The Durham Miners Association presents a great line up of performances and activities on the Racecourse throughout Gala day. The 139th Durham Miners Gala takes place on Saturday 12 July. Read on for details about our 2025 performers and activities and our incomparable compere...
Alfie Joey – Compere
Alfie Joey will compere the main stage throughout the day. Alfie is a broadcaster, performer and writer, and a long-time supporter of the Durham Miners’ Gala. He will introduce each act and speaker, and help keep things running smoothly on stage.
Going Back Brockens - Narbi Price
Award-winning painter Narbi Price will discuss Going Back Brockens, a major new art exhibition showing at this year’s Durham Miners Gala. The exhibition explores the post-industrial landscapes of County Durham, 40 years after the Miners’ Strike.
Narbi will be joined by Jess Hunt, Programme Leader at commissioning organisation No More Nowt, to introduce the project which features 40 new paintings of former colliery sites as they are today. The powerful exhibition also includes rare sound recordings of voices from the Durham Coalfield, alongside six short films telling new and unique stories from people living in the county.
Together, Narbi and Jess will reflect on the scale and ambition of the project, its commitment to working with communities, and how they worked to embed the project in the villages across the county. The exhibitions will be on display at the Redhills Art tent and their inclusion in the Gala has been made possible with the support of the Durham Miners Gala and Redhills - Durham Miners Hall.
Find out more at No More Nowt
Emily Wiseman and Sacriston Youth Project
Led by writer and producer Emily Wiseman and working with filmmakers Andy Berriman and John Kirkbride, this project brought together young people from Sacriston Youth Project to create a political spoken word poem. Commissioned by Redhills, Durham Miners Hall, the project asked children to reflect on their mining heritage, their ancestry, and the challenges their community faces today, the group were invited to imagine what they would say if they had the chance to sit around a table at 10 Downing Street and speak directly to those in power.
Through creative workshops exploring identity, injustice, ambition, and hope, they crafted a defiant, proud message for their future. Their words are platformed in a short film, which will be shown on the main stage. Alfie Joey will introduce the film alongside Emily Wiseman, and the group will also perform at the Cathedral service starting at 3pm
Find out more about Emily here: https://writeupandrise.org/ and SYP: sacristonyouthproject.org.uk
Bill Elliott and Northern Roots
Northern Roots is a folk group made up of Bill Elliott (of the Elliott's of Birtley), Kevin Youldon and Katherine Raine. Bill and Kevin have performed together for over 30 years and are well known on the North East folk scene. They are joined by Katherine on fiddle. Their set includes traditional and contemporary folk songs from the UK, Ireland and the USA, with material that reflects the mining heritage of the region.
Graham Martin – William Martin and Marradharma
Graham Martin will speak about the life and work of his father, the poet William Martin - known as Bill. Graham will introduce Marradharma, a philosophy developed by Bill following service with the RAF in India. There, he he encountered Eastern spiritual teachings, which he melded with his Methodist-inspired socialist upbringing in the Durham Coalfield to coin the term ‘Marradharma’, the philosophy of comradeship which underscored his poetry.
As part of this segment, we will see a short film of Bill's poem Durham Beatitude, which mourns the 83 lives lost in the Easington Colliery Disaster of 1951. A new collection of selected poems - Marratide - has been published in 2025 to mark Bill's centenary.
Read more about William Martin here: www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/category/william-martin
Ensemble 84
Mark, a member of Ensemble 84, will speak about the group’s recent move to Horden and their ongoing work in the area. Ensemble 84 is a community-focused organisation that uses music and creative collaboration to explore themes of social change, identity and solidarity. A short promotional film about their work will be shown as part of the presentation, including examples of their recent productions connected to mining heritage. These include their debut production, Mother Courage and Her Children, premiered at Horden Methodist Church in May, and their upcoming ‘Pits, People and Players’ show in August, created in celebration of Horden’s heritage.
