Traders are preparing to serve delicious food, celebrity chefs are sharpening their presentation skills and their knives, and Seaham is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors, with one of the region’s biggest seaside events just around the corner.
Seaham Food Festival is now less than a week away from its return on Saturday 1 August and Saturday 2 August, and final preparations are underway, led by organisers Durham County Council, to make sure it is another unforgettable year.
As always, there’s no better way to get festivalgoers’ tummies rumbling, than with the mouth-watering demonstrations by brilliant celebrity chefs.
Headlining the free event is popular TV chef Matt Tebbutt. Meanwhile, across the weekend, visitors can see formidable judge from Channel 4s Bake Off: The Professionals, Cherish Finden; BBC MasterChef winner, Shelina Permalloo; chef and author, Cyrus Todiwala; Italian influencer, Francesco Mattana; and chocolatier, Oliver Dunn, known as Oli The Choc. Finally, bringing the weekend together, will be popular presenter Chris Bavin.
After all that cooking, there will be ample options for audiences to satisfy their hunger, with something for everyone thanks to nearly 140 traders coming to the seaside town.
From locally brewed beverages to savoury street food from a range of cuisines, visitors can fill their appetite on the day, or, if their eyes are bigger than their bellies, take home a range of goodies to enjoy later.
If that’s still not enough, food-lovers can enjoy a host of live music, family-friendly theatre, interactive storytelling, hands-on workshops, and engaging outdoor performances. Create a sea creature with Willow Crafts; enjoy live performances from Ani Sandwith, Mcxxne, and The Lake Poets; or embark on a prehistoric adventure with Expedition Dinosaur.
Visitors can get to the festival easily through the park and ride buses that will operate between the festival site and Spectrum Business Park, along with a new pick-up location at Doxford International Business Park on Camberwell Way, Sunderland. Signs will be in place to direct visitors to the correct locations. Accessible spaces are available at Spectrum Business Park.
Buses will leave regularly from each site from 9.30am on Saturday and Sunday, and return buses will set off from the same location that visitors are dropped off. Spectrum Business Park buses will stop at the top of Harbour Road, while Doxford International Business Park buses will stop opposite the Masonic Temple in North Road. The last returning buses will depart at 5.30pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.
Return tickets cost £2.50 for adults, 50 pence for children aged five to 15 years old, and will be free for those under five. Passengers can pay by cash and card at both sites.
Town centre car parks will be open, but they are expected to be busy, so the council is advising visitors to use the park and ride service or public transport where possible. A road closure will be in place on North Terrace (B1287) from the Tempest Road junction to the Marquess Point junction on Saturday 1 August from 5am to 8pm and on Sunday 2 August from 5am to 11pm.
Terrace Green Car Park will also be closed from midnight on Thursday 30 July to Monday 3 August 2026. Diversions will be in place and will be signposted. Drivers can check the live road closure map at www.durham.gov.uk/roadworks.
Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “It’s not long now before Seaham Food Festival returns to the beautiful shores of County Durham. We’re currently underway with the final preparations following many months of hard work to ensure this year’s event is a fantastic, free day out for everyone. Don’t miss out on seeing the excellent Matt Tebbutt, or the other famous faces, putting their talents on display.
“Make sure to plan your travel arrangements ahead of time as we’re expecting it to be a busy event.”
