Newcastle Fringe Festival 2025: Bigger, Bolder, and Back in the Spotlight!

Get ready, Newcastle! The city's most vibrant summer celebration of performing arts and homegrown talent is back, and it's set to be a scorcher! The Newcastle Fringe Festival returns with a bang, bringing a sizzling showcase of top-notch theatre, music, comedy, cabaret, family shows, dance, and more to the city from Tuesday 22nd July to Saturday 2nd August 2025

The buzz is already building as the festival team unveils a programme packed with comedy,
music, theatre, poetry, dance, family entertainment, drag – and much, much more.
With over 110 performances scheduled, audiences will recognize big names and familiar faces,
including:

● Carol Ann Duffy – Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2019, renowned for collections like The
World's Wife and Rapture, and celebrated for her contributions to contemporary poetry.
Performing Earth Prayers with John Sampson at The Old Coal Yard on Thursday 31st
July at 19:00.

● Dane Baptiste – As seen on Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week, and
Comic Relief. Performing Don’t Do What Dane Does at Newgate Social on Tuesday
22nd & Wednesday 23rd July at 20:30.

● Inua Ellams – Internationally acclaimed artist and playwright (Barber Shop Chronicles,
The Half God of Rainfall, An Evening with an Immigrant). Performing Search Party at
The Old Coal Yard on Thursday 31st July at 21:00.

● Suzie McCabe – Award-winning Scottish comedian who has performed worldwide,
including Live at the Apollo. Performing Best Behaviour at The Cumberland Arms on
Wednesday 23rd July at 18:00.

● Amy Matthews – Critically acclaimed British stand-up comedian and writer, as seen on
Comedy Central and ITV. Performing Definitions of Toast at Alphabetti Theatre on
Thursday 31st July at 21:00.

● Ola Labib – The only Black, Muslim, female Sudanese comedian currently performing in
the UK, featured on Dave, Comedy Central, BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. Performing
Dispersible at Dance City on Friday 25th July at 19:00.

● Adam Flood – Stoke-on-Trent comedian named by The Times as one of 'the top three
rising stars of the fringe' in 2023. As seen on BBC and ITV. Performing A Day In The Life
of A Night at Artisan @ The Biscuit Factory on Wednesday 23rd July at 21:00, and also
performing Late Night Comedy Rave at The Old Coal Yard on Friday 25th July at
21:00.

● Liam Withnail – Scottish Comedy Award winner and resident MC at the Monkey Barrel.
Liam has over 10 million TikTok/Instagram views and hosts the popular podcast Enjoy an
Album, alongside Christopher Macarthur-Boyd (also performing at NFF25), which was

nominated for Best Podcast at the Chortle Awards 2024. Performing Big Strong Boy at
The Lubber Fiend on Tuesday 22nd July at 21:00.

● Katie Tranter – Award-winning theatre maker; she’s performed at the Royal Albert Hall,
been a creature performer on Doctor Who, and recently worked with Jim Carrey on
Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Performing her award-winning show The Great Divinator:
Touched By Spirits on Tuesday 29th July at Prohibition Cabaret Bar.

North East Homegrown Talent:
● Lauren Pattison – Award-winning comedian with TV credits across BBC, ITV, Comedy
Central, Dave, and Channel 4. Hosting Show, Slice & Spritz at Newgate Social on 22nd,
23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st July & 1st August at 19:00.

● Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock - Award winning writer, actor and theatre maker - who
has performed across the UK and has been an associate artist at all three producing
theatre’s in Newcastle: Live Theatre, Northern Stage and Alphabetti Theatre. Performing
Ben Dover: The Bard Of Beer at The Old Coal Yard on Friday 1st August at 19:00

● Katie Doherty & The Navigators – Award-winning singer-songwriter Katie Doherty,
whose music has featured on BBC Radio 2 and 3. Their latest album FLOW entered the
Official Folk Album Charts Top 30 in August 2022. Performing an NFF25 exclusive gig at
Alphabetti Theatre on Saturday 26th July at 20:00.

● Matt Reed – One of the UK's most sought-after compères and resident MC at 15
comedy clubs; he’s performed alongside Tim Minchin, Sean Lock, Frankie Boyle, and
Sarah Millican. Performing Jumble Tales at Newgate Social on Thursday 24th July at
20:30.

● Lorraine Smith – Internationally known contemporary performance artist and academic.
Performing You Can Take Me Home Toni at Dance City on Saturday 26th July at 20:30.

● WOLFRED – Newcastle-based indie alternative 5-piece band who have played across
Europe and China, as heard on BBC and Amazing Radio. Performing as part of The Old
Coal Yard Sessions at The Old Coal Yard on Saturday 2nd August from 13:30 until
21:00.

● Neela Moon Collective – Formerly Brown Girls Write, a celebrated South East Asian
poetry collective. Performing Routes to Roots on Friday 25th July at Dance City at
17:30.

As with all great festivals, NFF25 welcomes a host of emerging artists making their professional
debuts, many of whom trained at Northern School of Art, Theatre Royal Newcastle’s Project A,
and Northumbria University. One rising act tipped for big things is Arun Graves-Kochhar &
Isabelle Sander, whose performance Foot in the Door was selected as the Northern School of
Art Spotlight Choice.

Newcastle Fringe Festival 2025 brings together household names, brilliant small-scale touring
acts, and exceptional emerging talent as it continues its growth into one of the UK's top 100
performing arts festivals.

Remarkably, this is all achieved without a penny of support from Arts Council England or
Newcastle City Council – NFF25 is powered by community, collaboration, and creativity. In true
Geordie style, we're forging ahead – despite the gatekeepers in their towers!

Newcastle Fringe Festival believes great art and culture should be for everyone—not just
those who can afford it. Despite receiving no financial support, the festival has pledged that
10% of all tickets will be sold under a 'No Questions Asked' category. These tickets offer
two-thirds off the full price and are available to anyone who cannot afford to pay in full—no
forms, no proof, no questions asked.

We're calling on audiences to book tickets, spread the word, and become part of something
brilliant. This is your chance to be part of one of the UK's most dynamic, independent arts
festivals, with over 110 performances across 8 venues over 10 days!

Full line-up and ticket info:
https://www.newcastlefringe.co.uk/what-s-on