BBC Proms in the North East celebrates successful expansion across Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough
More than 4,500 people attended BBC Proms in the North East as the festival returned with concerts across Gateshead, Sunderland and, for the first time, Middlesbrough. Three performances sold out,...
More than 4,500 people attended BBC Proms in the North East as the festival returned with concerts across Gateshead, Sunderland and, for the first time, Middlesbrough. Three performances sold out, including the opening night with The Unthanks and Royal Northern Sinfonia at Middlesbrough Town Hall, Nadine Shah with Royal Northern Sinfonia, and Choirs on the Concourse at The Glasshouse. Audiences travelled from across the UK, with many people experiencing the Proms for the first time.
BBC Proms in the North East has drawn to a close after three days of music across Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, marking the festival’s biggest regional programme to date. The 2026 edition saw the BBC Proms expand into a third city for the first time, building on five years of partnership between The Glasshouse and the BBC and reflecting a growing ambition, which showcases the North East as one of the UK’s leading music regions. BBC Proms in the North East was delivered in partnership with the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority, whose support has helped make this year the largest regional programme yet.
More than 4,500 people attended concerts and events across the weekend, with audiences gathering for classical, choral, folk, jazz and indie music alongside bold genre-crossing collaborations. The programme brought together internationally recognised artists, emerging artists and local communities, with performances broadcast nationally on BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music and BBC Sounds.
The festival opened with a sold-out performance at Middlesbrough Town Hall, where Royal Northern Sinfonia joined The Glasshouse’s Artistic Partners, The Unthanks and special guests BBC Introducing artist Jodie Nicholson, and Mercury Prize nominated English Teacher in the first BBC Proms event to take place in Middlesbrough.
In Gateshead, Royal Northern Sinfonia’s Music Director Dinis Sousa led a rare performance of Morton Feldman’s Crippled Symmetry, marking Feldman’s centenary year. The festival also saw Nadine Shah make her BBC Proms debut alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia in a landmark homecoming performance. Choirs on the Concourse filled The Glasshouse with voices from across the North East in a large-scale choral celebration featuring BBC Singers, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and Voices of the River’s Edge. The weekend concluded in Sunderland with Royal Northern Sinfonia’s performance of Mozart and Mendelssohn at The Fire Station, directed by The Glasshouse’s Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska, including the first ever performance at the BBC Proms of Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings.
Alongside the headline concerts, the weekend featured BBC Introducing Live at the Proms, showcasing emerging artists from across the UK, and a BBC Young Composer workshop in Middlesbrough. Together, the programme reflected the BBC Proms’ founding ambition to make world-class music accessible to the widest possible audience while highlighting the creativity and musical talent of the North East.
Wendy Smith, Creative Director, The Glasshouse said: “It’s been another fantastic BBC Proms in the North East. Seeing the festival open in Middlesbrough for the first time alongside concerts in Gateshead and Sunderland really showed how much it has grown over the last five years. None of this happens without partnership. We’re proud to work with the BBC, North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority, alongside artists and venues across the region, to bring brilliant music to more people. Seeing audiences embrace the festival again shows just how much people love live music and collaboration on this scale confirms the North East as one of the UK’s great music regions.”
Sam Jackson, Controller, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, said: “Our fifth year of presenting BBC Proms in the North East of England was bigger than ever, with three days of world-class music-making across the region. We were delighted to partner once more with the teams at The Glasshouse in Gateshead and The Fire Station in Sunderland, and it was also very special for us to showcase the first ever BBC Prom in Middlesborough. This festival was founded on the belief that the greatest music should be brought to the widest possible audience, and I’m thrilled that thousands of people experienced the BBC Proms across the North-East this year.”
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor said: “The BBC Proms in the North East has become a much-loved summer highlight, which I have been thrilled to see spread from its original home at The Glasshouse in Gateshead to take in Sunderland and even Middlesbrough, bringing more and more people closer to great music from homegrown stars like Nadine Shah. We’re building a strong partnership with the BBC in music, in television and in programmes to develop creative talent which is moving the North East to the heart of the country’s cultural life and giving new opportunities to local people.”
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor said: “We are committed to bringing world-class events to our region, and hosting the BBC Proms in Middlesbrough is a powerful example of what can be achieved through strong partnerships with organisations like the BBC. This event ensures that people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool can experience the Proms on their own doorstep, while also championing one of our outstanding local venues and delivering an important boost to our local economy.”
Nadine Shah said: “I won’t be forgetting that show anytime soon. I felt a lot of validation stood there looking out onto the crowd with my city in all its glory lit up behind them. I’m left feeling full of pride and admiration for the region.”
Becky Unthank said: “Standing on stage at Middlesbrough Town Hall surrounded by such a variety of creative northern talent was an amazing feeling.
Such a high to be performing with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, English Teacher and Jodie Nicholson. Hurray for The BBC Proms in the North East!”
Adrian McNally, composer, Musical Director and pianist for The Unthanks said: “I think English Teacher are the best band to emerge from Britain since Radiohead, so it was a thrill to have them and Philip Selway share a stage with us for such a memorable night. Creating sold-out, electric atmospheres with standing audiences in northern towns for orchestral music is exactly the sort of access to culture that the arts, The Glasshouse ICM and the BBC should be creating, so congratulations and gratitude to all involved. Especially, to the Middlesbrough people!”
Tamsin Austin, Venue Director, The Fire Station said: “The range and quality of performances at this year’s BBC Proms across the North East has been exceptional. It has been a joy to see contemporary voices from our region, including The Unthanks and Nadine Shah, collaborating so seamlessly with Royal Northern Sinfonia. It was a privilege to host the region’s main classical Prom at The Fire Station, with exquisite performances from Maria Włoszczowska and Christian Ihle Hadland in Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings, followed by a magnificent performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 39. It has been an extraordinary weekend of music, and we are incredibly proud that Sunderland and The Fire Station have featured so highly in this year’s Proms.”
Now in its fifth year, BBC Proms in the North East has grown from a single event into a festival that spans the region, bringing together audiences, artists, venues and partners through a shared commitment to world-class live music. From Middlesbrough Town Hall to The Fire Station and The Glasshouse, this year’s programme demonstrated the strength of collaboration across the North East and the growing national profile of the region’s cultural sector.
