Image courtesy of Kynren: Grand Finale featuring all the cast
A Day and Night at Kynren 2026: What’s New this summer
If you’re planning a holiday in Northumberland, Kynren might not be a name you’ve heard of before. It’s based in Bishop Auckland, just over the border in County Durham and around an hour’s drive from many of our cottages, making it an easy option if you fancy exploring a little more of the North East during your stay.
Kynren first became known for An Epic Tale of England, a huge outdoor night show which brings 2,000 years of history, myth and legend to life through live performance, horses, stunts, special effects and pyrotechnics. A 1,000-strong volunteer cast and crew perform on an outdoor stage, on a scale that’s quite difficult to appreciate until you see the photographs. It’s a multi-award-winning production which has been recognised as North East Tourism Event of the Year and holds Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice status.
This year and new for Kynren 2026 is The Storied Lands, the UK’s first live-action show park, a unique daytime destination where history, legend and imagination come to life through spectacular live experiences. What this means is that you can now visit Kynren during the day too, moving between five different live shows and experiences inspired by history, nature and North East folklore.
You can visit The Storied Lands as a day out in its own right or, on selected dates, stay for the original Kynren show after dark. So if you’re looking for something a little different to do during your Northumberland stay – particularly a day out that works for different ages – we think it’s well worth a closer look.
Image courtesy of Kynren: Artist Impression of The Storied Lands
What happens during the day?
The day time show: Kynren – The Storied Lands allows you to watch five live shows and experiences – each with its own setting and story. There’s everything from horses and birds to stunt performers, Vikings and North East legends appearing along the way.
When you book, you’re allocated a show schedule for the day, so you don’t have to work out how to fit everything in yourself. Your ticket includes all five shows.
As a brief overview, the experiences include:
Land of the Vikings which takes you into a Viking settlement, where you can see traditional crafts and meet some of its inhabitants before watching the live show, complete with warriors, shields and fire.
Legend of the Wear, which uses the local North East legend of the Lambton Worm as its inspiration. This time the stage is a large lake, with the action taking place on and around the water.
The Trusty Steed, where horses take centre stage with medieval knights, sword fighting, acrobatics and horsemanship
The Lost Feather is something quite different. More than 250 birds take to the air during a show which combines free flight with water, mist and light and also carries a conservation message.
The fifth experience, Victorian Imaginariums, is an outdoor storytelling maze with characters and encounters to discover as you make your way through.
It’s a great range of shows and activities and can work particularly well if you’re trying to find a day out to suit different members of the family.
Images courtesy of Kynren 2026
Kynren after dark
The new daytime park may be the big news for Kynren 2026, but the original Kynren – An Epic Tale of England is still very much part of the summer programme.
This is the show that started it all back in 2016, and some of the figures give you an idea of just how big a production it is. The 90-minute performance takes place in an 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre, with the action unfolding across a 7.5-acre stage – roughly the equivalent of five football pitches.
A 1,000-strong volunteer cast and crew take the audience through 2,000 years of history, myth and legend, with horses, stunts, special effects and pyrotechnics all playing a part.
The night show takes place on Saturday evenings during the summer season, along with selected Friday performances. On those dates, you can combine The Storied Lands during the day with An Epic Tale of England in the evening.
Image Courtesy of Kynren 2026 – Viking Fight Kynren – An Epic Tale of England
Do you need to do the day and night?
No – and this is probably worth knowing when you’re planning your holiday.
The Storied Lands is intended as a full day out in its own right, so you don’t need to stay for the evening performance to get the Kynren experience. There are places for food and drink and time built into your schedule between the different shows.
Likewise, if it’s the original night show that appeals to you, you can simply book that. If you do fancy combining the two, however, you can make a full day and evening of it. It would be a long day, particularly with younger children, but certainly a very different one.
Is it mainly for children?
The Storied Lands has been designed to appeal to everyone, including families of all ages and there’s plenty to keep younger visitors interested – Vikings, battles, horses, birds, water and live action are a pretty good starting point!
At the same time, you don’t need to be travelling with children to consider Kynren. There’s a lot here for adults too, particularly if you enjoy live performance, history or simply seeing something a bit different.
You certainly don’t need to be particularly knowledgeable about history beforehand. The emphasis is very much on telling the stories through performance rather than expecting you to know who did what and when.
If you’re staying as a family group in one of our cottages, or as a couple looking for something a bit different, then this could be the perfect day out.
Image courtesy of Kynren – Neolithic themed play area
A few practical things to know
Kynren 2026 is at Bishop Auckland in County Durham and its summer season runs until 12 September.
The Storied Lands is open during the day from Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. An Epic Tale of England runs on Saturday evenings, with selected additional Friday performances.
We’d recommend booking in advance and checking the latest dates and ticket information directly with Kynren when you’re planning your visit.
Much of the experience is outdoors too, so dress accordingly. Comfortable shoes make sense for spending the day moving around the park and, if you’re staying for the evening show, take another layer even if it’s been a warm day. North East evenings can soon turn chilly once the sun goes down.
And, as anyone who lives here will tell you, having a waterproof somewhere close to hand is always a good idea!
A great addition to your Northumberland holiday
One of the great things about a holiday in this part of the country is just how much variety there is within a relatively small area.
You can spend one day walking beside Hadrian’s Wall or exploring a Northumberland castle and the next head a little further south for something completely different.
Kynren is around an hour from many of our cottages, so it’s close enough to consider as part of a Northumberland holiday without spending half your day in the car. And with the arrival of The Storied Lands, you can decide whether you want a daytime visit, the famous night show or a full day and evening combining the two.
For something that you might never have heard of before arriving in the North East, it could turn out to be one of the more memorable days of your stay.
We’d like to thank the Kynren team for help with information about Kynren 2026 and all images are courtesy of Kynren.
Wooden Star Cottages offers the perfect base to experience the beautiful county of Northumberland. Book your stay at Wooden Star Cottages today and prepare for an unforgettable escape into the heart of one of England’s most beautiful regions.