This is what to expect from the annual Summer Parade Bents Park fun day

South Tyneside’s annual parade is set to return to South Shields on Saturday, July 5, as the This is South Tyneside Festival programme begins to heat up.

For 2025, there will be a change to the traditional route, which previously started at South Shields Town Hall before making its way to Bents Park.

The route change has been made to support continued bus access from Fowler Street into the South Shields Transport Interchange while work is underway on the new South Tyneside College development.

Instead, the Summer Parade, delivered by South Tyneside Council and The Cultural Spring, will start from the Old Town Hall, in South Shields’ Market Place - with entertainment starting from 12.15pm.

The parade, which is themed around environment and sustainability, will officially begin at 1pm as it heads off down King Street, Ocean Road and then onto Bents Park.

Once the procession arrives at Bents Park, visitors will be able to enjoy a host of free activities including performances, games, music, face painting, and more.

Organisers have also confirmed there will also be a craft fair, food village, fairground rides, and bars.

New for 2025 is the sustainability area, which is being hosted by the South Tyneside Open Collective for Good Food (STOC) and Hospitality & Hope.

The area will feature live cookery demonstrations, food tasting, and advice on how to live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

Street performers will be on hand in Bents Park for visitors to interact with, including The Seedkeepers, who are carnival figures inspired by South American traditional figures, Delilah the Elephant, Flying Dodos and more.

The Rock Showman will share stories of the planet in a unique way, while youngsters can get up close and personal with Theatre Illumiere Dinosaurs, which includes an encounter with the jaw of a 20 ft T-Rex and two hungry velociraptors.

Bents Park will also play host to The Whale: Plastic Ocean where visitors will be able to squeeze into the belly of an enormous inflatable sperm whale.

There they will encounter a diver teaching visitors about sea creatures and their fight to survive in an ocean full of rubbish, through puppetry, comedy and song.

The Bewonderment Machine is also making its way to South Shields - this artist-made carousel, which can take up to ten children aged between two and six-years-old, is powered by a bicycle attached to the side of the turntable.

Bicycle power is also being used to keep the music stage going where up to 20 adults and children become human batteries, providing pedal power for the sound system.

Visitors will also be able to take a trip into the woodland, with a a special trail and storytelling area. Hive Storytellers and a bee-keeper from Ivy’s Bees will be on site with an observation hive.

The Jimmy Handtrix puppet show and the Spark! Drummers, who will lead the parade, are also part of the Bents Park line-up.

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Cllr Judith Taylor, Lead Member for Culture, Leisure and the Visitor Economy at South Tyneside Council, has stated that the programme at Bents Park, which runs until 5pm, will have something for everyone.

She commented: “Our ‘This Is South Tyneside’ Festival parade is one of the highlights of the summer and is a great showcase of the community spirit across the borough.

“This year’s themes of environment and sustainability are so important and have been carried into the entertainment at Bents Park, where everyone can enjoy some amazing performances but hopefully come away with something to think about at the same time.

“Given the new parade route for this year, we hope that Market Traders and King Street businesses will also get involved in the fun.”

The full programme of events for the This is South Tyneside Festival can be found at: https://www.southtynesidefestival.co.uk/.

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