The WOW Foundation has announced the first ever WOW North East festival, taking place at Gala Durham from 17–18 October 2025, in partnership with S&DR200.
This landmark event marks WOW’s debut in the region and forms part of the Stockton and Darlington Railway’s 200th anniversary celebrations. The festival will feature world-class activists, thinkers, speakers and performers, celebrating women, girls and non-binary people.
On Friday 17 October, the programme includes a morning of networking and knowledge exchange, followed by a free WOW Schools Day welcoming 400 young people for talks, workshops and creative sessions. The day will also explore women in STEM, in collaboration with the Life Centre.
Saturday 18 October opens the festival to all ages with a free, all-day event. Festival pass holders can expect panels, performances, workshops and headline interviews covering politics, pop culture, activism, art and more.
Highlights include mindfulness painting, radical song-making, poetry pop-ups, and dance and theatre performances. The festival will also explore economic innovation and hardship, spotlighting women’s roles in the birth of the railway and the future of tech.
Special events include An Evening with Ashley James on Saturday night. The broadcaster, DJ and feminist will share her personal journey and discuss raising boys in an inequitable world.
Ashley James said:
“Unlearning the norms we’ve inherited is one of the most radical things we can do.”
On Friday evening, Live Theatre Newcastle will host the world premiere reading of Astell and Woolf, a new comedy by Shelagh Stephenson. The play imagines a meeting between pioneering feminist Mary Astell and Virginia Woolf in the afterlife.
Jude Kelly, Founder Director of The WOW Foundation, said:
“In WOW’s 15th anniversary year, I’m delighted WOW is finding a new home in the North East, in partnership with S&DR200. It’s a region close to my heart, full of creativity and innovation.”
Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 Festival Director, added:
“WOW North East is helping us reimagine the future while honouring the past. It’s a powerful reminder that the region’s legacy of transformation continues today—in our communities, our conversations, and our creativity.”
The festival also includes international collaboration with young people in Brazil, arts workshops in South Shields, and the WOWsers programme for youth engagement.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
Tickets for An Evening with Ashley James are available here
Tickets for Astell and Woolf at Live Theatre Newcastle are available here
