From the Transitory opens at Redcar Palace on 18 September, bringing together new work and rarely seen photography from Saltburn-based artist Kev Howard as part of Turner on Tees.
Hopetown Darlington will bring thousands of community-made peg dolls together for Memory of a Journey: Final Station, a free exhibition running from 5 to 27 September.
Residents have until 5pm on Friday 11 September to nominate local volunteers, students, businesses, public-service workers and community champions for the 2026 Stronger Communities Awards.
The PFC Trust’s UChangeLives Charity Ice Bucket Challenge returns to Middlesbrough Velodrome on Sunday 6 September, combining fundraising with a family fun day.
Headland FolkFest’s Rising Stars competition returns on 12 September, with solo, duo and group categories and a main-stage festival slot for the winner.
Miss Toni’s Academy of Singing & Performing Arts will bring students of all ages to Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre on 18 and 19 September for its 2026 showcase, Let Us Entertain You.
Middlesbrough Town Hall’s community choir returns in September for adults of all ages, led by professional opera singers Emily Smith and David Pisaro.
Bandjam returns to Middlesbrough Town Hall this September, giving 8 to 17-year-olds weekly band tuition, live performance opportunities and free taster sessions for newcomers.
Stockton’s free fireworks display returns on Sunday 1 November, with the River Tees and new Waterfront park forming the backdrop.
Darlington Locomotive Works and the 1861 Shed will open free of charge on 5 and 6 September, with family activities on Saturday and a deeper engineering focus on Sunday.
Rock, blues, R&B, tribute acts and local performers will fill Darlington town centre on 12 and 13 September for the free Rhythm & Tunes Weekend.
Darlington’s multi-venue Last Train Home Festival returns on 5 September with six stages, more than 40 performers and a mix of independent music and comedy.
A commemorative gathering in Norton this October will mark 90 years since the Spanish Civil War and remember the North East volunteers who joined the International Brigades.
A long-term regeneration strategy for Middlesbrough includes more than 2,000 homes at Middlehaven, a proposed major theatre, new public spaces and plans to make the town centre more attractive to young people.
The British Carpenters, with Sally Creedon performing the role of Karen Carpenter, play Darlington Hippodrome on Thursday 3 September.
Under-18s can attend Redcar’s Wednesday 9 September meeting free with an adult, while advance adult tickets remain available until 6 September.
The South Shields singer heads to Hartlepool on Friday 25 September, with a 7.30pm show and optional meet-and-greet tickets.
Local filmmaker Sean Sadler’s Another World, written and filmed in Middlesbrough, is being brought to Teesside University as part of a celebration of local creativity, inclusion and LGBTQ+ storytelling.
Across Teesside, thousands of hours are given freely to community projects every year. Research suggests those acts of help may benefit the people giving them too, although the science is more nuanced than the slogans.
Wynyard Planetarium and the Jack Youdale Observatory are bringing back free Tuesday evening drop-ins for the 2026/27 stargazing season, with telescopes, friendly advice and no booking required.
