This is South Tyneside Festival to Return this Summer

South Tyneside Council is excited to announce the return of the Borough's much-loved free festival of live music, entertainment and family friendly events this summer.

The This is South Tyneside Festival - one of the biggest and best free festivals in the country, will run from June to August.

One of the main highlights of the festival is the vibrant Summer Parade which will make a spectacular return on Saturday 6 July. Once again, the whole community will come together to line the streets of South Shields and take part in the colourful carnival as it makes its way from South Shields Town Hall along to Bents Park on the seafront.

The theme of this year's Summer Parade is 'Celebration' and will be delivered in partnership with The Cultural Spring and Out North East, a new inclusive LGBTQ+ events charity. There will be a strong focus on celebrating and promoting connectivity, inclusivity and diversity in all its forms.

The free entertainment will continue over the weekend, with performances along Sandhaven seafront and promenade thanks to support from Arts Council England. The popular Proms in the Park concert, featuring classical and contemporary music, will return to Bents Park on Sunday 7 July.

The Borough's legendary open-air Sunday Concerts attract crowds of up to 20,000 spectators in Bents Park and are set to return for four consecutive weeks on 14, 21, 28 July and on 4 August. The Sunday 28 July concert will run in conjunction with Out North East to help showcase inclusivity and diversity across South Tyneside.

This follows on from last year's Sunday Concerts which featured artists including The Vamps, Boyzlife and Bjorn Again.

More information about the 2024 Sunday Concert line up will be announced in due course.

The open-air Amphitheatre on the seafront at Sandhaven will once again host live music showcasing North East talent on Thursday and Saturday evenings from 1 to 29 June (except 6 June). The Live Music season is partly delivered in partnership with North East-based support agency Generator, which works with musicians, artists and those working in the creative industries to reach their full potential.

This will be followed by brass bands performances on Sunday afternoons throughout June, July and August, and Kids Fun Fest will return featuring a whole host of children's entertainment on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoons from 6 to 22 August.

Organised by the Friends of North and South Marine Parks, there will also be live music in the South Marine Park bandstand on Saturday afternoons from July to September.

Councillor Audrey Huntley, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture, Leisure and the Visitor Economy, said: "We're so excited for this year's summer festival. It is a hugely popular event in the Borough's calendar and attracts thousands of visitors from across the region and beyond.

"It's fantastic to be working alongside The Cultural Spring once again on the Summer Parade, as well as Out North East to deliver some new experiences during this year's festival season.

"We are looking forward to people of all ages enjoying our free three-month programme of live music from well-known acts and local performers, children's entertainment, street performers and so much more.

"Some of our festival's key highlights include our popular Sunday Concerts, packed with chart-topping hits and cult classics, and the spectacular Summer Parade which is a wonderful feel-good community event. We will be announcing our Sunday Concert line up soon and I've no doubt there will be a huge response.

"We are encouraging people to save the dates in their diary now to ensure they don't miss out on the fabulous programme of events. It is set to be an amazing summer in South Tyneside."

Further details about This is South Tyneside Festival events, activities and entertainment will be announced in due course.

Residents and visitors are advised to keep checking the festival website at www.southtynesidefestival.co.uk or follow South Tyneside Events on social media: Facebook (South Tyneside Events) and on Twitter @STynesideEvents.