Hadrian’s Wall to celebrate 1900th anniversary with year-long Festival

05 March 2021

"2022 will be a year of anniversaries but no other festival will be celebrating 1900 years of continuous history of a place and its people..."

Photo by Roger Clegg - Hadrian's Wall Gallery

Hadrian’s Wall will celebrate its 1900th anniversary in 2022 with a year-long festival of events and activities.

Hadrian’s Wall 1900 will mark the first phase of the building of Hadrian’s Wall. A packed programme of events and activities will take place throughout 2022 including exhibitions, lectures and film screenings. There will be opportunities to take part in workshops, walks and creative projects; and experience the stunning landscape through creative installations and events.

The year-long Festival, being led by Hadrian’s Wall Partnership in collaboration with local people and organisations, will bring communities and visitors closer to the people that have lived and worked along the Wall from pre-Roman times to the present day.

Individuals, groups, venues and organisations along the length of the UNESCO World Heritage Site are now being invited to plan their own celebration to be included in the Hadrian’s Wall 1900 programme.

Inclusion in the Festival is open to anyone that wishes to explore and demonstrate what Hadrian’s Wall means to them. Events and activity will then be promoted as part of the Festival through a local and national Marketing and PR campaign.

Jane, Lady Gibson, Chair of Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, said: 

"We are thrilled to be announcing our year-long festival to commemorate Hadrian arriving in northern Britain to oversee the construction of his Wall. 2022 will be a year of anniversaries but no other festival will be celebrating 1900 years of continuous history of a place and its people. 

"The communities living around the Wall have one of the world’s most famous landmarks in their fields, villages, towns and cities and we want everyone to be involved in celebrating not just the history under their feet but the international importance of World Heritage today. From Hadrian’s birthday on 24th January to Saturnalia on 23rd December, 2022 will be the year of Northern Britain."

Anyone who would like to be involved is asked to submit their interest online. Ideas do not need to be fully formed at this stage. Organisers will need to meet the Festival criteria and are responsible for the overall delivery of their events and activities including funding, audience management and health and safety, and additional marketing.