Portals

Stumble across four magical Portals across #NOVUM26; bursting with colour, light and interactive experiences, these larger-than-life arches are your invitation into the festival. Peek inside and you’ll find bubbles, sounds, stories, scents and playful sensory experiences inspired by the seasons, nature and renewable energy.

Perfect for curious minds, family adventures and festival selfies, each Portal offers something different to discover and make the perfect frame for your festival photo.

Portals has been created by the Creative Placements team at Bridge Creative; a group of twelve adults with learning disabilities and autism based in County Durham. Inspired by renewable energy, sustainability and the changing seasons, each arch has been hand-crafted and designed as a unique immersive world of its own.

Three Portals have already been delighting audiences at festivals and events across the North East, including Radio 1’s Big Weekend. For #NOVUM26, a fourth Portal has been co-created with Newcastle communities through a series of workshops taking place across the city in the lead-up to the festival.

Step inside each portal and you’ll also discover original poems, stories and soundscapes created with the Gosforth Civic Theatre community and poet Midge Ryall, celebrating Newcastle through the seasons. A new visual identity for the fourth Portal has been developed in collaboration with Arcadea, bringing together artists, communities and creative makers from across the region.

Together, the four Portals invite all to pause, explore and experience the city in a new way.