Tynemouth Food Festival: A Visitor's Guide

Each year, the grounds of Tynemouth Priory & Castle fill with the smell of street food, the sound of live music and the chatter of a good-natured crowd, as the Tynemouth Food Festival returns for a weekend. Set on the headland above the mouth of the Tyne, with the medieval priory ruins as a backdrop and the sea on three sides, it is one of the most atmospheric food events in the North East, and a firm fixture in the Tynemouth calendar.

What it is

The Tynemouth Food Festival is an annual celebration of the region's food and drink, staged in the open grounds of Tynemouth Priory & Castle. Expect a large gathering of street food traders and artisan market stalls, showcasing local and regional producers, alongside live music, activities for children and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. It is the kind of event where you graze your way around the stalls, find a spot on the grass and settle in for a few hours.

It is a third-party event organised by the Tynemouth Food Festival team, held on an English Heritage site rather than run by English Heritage itself.

When it takes place

The festival is held annually, usually over a weekend in early September. In 2026 it runs on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, from 10am to 5pm each day. Dates shift slightly from year to year, so it is always worth checking ahead before planning a visit.

Best for: Early September, over a weekend. Check the current year's exact dates before you travel, as they move around a little.

What to expect

The heart of the festival is the food. Traders bring a wide spread of street food, from the North East's well-known vendors to smaller independents, so you can work your way from one cuisine to the next in a single afternoon. Alongside the hot food are artisan market stalls selling produce to take home: cheeses, bakes, preserves, drinks and more.

Beyond eating, there is usually live music, a bar, and activities to keep children entertained, all set against the ruins of the priory and the wide coastal views. It is as much a day out as a meal, and the setting is a large part of the appeal.

Tickets

Entry is ticketed, and admission is good value. In 2026, tickets were £5.50 for adults, with under-15s going free, and the ticket also includes access to the Priory & Castle grounds themselves, so you can explore the ruins while you are there. Tickets are sold through the venue's English Heritage event page. It can get busy at peak times over the weekend, so arriving earlier in the day is worth considering.

Getting there

Tynemouth Priory & Castle sits at the end of Pier Road, Tynemouth, NE30 4BZ, on the headland at the mouth of the Tyne. Tynemouth is well served by the Metro, with the station a short, pleasant walk from the priory through the village, which makes leaving the car at home the easiest option on a busy festival weekend. If you do drive, use the village and seafront car parks and allow extra time, as parking fills up quickly during events.

Making a weekend of it

The festival pairs naturally with a wider day in Tynemouth. The village has one of the best independent food and drink scenes on the coast, so it is easy to extend the visit beyond the priory grounds. Down on the seafront, Riley's Fish Shack and Longsands Fish Kitchen are local institutions, and the weekend Tynemouth Market in the old station is a treat in its own right, covered in our guide to Tynemouth Market.

For more ideas, see our roundups of the best restaurants in Tynemouth and things to do in Tynemouth. Between the food festival, the market, the beaches and the priory, an early-September weekend in Tynemouth is hard to beat.

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