Description : Durham, England, 11th July 2026: Angela Egan, General Secretary of Unison. The 140th Durham Miners' Gala—known simply as The Big Meeting—continues a tradition first established by the Durham Miners' Association in 1871. Each year, more than 200,000 people gather in Durham for what remains the world's largest celebration of community and trade unionism and internationalism. It is more than a commemoration of the coal industry; it is a living act of remembrance, where banners, brass bands, families and former mining communities reaffirm a shared history of labour, solidarity and collective struggle. The 2026 Gala carries particular resonance, marking one hundred years since the 1926 General Strike and the miners' lockout.