EUROPE’S biggest travelling fair has packed up and said goodbye to the North East – but not before revealing the dates of next year’s event.
The Hoppings has just completed its 10-day run at Newcastle Town Moor, bringing together hundreds of rides and attractions which brought thousands of people through the doors.
And now organisers have announced the return dates for 2026, with the fair running from 19 – 28 June.
This year saw a number of new elements including white knuckle ride, Drop Tower – which plummeted 80 ft – to the introduction of the Hoppings Village which featured Feast Street food outlets, the Live Lounge and the Kids’ Club.
The Village brought together local vendors and local performers and is earmarked to expand in 2026.
This year also saw the return of its successful charity morning ahead of the official opening, where more than 500 young people from a range of different organisations got free rides.
The Hoppings art competition – where youngsters were invited to create a picture of their experience at the fair – drew record numbers of entries and will be repeated next year.
Organiser Ryan Crow, of Crow Events, said the work was already underway to look at additional elements for 2026.
“It’s very important to us to keep the excitement around The Hoppings growing, which is why every year we bring new and thrilling attractions,” he said.
“We also want to continue to build our relationship with the local community through initiatives like the charity morning and the art competition and we will be looking at new ways of doing that for 2026.
“We had ride enthusiasts from around the country visit – and review – The Hoppings who have all pledged to return, which is great for the whole local economy.
“We would like to thank everyone who helped make The Hoppings such a success and who came and supported us – we look forward to doing it all again in 12 months’ time.”