This Saturday, 11 July 2026, sees Durham come to a solidarity-driven standstill as the city hosts the Durham Miners’ Gala, widely recognised as the world’s greatest celebration of community, international solidarity and working-class life. It is a unique and inspiring spectacle that will see more than 200,000 people pack the streets of Durham to enjoy the sights and sounds of ‘The Big Meeting’.
People from across County Durham, the UK and even further afield, assemble in the city centre from early morning and a stand-out feature of the day is always the amazing and beautifully crafted banners celebrating the region’s working-class history that are carried through the medieval city to the sound of brass band music, creating a wonderful feel of street theatre and celebration.
Politics – firmly of the socialist variety – is imbued in the event. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are celebrated on many of the banners, most notably the famous Usworth Lodge banner and the Chopwell Lodge banner (known as “Little Moscow”). They feature the iconic rallying cry: “Workers of all lands unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains. You have a world to win.”
The speakers’ platform at the Durham Miners’ Gala has hosted some of the most significant figures in British political life since the event began in 1871. Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the NHS, addressed the crowd here. So did Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Benn.
It’s probably no surprise that successive Labour leaders for many years either didn’t show up to the gala or weren’t invited, as they were seen as too right wing by the event’s organisers. In 2012, Ed Miliband was the first Labour leader for 23 years to address the gala, praising the event as “a great north east tradition”. Jeremy Corbyn was a regular visitor and speaker at the event, as have been many other leading figures on the left.
This year’s event will see platform speakers including Unison general secretary Andrea Egan, Joanne Thomas, general secretary of Usdaw, Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East as well as Judith Kirton-Darling, general secretary of IndustriAll Europe union. In truth though, the real attraction of the day is the event itself which really has to be experienced in person to appreciate the sense of community and solidarity that shines through an event that this year promises to be one of the most significant editions of the Big Meeting in recent years, with the 140th gala falling a century on from the 1926 General Strike and miners’ lockout.
For those that have never been, the event is an inspiring sight. From the initial assembly points, groups proceed towards a focal point of the gala – the County Hotel at Old Elvet. Here, labour movement leaders, invited guests and local dignitaries greet the march from the hotel balcony and the miners and other trade union bands pause to play their ‘party piece’. Tears are often shed and this part of the procession can take a few hours to pass the County Hotel due to the massive numbers attending and the frequent pauses at the hotel.
From there, the procession continues to the Old Racecourse by the River Wear, where banners are strapped around the perimeter fencing creating a colourful tapestry of working-class history. At 1pm the chair of the Durham Miners’ Association Stephen Guy opens The Big Meeting and guest speakers address the crowd. If you’re going to the Gala then look out for The Left Lane and say hello, as we’ll be in Durham handing out promotional postcards to boost our subscriptions drive.
For more than a century, the gala was funded by the working miners of the Durham Coalfield. The fact that the Durham Miners’ Gala is still going strong many decades after the last Durham pit closed is a testament to people’s willingness to keep the flame of working-class solidarity alive. Today the gala is funded by the Marras – the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala, who make contributions throughout the year. With their help and in the sprit of socialist solidarity that has been a hallmark of the event since its inception, the gala is set to continue and flourish for another century and beyond.
Click here to sign up to the Marras and support the Durham Miners’ Gala.
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