The North, Newcastle upon Tyne, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Durham, Sheffield and more, United Kingdom
2018 will shine a light on the North of England. Liverpool launches a cultural programme marking 10 years since the city was named European Capital of Culture. This is followed by the International Business Festival on 12–28 June. Shortly after, Newcastle-Gateshead hosts the three-month Great Exhibition of the North dedicated to telling the story of Northern England through its art and culture, design and innovation.
We will be supporting and providing opportunities around the cultural and business events throughout 2018.
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Here are some of the highlights of the North's cultural activity.
China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors visit a UK museum outside of London for the first time in over 30 years. This remarkable archaeological discovery will include a number of objects never before seen in a UK show.
Great Exhibition of the North sees Newcastle-Gateshead hosting this spectactular three-month celebration of the art and culture, design and innovation of the North of England. Read more about the opening celebration.
Stephenson's Rocket, the magnificent engineering feat from 1829 that was famed for being the fastest locomotive at the time, is returning to its birthplace in Newcastle from its current home at London's Science Museum.
Hull has a heap of cultural activity following its 2017 as UK City of Culture. From the daring satirical sideswipe at the running of the year-long festival penned by the writer of West End hits Ink and Labour of Love (The Culture – A Farce in Two Acts (link is external) at Hull Truck Theatre 26 January – 17 February) to the Hull Jazz Festival in July, the legacy of Hull's run as UK City of Culture continues well into 2018 and beyond.
Northern Ballet is Leeds' nationally-renowned professional touring ballet company and one of their big productions in 2018 is an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Premiered last May, this UK tour of the show begins at Leeds Grand Theatre (link is external) 7–14 March. The company will also continue performing The Little Mermaid (link is external) into May, revive The Three Musketeers (link is external) in autumn after 10 years, and finish 2018 with festive favourite The Nutcracker (link is external).
Tate Liverpool celebrates 30 years of existence in 2018 with two prominent exhibitions: Egon Schiele and Francesca Woodman (link is external) and an exhibition curated by the one constant throughout the gallery's 30 years – Art Handling Manager, Ken Simons. Exploring the Unseen (link is external) includes 30 works, most of which are Ken's personal favourites.
Finally, the Simplyhealth Great North Run is the world's biggest half-marathon with over 57,000 runners taking part on 9 September. Crossing the Tyne Bridge, through Gateshead and onto South Shields and the coast, this celebrated event is a fitting closer to the Great Exhibition of the North.
Let's take the opportunity to make an impact and celebrate our successes. Got plans you want to share or have an award win you're excited about or want to collaborate with your peers to make the most of all these cultural opportunities? Write a story on the Culture Diary so we can let everyone know. Add your events, of course. And get in touch with us (link sends e-mail)!

Taking place as part of this event:

Constellations: Highlights from the Nation’s Collection of Modern Art
Albert Dock, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Celebrating Sgt. Pepper: Live
Echo Arena Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors
World Museum Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full eventDragons of the Pool
Various locations, North West, United Kingdom Go to full eventCULTURAL DESTINATIONS WORKSHOP: BOOSTING BUSINESS & THE VISITOR ECONOMY THROUGH CULTURE
Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full eventAnnie Swynnerton: Painting Light and Hope
Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Tate Liverpool at 30: Ken’s Show: Exploring the Unseen
Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Tate Liverpool at 30: Egon Schiele and Francesca Woodman
Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta
Pier Head, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Bordeaux Wine Festival - Liverpool
Pier Head, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Thursday Lates: Isaac Julien Ten Thousand Waves
The Whitworth, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Positive Vibration - Festival of Reggae 2018
Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
International Business Festival 2018
Exhibition Centre Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Africa Oyé
Sefton Park, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full eventGreat Yorkshire Art
Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full eventKynren
Flatts Farm, Toronto, North East, United Kingdom Go to full event
Katerina Eleftheriadou | Riikka Enne | Maite Pinto
Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Liverpool Biennial 2018 Beautiful world, where are you?
Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Independents Biennial 2018
Liverpool, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
This is Shanghai - An Exhibition of Urban Parallels
Cunard Building, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Liverpool Biennial 2018: Beautiful world, where are you? - Bluecoat Artists
Bluecoat, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Liverpool International Music Festival 2018
Sefton Park, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Liverpool Pride 2018
St George's Place, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Clipper Race Finish
Albert Dock, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Action-Packed Armouries
Royal Armouries, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Rewire
FACT, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Leeds LGBT+ Pride Parade Day
Millennium Square Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event#echochamber - a Twitter opera (UK Premiere)
Middleton Hall, Cottingham Road, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Just So Festival
Cricket Ground Entrance, Scholar Green, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Leeds Festival
Bramham Park, Wetherby, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Legends: Buffalo Bill
Royal Armouries, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Wild West Horse Show
Various locations, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Blackpool Illuminations & LightPool 2018
Blackpool Promenade, Blackpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Leeds International Piano Competition
Various locations, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Legends: Arjuna
Royal Armouries, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Thought Bubble Festival
Various, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Boy Blue presents Blak Whyte Gray
Blackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
RIBAJ Eye Line Winners’ Exhibition
RIBA North, 21 Mann Island, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Britain and the Thirty Years War
Royal Armouries, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Respighi/Walton/Sibelius
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Liverpool's Dream - Giant Spectacular
City Centre, Liverpool & Wirral, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Mozart/Wagner
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
My Mother Said I Never Should
Blackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Everything that happened and would happen
Mayfield, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Stravinsky/Mendelssohn/Tchaikovsky
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
IMPACTS 18: A Global Conversation
Various locations, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
The Clothes Show
St George's Quarter, Liverpool, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Wings with live score
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full eventHow to Hide a Lion
The Lowry, Salford Quays, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Berlioz/Saariaho
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Leeds International Film Festival
Various locations, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Ravel/Elgar/Stravinsky
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full eventAesthetica Short Film Festival
Citywide, York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Stephan/Walton/Howells/Shostakovich
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
War Horse: The Story in Concert
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Rachmaninov/Holst
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Leeds Philharmonic Chorus | Messiah
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Inspiration Choir | Christmas Starts Here
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
The 2018 Lord Mayor's Carol Concerts
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
New Year Viennese Whirl
Leeds Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Go to full event
Mozart/Mark Simpson/Mahler
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, North West, United Kingdom Go to full event
Idea of North
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, North East, United Kingdom Go to full event
Which Way North
Great North Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, United Kingdom Go to full event