What’s on in the North East this February
From the latest gigs and theatre performances to stand up shows, art exhibitions and festivals, here are 24 events you’ll want to book tickets for stat.
MUSIC
Grey Tapes
Alphabetti Theatre, 11th February
Grey Tapes is a beat-maker and producer collective who endeavour to keep live electronic music truly live – avoiding clicks, sequencers or backing tracks in favour of real musical instruments and live samples. So, everything you hear is played manually by a finger, an arm or leg to create music which traces the lines between hip hop, trip hop, jazz, electronica and everything in between.
Tickets: PWYF
MORE INFO
Jodie Nicholson
The Cluny, 12th February
Inspired by her dad’s love of prog rock, songs that place you in the moment and artists who change sonically with each album, former HLN Meets the Musician Jodie Nicholson seeks to challenge her singer-songwriter core of delicate melodies and soft instrumentation in every live performance.
Tickets: £10.00
MORE INFO
ABBA Disco Wonderland
O2 Academy Newcastle, 19th February
With a magical mixture of non-stop back-to-back ABBA hits, you’ll be transported right back to the golden era with live DJ performances, theatrical actors and so much more. It’s the greatest ABBA disco on the planet!
Tickets: £10.25
MORE INFO
Self Esteem
Wylam Brewery, 27th February
The incredible Self Esteem brings her experimental pop brilliance to Wylam Brewery at the Palace of Arts for a show to remember.
Tickets: £18.50
MORE INFO
Dave
Utilita Arena, 27th February
Following the release of his critically acclaimed UK #1 sophomore album, We’re All Alone In This Together, Dave has announced a huge 2022 UK arena tour – and the Utilita Arena in Newcastle is on his list.
Tickets: £41.10
MORE INFO
Wolf Alice
O2 City Hall Newcastle, 28th February
Playing headline shows for the first time since 2018, Wolf Alice perform songs from their brilliant third album, Blue Weekend – the follow-up to 2018’s Mercury Prize winning album, Visions Of A Life.
Tickets: £37.50
MORE INFO
THEATRE
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Sunderland Empire, until Saturday 19th February
Spectacularly reimagined using the latest theatrical innovations, this beloved ‘tale as old as time’ will be brought to life on stage like never before…
Tickets: £20.00
MORE INFO
Blood Brothers
Darlington Hippodrome, 1st – 5th February
Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.
Tickets: £38.00
MORE INFO
The Monocle
Gosforth Civic Theatre, 5th February
The Monocle, by Rendez-Vous dance, is inspired by the secretly notorious 1930s Parisian lesbian club Le Monocle. In here, the air is thick, warm and wavy with secrets and sensuality…
Tickets: £14.00
MORE INFO
Woke
Northern Stage, 10th – 11th February
From the creator of the hit show Black Is The Color Of My Voice comes a new story about the 20th century African American experience. Against a powerful soundtrack of original music and traditional gospel and blues, two women – 42 years apart – become involved in the struggle for civil rights.
Tickets: £10.00
MORE INFO
Drag Me To Love
Live Theatre, 10th – 12th February
So, imagine this: You’re 14 years old and you’re a drag queen. It’s golden stilettos, ripped fishnets, shoulder pads and neon bobs. It’s expression. It’s glamour. It’s power. It’s Doncaster, 2009…
Tickets: £10.00
MORE INFO
Come What May: The Ultimate Tribute To Moulin Rouge
Playhouse Whitley Bay, 16th February
Featuring Strictly Come Dancing’s sensational Robin Windsor and a cast of top West End performers, Come What May will transport you back in time as the children of the revolution take you on a thrilling non-stop journey into the sexy, disreputable, and glamorous underworld of Paris.
Tickets: £28.20
MORE INFO
Animal Farm
Theatre Royal, 22nd – 26th February
George Orwell’s world-famous fable tells the story of a revolution and its aftermath. Re-imagined by an award-winning creative team, Animal Farm is a dynamic, daring and contemporary take on a timeless story.
Tickets: £10.00
MORE INFO
ART
Working Class: Revisited
Stockton ARC, until 19th February
Featuring the creative works of 15 North East based creatives, this mixed media exhibition considerers a wide range of ideas, including a celebration of working-class culture, a criticism of the discrimination faced and honest discussion about both the struggles and joys of a working-class background.
Tickets: Free
MORE INFO
Chemical City
MIMA, until 24th April
This large, thematic exhibition focuses on the legacies of chemicals production in the Tees Valley, with artists’ painting, sculpture and film tracing the impact of 20th century manufacturing on the people and places of the North East.
Tickets: Free
MORE INFO
Portrait of an Artist
Laing Art Gallery, until 26th February
Portrait of an Artist is a new exhibition from renowned art dealers, Liss Llewellyn. Comprising over 85 oil paintings, drawings and prints, the exhibition offers audiences an opportunity to step into the inner world of the artist, shedding light on their personal lives and creative processes.
Tickets: £7.00
MORE INFO
Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective
The Bowes Museum, until 26th February 2023
Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective is the first ever exhibition dedicated to the author-illustrator behind some of the most popular and influential children’s books and graphic novels ever published – including The Snowman (1980) and pioneering graphic novel, Ethel & Ernest (1998).
Tickets: Free
MORE INFO
COMEDY
Siobhan Phillips: Live and Unhinged
Middlesbrough Theatre, 4th February
Siobhan Phillips wowed audiences as the only female finalist in Britain’s Got Talent 2019. Described as “the love child of Peter Kay and Victoria Wood”, her hilarious self-penned songs really struck a chord with the nation, who could totally relate to a selection of her observational daft ditties.
Tickets: £16.00
MORE INFO
Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen
The Stand Newcastle, 22nd February
Following a sold out tour across Europe and Australia in 2019, and her most recent BBC stand up special Power & Chaos, Fern Brady brings her fifth solo show, Autistic Bikini Queen, to Newcastle.
Tickets: £14.00
MORE INFO
John Bishop
Utilita Arena, 24th February
Comedy superstar John Bishop is coming to Utilita Arena with his highly anticipated brand-new stand up show – Right Here, Right Now.
Tickets: £38.00
MORE INFO
EVENTS
Let’s Go Kilo
Boiler Shop, 30th January
Ok, so we know this isn’t a February event, but we really didn’t want you guys to miss out on this. At Let’s Go Kilo you can shop tonnes of sustainable, vintage, retro and branded fashion for just £20 per kilo – so bags at the ready!
Tickets: £2.00
MORE INFO
Anarchy Street Food Market
Anarchy Brew Co., 19th – 20th February
Back with popular demand, the Anarchy Brew Co Street Food Market returns this February with a handful of Newcastle’s best popup food stalls. All accompanied by 10 taps of our freshly brewed craft beer to wash it all down!
Tickets: Free
MORE INFO
Newcastle Whisky Festival 2022
Newcastle Civic Centre, 26th February
The Newcastle Whisky Festival attracts the finest distillers from as far afield as India, Japan, the USA, as well as right here at home. Simply ask for a dram and get ready to have your mind blown…
Tickets: £53.44
MORE INFO
Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival
Venues across the North, until 23rd December
To celebrate 1,900 years since the building of Hadrian’s Wall, venues all across the North along the whole length of the wall will be hosting a variety of events and activities during this year-long festival.
Tickets: Vary
MORE INFO
For more listings of events, performances, activities and exhibitions across the North East, visit High Life North’s What’s On calendar.
Keep Updated
Sign up to receive our free newsletter straight to your inbox