Stockton Waterfront to welcome visitors as part of Armed Forces Day celebrations

Stockton Waterfront urban park will welcome its first visitors across the weekend of 20 and 21 June 2026.

The urban park will play host to a day of community-led celebrations as part of Stockton's Armed Forces Day.

Armed Forces Day kicks off a packed events programme in Stockton-on-Tees this year and will showcase the scale and ambition of what the waterfront development will offer residents, visitors and businesses.

This marks the completion of a five-year journey of transformation in Stockton Town Centre, following the demolition of Castlegate Shopping Centre and the Swallow Hotel, which took place in 2022.

The bold urban park will open up the High Street and connect it to the River Tees once again through a land bridge structure, spanning Riverside Road and providing uninterrupted access to the riverside.

It features flexible spaces that can host a range of events and community activities, from specialist markets to large-scale spectacles, including an impressive amphitheatre, central stage area and large oval lawn. The park also includes three large-scale play areas for families and children, as well as play-on-the-way features including two large slides, an adventure path and a tightrope walk. There's also beautiful gardens, offering relaxing and quiet spaces for walking and reflection.

Following the expected completion of the remaining site works, contractor Esh Construction will begin a phased handover of the site throughout May.

When this handover is complete, it will be followed by a period of familiarisation and minor works which will be undertaken by the Council's operational staff, before the expected opening in June.

This work will include:

• Inspections and testing
• Equipment safety and compliance testing
• Changing Places facility fit out
• Signage installation
• Operational work such as cleansing and horticulture

A series of sneak previews will also take place with community groups, stakeholders and young people where they can experience everything that the park has to offer, while the final touches are made ahead of opening.

A1305 Riverside Road will then reopen following the Armed Forces Day celebrations.

The final construction work is now taking place, with the amphitheatre and play equipment installation close to being completed. Paving on the riverside area is continuing, with surfacing works beginning soon. A total of 150 trees have been planted across the development and the planting in the Finkle Gardens area is also complete.

The urban park will be a catalyst for change, investment and external growth across the Borough.

Councillor Richard Eglington, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "Stockton Waterfront urban park will be a nationally recognisable new space for the Borough's residents and visitors. We are in the final stages of construction and subject to this timeline being met, we are very excited to be able to welcome people to the park in June.

"This is about repurposing Stockton to make it fit for the future and the exciting opportunities that will come from a development like this. The town will have more leisure space and more working space, as well as a retail presence, which is set to increase footfall.

"There'll be something for everyone as they explore the different areas of the park and it will really set the scene for our world-class events programme in the future.

"This project is a unique opportunity to drive further change in the area and we have big plans to ensure Stockton is a place where people want to live, work and visit now and in the future."

Steven Garrigan, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, said: "As we close in on completion, it's incredibly rewarding to see Stockton Waterfront coming to life as a truly transformational space for the borough. This has been a complex and ambitious project, and we're proud to be delivering an urban park that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

"The urban park marks an important milestone in the town's wider regeneration journey. Along with our design partners Billinghurst, George and Partners and Ryder Architecture, we've worked closely with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council throughout and remain fully committed to supporting a smooth handover."

To find out more about Stockton Waterfront, visit the dedicated webpage.