Reg. Charity no. 507640, reserves the right to alter event details.
DETAILS/UPDATES: www.northumbriana.org.uk QUERIES: 01670 513308 TICKETS: Morpeth TIC 01670 623455
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Organizer
Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Committee
committee of Morpeth Antiquarian Society
kim@northumbriana.org.uk01670 513308