Find out more: ensemble84.com
Joe Solo
Joe Solo is a musician, writer and activist. His work focuses on the experiences of working-class communities and grassroots movements. He will perform a set of songs that reflect themes of protest, resilience and collective action.
Joe is a founder of founder of the We Shall Overcome campaign – a response from the music community to the government’s austerity programme. Since 2015, more than 1,100 WSO gigs have raised more than £750,000 in cash, food, clothing and bedding for those hardest hit. Joe will take to the stage at 12 noon and lead ahead of the speeches...
Find out more about Joe: Joe Solo – Solo Central- news, gigs, music and more.
Çar Newa
The trailblazing musicians of Çar Newa — Serhat Karakas, Memo Gul, Fikri Kurlay, Ahmet Kaya, and Süleyman Gültekin — first played together for years in the legendary group Koma Amed. In 2000, they founded Çar Newa in Düsseldorf, creating a powerful new sound that blends the rich melodies of traditional Kurdish folk with the energy and style of Western music.
Their debut album Sî (2000) — mostly self-composed — was instantly embraced by Kurdish music lovers. They followed it up with Mak (2003), celebrating timeless folk tunes, and Ziz (2007), cementing their place as modern innovators of Kurdish music.
Çar Newa’s unique fusion has captivated audiences across Europe, Canada, Australia, Turkey, and Kurdistan at hundreds of international festivals. Their music has been covered and celebrated by countless Turkish and Kurdish singers and bands — and their trailblazing sound continues to inspire new generations.
And now, they’re bringing this unforgettable spirit to the Durham Miners’ Gala! Don’t miss your chance to witness the band that redefined Kurdish music live — a passionate, powerful performance celebrating solidarity, tradition, and cultural exchange. Be there and experience the magic of Çar Newa!
Back Chat Brass
1 band. 8 instruments. 100s of venues. 1000s of gigs. Infinite fun.
Rooted in pop, funk and hip hop, BCB’s brassy beats give soul to any party and lift the roof at any gig. Since 2016, Back Chat Brass have been wreaking havoc in venues around the world, coaxing even the stubbornest of dance-phobics from their seats out their signature take on your go-to hits. The only thing that keeps you guessing will be what banger is coming up next. Thanks to Durham Brass Festival and Redhills - Durham Miners Hall, Back Chat Brass will perform sets in the DMA tea tent and on the Redhills stage down near the marquees.
West Rainton Steel Band
In 2023, West Rainton Steel Band was started out of West Rainton Primary School. The band is made up of 90% junior players aged between 7-12.
Guided by Holly Fagin from Durham Music Service, the band has steadily grown in popularity since their debut. They have since performed in public numerous times, including Darlington Community Festival and Durham Miners’ Gala 2024.
The band relies entirely on fundraising and grants to continue its incredible journey. Every penny raised goes towards the band’s rehearsal space and performances. West Rainton Steel Bandwill perform on the Redhills stage down near the marquees.
2025 limited edition art print for the 139th Durham Miners Gala.
WE ARE STILL HERE!
For this year’s Gala, he has created a bold, text-based work titled We Are Still Here! The artwork celebrates the resilience and solidarity of our Durham Coalfield communities keeping our traditions alive more than a generation on from the Miners Strike and colliery closures. The print features the names of the 77 communities of the Durham Coalfield that in 2025 have active banner groups keeping the flame alive. Each year, more than 60 of these communities parade their banners in Durham on Gala day.
Find out more and order your copy here.
SUPPORT THE DURHAM MINERS GALA...
For more than a century, the Gala was funded by the working miners of the Durham coalfield. Following the closure of our collieries is is funded by donation and subscription from ordinary people who believe in the Gala and are determined to keep it going. Those who support the Gala are known as Marras - a Durham Miners' term for a trusted friend or comrade.
The costs of hosting the Gala are rising sharply and more support is needed. Your Gala needs you!
If you are able to chip in, please join our band of ‘Marras’ today here.