The Durham Miners Association Brass Band will launch their new CD at a free concert celebrating the music of the Miners' Gala on Saturday 21 May. The project developed during lockdown. Ahead of the launch, flugelhorn player Philippa Smith shares the band's story...

Bringing a musical soundscape of Durham Miners' Gala to those near and far …

The initial concept of “The Big Meeting” CD came from the enjoyment and entertainment the Miners' Gala brings to the thousands who flock the streets of Durham City on the second Saturday in July. Therefore, our next band project became the planning, recording and production of a CD filled with Miners’ Gala classics, immersing those from far and wide to enjoy the sounds of the iconic, heritage filled day.

A free concert will mark the release of a new album celebrating the music of the Durham Miners Gala.

The Durham Miners Association Brass Band will launch their new CD at the event at Elvet Methodist Church, Durham city, on Saturday 21 May.

Visitors to this year’s Durham Miners’ Gala can now make the most of this year’s event with official camping in the city. 

Gala organisers are offering camping over two nights just a short walk from the festivities. Camping is on sale now here.

The Durham Miners Gala will return this year, organisers have confirmed.

Hosted by the Durham Miners Association (DMA) since 1871, the Gala was cancelled for the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The DMA has been working with the local authority, police and other partners to confirm arrangements for the safe return of the event, which is attended by more than 200,000 people from across the region and beyond. It now confirms that The Big Meeting, as it is popularly known, will return on Saturday 9 July 2022.

County Durham’s former mining communities joined together during 2021 to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the Gala.

A wonderful new banner for Murton has been unfurled - 30 years on from the closure of the colliery.

The people of Murton turned out in force despite the awful weather to see the unfurling of the banner at The Glebe Centre on Saturday night. 

A group of volunteers who banded together to promote their mining heritage are preparing to unfurl a new banner for Murton (excerpt previewed above).

Elliot Dixon, Chris Nutton, Michael Rawlinson and Laura Dixon formed a new banner group to preserve the values of their community for a new generation.

A special service at Durham Cathedral has celebrated the 150^th anniversary of the Durham Miners Gala.

The world’s greatest celebration of community, solidarity and working class life was first held in 1871.

The 150th anniversary of the Durham Miners' Gala will be celebrated at a special service at Durham Cathedral.

Known as The Big Meeting, the annual celebration of community, solidarity and the coal mining heritage of County Durham was first held in 1871. The Miners Festival Service at Durham Cathedral has been part of every Gala since 1897.

Banners, brass band music, and poetry marked the 150 years to the day since the first Durham Miners Gala.

The first Gala was held in the amphitheatre at Wharton Park on 12 August 1871. Today, the Durham Miners Association (DMA) returned to the site a century and half later to honour the anniversary.