Jarrow’s Rebel Town Festival to return for 2026 - this is everything we know so far
The annual Jarrow Rebel Town Festival is returning.
The yearly Jarrow Rebel Town Festival is set to be held in the borough later this month.
The popular event start by the Pedestrian Tunnel entrance, in Jarrow, at 11am on Saturday, June 20.
The festival commemorates the 1832 story of the ‘Seven Men of Jarrow’ who were deported to an Australian penal colony for a crime they almost certainly did not commit.
It also marks Jarrow’s role in the history of Britain’s industrial relations since the 1830s, with this year’s event set to commemorate the centenary of the General Strike, the Durham lock out and 90 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
Among the speakers at this year’s festival will be Steve Wright, the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), Kate Osborne, Member of Parliament for Jarrow and Gateshead East, and David Douglass, of the Follonsby Miner’s Lodge Association.
Dr Lewis Mates, Associate Professor in Political Theory at Durham University, and Alan Mardghum, of the Durham Miners’ Association, will also be addressing the audience at the festival.
Much like in previous years, Vin Wynne, of the National Education Union, will be on hand to compere during the 2026 festival.
The Felling Silver Band will lead the procession through the town and theFollonsby Wardley Miner’s Lodge banner will also be displayed throughout the day.
After the speeches have taken place, members of the public are invited to enjoy refreshments, music and stalls at the Crown and Anchor pub, on Chapel Road.
For full details on the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069808375202.