A free, family-friendly festival celebrating fire and creativity with fire shows, giant puppets, street food, and local music across Newcastle.
Winterheat Festival returns to Pacific Park on Saturday 1 August, bringing fire, music and street food back to Newcastle for the middle of winter. It's now in its 22nd year, though it only came back in 2024 after a hiatus, and it's grown into a bit of a local fixture — in recent years it's drawn up to 12,000 people. The whole thing is free, family-friendly, and built around fire, with 100% local music, food and art on the bill.
This year's programme leans into light, fire and renewal, and it lines up with a full moon and Imbolc, the ancient Gaelic fire festival. The fire stuff is everywhere: fire barrels, cannons and sculptures scattered around, and fire shows and performances throughout the day. There's a giant puppet parade too, and three separate performance areas to wander between. For music, there's a Silent Disco on the Hill and a 100-drum open workshop where you can get involved rather than just watch. If you're bringing kids, there's a dedicated kids zone that's also free.
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When you're not watching the fire or the puppets, you can hit H'Eat, the street food alley, for local eats, or try your hand at bicycle karaoke. The festival is held outdoors in the middle of winter, so it's a good idea to dress for the weather. It's free to enter, and the kids zone is free too. Winterheat Festival is at Pacific Park on Saturday 1 August.
