S&DR200 Festival Celebrates with Large Scale Outdoor Events

Stockton and Darlington celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of the modern railway at S&DR200 Festival with a series of free large-scale outdoor spectacles, events, exhibitions and new art commissions in the public spaces, libraries and world-class museums of County Durham and Tees Valley from March to November 2025.

S&DR200 commissioned creative-lead Avanti Display, with Walk The Plank as co-producers , to present two celebratory events to commemorate this remarkable feat of innovation and engineering. Ghost Train is a two-part outdoor performance which took place in Darlington on Saturday 20 September and Stockton on Sunday 28 September.

Ghost Train in Darlington

On Saturday 20th September, the first performance took place in Darlington, where the town centre became a stage of live music, large-scale artworks, comic performances on travelling carriages and a giant sculpture being animated. Despite the rain, over 5,000 people experienced everything from fiery inventions to playful encounters across the streets. A replica of the first steam passenger locomotive Locomotion No. 1, installed on a large plinth in the town centre, was brought to life, its cogs and wheels moving as they did 200 years ago. At dusk, Loco No. 1 departed Market Square in a dramatic parade with 6 large-scale structures, 13 professional performers, 10 volunteer flag bearers, 50 local schoolchildren and a dedicated creative team. The parade ended at Hopetown, greeted by cheering crowds, residents waving from doorsteps and 400 people following on foot in a true celebration of heritage, community and creativity.

Ghost Train in Stockton

As the spectacular finale of the anniversary celebrations, Ghost Train: The Arrival was a magnificent outdoor show of epic scale and innovation which took place on Stockton Riverside. Featuring a reimagining of Locomotion No. 1 and six illuminated carriages, the after-dark show includes a specially composed musical score by Sarah Llewellyn, live music, projection, and a community cast of national and local performers, including performance students and local volunteers from across Darlington and Stockton. It tells the human story of this industrial revolution and explores the impact it had on the region. The performance will combine storytelling, music, and physical theatre with fire, and pyrotechnic effects.

Featuring a reimagining of Locomotion No. 1 and six illuminated carriages, the after-dark show includes a specially composed musical score by Sarah Llewellyn, live music, projection, and a community cast of national and local performers, including performance students and local volunteers from across Darlington and Stockton. It tells the human story of this industrial revolution and explores the impact it had on the region. The performance will combine storytelling, music, and physical theatre with fire, and pyrotechnic effects.

Festival Director Niccy Halifax said:

"What an amazing end to such a moving week of celebration, the crowds were fantastic and in awe of what was presented both in Darlington and Stockton. The storytelling about this little train that changed the world we live in was crafted so beautifully. There really was something for everyone to enjoy. It will be remembered fondly and proudly by all who came. Thank you to Avanti Display and Walk the Plank for working with us over the last 2 years to make this moment so special."

Steam by Southpaw Company

STEAM by Southpaw Company is a piece about the origin story of the world's first passenger railway and the extraordinary people who built it. Audiences in both Shildon and Stockton were transported through key moments of triumph and challenge, from the fervour of the railway's conception to the adversity faced during its construction. They experienced the exhilaration of the railway's inaugural journey, engineering marvels, and societal shifts it triggered, all brought to life through Southpaw's signature dynamic choreography and immersive storytelling. STEAM involved a 100-strong cast telling the story of the first passenger railway and the remarkable people involved in building it, in a large-scale outdoor dance theatre production.

They performed as part of the anniversary celebrations in Shildon on Saturday 27 September and on Stockton High Street on Sunday 28th September.