GemArts x Baltic Holi Festival of Colours
Tickets for the colour throwing will be available to book from Wednesday 11 February 18:30
Celebrate spring, new beginnings, and the vibrant Holi tradition with a spectacular colour throw, alongside creative workshops, henna, dance, music, and delicious Indian food. New for this year is the Holi on the Tyne stage on Baltic Square, bringing world-class South Asian performances to the heart of the festival. In partnership with GemArts.
GemArts x Baltic: Holi Festival of Colours
Saturday 14 March | 12:00-16:00
Free entry, booking essential
Join GemArts for Holi Festival of Colours hosted in partnership with Baltic. Celebrate spring, new beginnings, and the vibrant Holi tradition with a spectacular colour throw, alongside creative workshops, henna, dance, music, and delicious Indian food.
With a shared belief in the power of the arts to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through celebrating our shared cultural diversity, and a commitment to creating inclusive spaces for people to come together, GemArts and Baltic have worked together on 5 iterations of Holi Festival of Colours, celebrating spring, new beginnings, and the Holi tradition.
This one-day event invites the communities in Gateshead and across the Northeast that GemArts and Baltic work and create with, and live alongside, to enjoy a programme of creative workshops, Henna stations, dance performances, music, and delicious Indian food.
This year, we’re thrilled to unveil a brand-new feature of the festival, the Holi on the Tyne stage on Baltic Square, bringing world-class South Asian performances to our celebration throughout the day. We’re also growing our programme with additional school and community workshops to spark excitement and deepen understanding in the run-up to the event.
The festival culminates in a spectacular colour throw, marking the arrival of spring in a burst of joyful energy. It’s great fun and a little messy, so please wear something you don’t mind getting colourful.
Usually celebrated in March, Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life. This event is for people of any faith and those with none.
Please don’t bring backpacks or your own powder pigment with you. Free pigment will be provided at the event. After the event, please don't visit our gallery spaces as we try to keep our exhibitions clear of coloured pigment.
Schedule
Holi on the Tyne Stage on Baltic Square
12.00-16.00: Turn up the colour and the volume with Spice FM’s Sandeep & Gaurav and Shai Guy on the decks, spinning fire Bollywood, Bhangra, and Holi bangers — backed by the thunderous energy of Rhythmix Dholies. Shai Guy brings next-level Bollywood vibes with explosive beats, genre-bending mixes, and a worldwide sound that hits hard.
12.30: Dhol Buzz & Lezim Rhythm
13.00: Mi Marathi Dhol Tasha
13.15: Madhura Godbole Bollywood Dance Group
13.30: Bombay Baja Brass Band
14.10: Juggy D
Baltic Square
Colour Throw:
15.00-16.00: It’s colour o’clock! Join the mass colour throw and celebrate Holi and the arrival of spring in a burst of epic vibes.
15.00: Zephyrus Arts – Bollywood dance performance
Food
12.00-16.00: Enjoy our Holi menu, including delicious Indian street food by Newcastle Hindu Temple, and Baltic Kitchen classics with a South Asian twist. Food can be eaten outside on the Square, or inside, in Baltic Kitchen.
12.00: String and Strong’s Great Big Game-a-Thon
12.30: Bollywood Baja Brass Band (walk about performance)
13.00: Delilah the Elephant – Moving Parts Arts
14.00: Delilah the Elephant – Moving Parts Arts
15.00: Delilah the Elephant – Moving Parts Arts
15.00: String and Strong’s Great Big Game-a-Thon
Front Room
Holi décor by Chai Events
13.00: Kuchipudi Dance by students of Payal Ramchandani
14.00: Priya Sundar – Bharatanatyam Dance
Level 1 Main Space
Henna
12.00-16.00: Get beautiful henna designs by Simran, Gurbax, and Namita.
Workshops
12.00-16.00: Artist-led workshop with Pui Lee
12.00-16.00: Artist-led workshop with Emma Sheridan
Performances
12.15: MK Dance Academy – Bhangra dance performance
12.30: North East School of Dhol
12.45: Madhura Godbole – Kathak dance performance
13.00: String and Strong’s Great Big Game-a-Thon
13.30: Zephyrus Arts – Bollywood dance performance
14.00: Bharatanatyam Dance by students of Guru Mrs Pani
14:30: Dhol Buzz & Lezim Rhythm
Level 1 Cube
Bollywood Dance Classes
12.30 & 14.00: Get moving in this high-energy Bollywood dance class with Breeze George, bringing the beats, the moves and the Holi vibes!
Level 1 Foyer
GemArts’ Cultural Threads creative health programme presents a Holi Festival exhibition, created in collaboration with communities and schools across Gateshead, showcasing decorative artworks inspired by Holi.
Level 2, Learning Lounge
Activities for families (Hula Hooping, den building with Holi drapes)
14.00: String and Strong’s Great Big Game-a-Thon
Level 5
Performance
12.30: Nick Able – Sitar sound scape
13.15: Priya Sundar – Bharatanatyam Dance
13.30: Nick Able – Sitar sound scape
14.15: Madhura Godbole – Kathak dance
14.30: Nick Able – Sitar sound scape
Supported by
Arts Council England, Gateshead Council and North East Combined Authority
Partners
NEXUS, Newcastle Hindu Temple, Chai Events and Spice FM
Wet weather
In the event of wet weather, the colour throwing will not be able to go ahead. We look forward to welcoming you to Baltic for all of the indoor celebrations come rain or shine.
Accessibility
Ahead of your visit, you can find out about Baltic's facilities and accessibility here.
