A SPECTACULAR series of events will see Hadrian’s Wall come alive with culture, heritage and art next year, in celebration of its 1,900th birthday.

Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, which is co-ordinating a year-long festival throughout 2022 in celebration of the anniversary, has announced that they have been awarded pivotal funding to help deliver the festival.

The Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival will mark the 1,900th anniversary of the commencement of the building of Hadrian’s Wall.

Organisations, communities, and individuals are planning to celebrate this unique anniversary in different ways across 2022, in a packed programme that will include everything from community events to high profile arts commissions.

Jane, Lady Gibson, chair of Hadrian’s Wall Partnership, said: “This funding means that we can now formalise our delivery team and start planning for a truly remarkable festival in 2022.”

Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival is being seen as an opportunity to unleash the economic potential of Hadrian’s Wall’s cultural and heritage capital, and to "build back stronger" after Covid-19.

Lady Gibson added: “Although this funding is hugely significant we still have a long way to go and we cannot stress enough how important it is that individuals, groups, venues and organisations along the length of the wall get involved so they can enjoy a spectacular festival in 2022."

From Hadrian’s birthday on January 24 to 'Saturnalia' - an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn - on December 23, the year-long Festival, with the new funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority, 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.

Anyone interested in creating an activity or event which could become part of the festival is invited to register at hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/hadrianswall1900/getinvolved. Over 100 ideas have already been received.