Durham County Council has opened the search for a creative partner to help shape and deliver a major new festival for County Durham in 2027.
The opportunity is aimed at experienced cultural organisations, festival producers, creative practitioners and consortium partnerships. The successful partner will be expected to develop a large-scale flagship event capable of becoming a new centrepiece in the county’s culture and events calendar.
The council says the festival should generate lasting cultural, social and economic value for residents, businesses and visitors. It is seeking a partner able to combine artistic excellence, innovation, community engagement and destination impact.
Building on Durham’s festival record
The proposed event will build on the success of established County Durham events including Lumiere, Durham Brass Festival, Durham Book Festival, Durham City Run, Bishop Auckland Food Festival and Seaham Food Festival.
Durham County Council is looking for a festival that could become a defining cultural moment for the county, with a bold concept, ambitious scale, participatory approach and national recognition for its originality.
Cllr Karen Allison, the council’s cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We have a significant opportunity to create an ambitious, nationally significant cultural event that will shape perceptions of County Durham for years to come. And we’re looking for the right partner to help us deliver this.”
She added: “The commissioned event should be capable of becoming a defining cultural moment for County Durham: bold in concept, ambitious in scale, participatory in nature and recognised nationally for its originality.”
The council is particularly interested in ideas that bring together culture, creativity, technology, innovation and community participation in ways that are distinctive to County Durham and cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Possible themes and opportunities for residents
The festival could explore themes including innovation, invention and engineering; health and wellbeing; digital futures; space and exploration; data and artificial intelligence; and County Durham’s industrial, scientific and cultural heritage.
Proposals are expected to create meaningful opportunities for participation and creative learning, especially for children and young people. The council says local people should not only attend as audiences, but should be active participants in shaping, making and delivering the event.
Cllr Allison said: “We are particularly interested in ideas that bring together culture, creativity, technology, innovation, and community participation in ways that are distinctive to County Durham and cannot be replicated elsewhere.”
How potential partners can apply
More information about the proposals is available through Open UK. Organisations wishing to bid must first sign up on Open and can register their interest using reference OPEN20261993 for 003550 – Flagship Festival 2027.
The search is the next step in the council’s plan to create a new flagship cultural event for the county, alongside its established programme of festivals and major public events.