BFC’s City Wide Celebration returns with free Newcastle headline event and 5G pop-ups

The British Fashion Council has revived its month-long City Wide Celebration this September, staging free public talks, retail activations and tech-driven pop-ups across London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle — where Fenwick will host a headline “At Home With” panel backed by 1664 Blanc and Eldon Square will trial 5G immersive experiences.

The British Fashion Council has confirmed the return of its City Wide Celebration programme this September, bringing a curated schedule of public events and retail activations to London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. According to the BFC announcement, the month-long initiative is designed to connect designers, retailers, cultural institutions and hospitality venues in an effort to broaden public access to fashion programming and to stimulate regional retail engagement.

Newcastle will host the programme’s local headline event, an “At Home With” talk presented by 1664 Blanc at Fenwick on Tuesday 30 September from 6.30pm–8.00pm. The BFC says the panel will gather celebrated designers to discuss how the city’s spirit and culture continue to shape creative talent; tickets for the evening are being offered free to the public, with booking details available through the national CWC channels.

Carlsberg Britvic, which operates the 1664 Blanc brand, states that 1664 Blanc returns as Principal Partner of London Fashion Week for a second year and is presenting the “At Home With” series as part of a push to make LFW programming more accessible nationally. The company describes its role as combining experiential activations — from talks to themed events such as “Explorations in Blue” — with content and collaborations intended to raise the profile of emerging designers outside the capital.

Local retail partners have framed the festival as an opportunity to showcase regional talent and customer-facing programming. Leo Fenwick, Strategic Partnerships Director at Fenwick, said in the announcement that the store was “proud to partner with the British Fashion Council once again” and looked forward to hosting the in-store conversation alongside Barbour and local designers. Helen Cowie, Centre Director at Eldon Square, stressed the shopping centre’s patronage of the BFC and described plans to use the programme to support grassroots talent in the North East while adding “credibility and expertise” to local fashion campaigns.

Organisers emphasise that most activations in Fenwick and participating Eldon Square stores will be free and open to the public, with a fuller programme of promotions and pop-ups due to be published later in the summer. Eldon Square has also signalled a tech-driven strand to its offer, partnering with Sunderland Software City to stage a day of immersive installations: Sunderland Software City’s 5G Immersive Lab positions the shopping centre as a testbed for immersive and 5G-enabled experiences and provides a backdrop for public demonstrations and creative technology showcases during the CWC dates.

Beyond Newcastle, the BFC frames City Wide Celebration as part of a wider strategic shift to decentralise British fashion: the initiative is presented as complementary to the BFC Fashion Assembly pilot and other efforts to amplify regional designers. Industry listings for the talk series name participants from across the UK — including household and emerging names — and the BFC has highlighted the involvement of regional partners such as Trafford Centre and Liverpool One to broaden reach. The council also named its roster of principal and official partners supporting London Fashion Week, noting contributions from brands and organisations including eBay, Dylon, Pandora, TONI&GUY and public backers.

While the BFC presents the programme as a bridge between culture and commerce that will drive retail growth and deepen the fashion conversation, organisers acknowledge that the scale and impact of such initiatives depend heavily on partner support. The announcement thanks patrons and sponsors for their backing and invites the public to engage with the free events; the full CWC schedule and further ticket information will be released ahead of September.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative is current, dated August 13, 2025, and pertains to events scheduled for September 2025. The British Fashion Council (BFC) has previously announced similar events in Newcastle, such as the ‘At Home With’ talk at Fenwick on September 30, 2023. ([fashionunited.uk](https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/the-british-fashion-council-to-bring-back-the-city-wide-celebration-this-fall/2025072583014?utm_source=openai)) However, this year’s announcement introduces new elements, including the ‘At Home With’ series presented by 1664 Blanc, indicating a fresh approach. The presence of updated data and new partnerships suggests a higher freshness score.

Quotes check

Score:
9

Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, and Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE. These quotes appear to be original to this announcement, with no exact matches found in earlier material. The absence of identical quotes in prior publications suggests potential originality or exclusivity.

Source reliability

Score:
7

Notes:
The narrative originates from Newcastle Magazine, a local publication. While it provides detailed information about the event, the magazine’s reputation and editorial standards are not widely known, which may affect the perceived reliability. The BFC’s official website also features similar announcements, indicating that the core information is accurate. ([fashionunited.uk](https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/the-british-fashion-council-to-bring-back-the-city-wide-celebration-this-fall/2025072583014?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative presents plausible details about the BFC’s City Wide Celebration, including specific events, dates, and locations. The inclusion of new elements, such as the ‘At Home With’ series presented by 1664 Blanc, aligns with the BFC’s strategic initiatives to expand its reach beyond London. The involvement of established brands and venues adds credibility to the claims. However, the lack of coverage from other reputable outlets may raise questions about the narrative’s broader acceptance.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
The narrative is current and introduces new elements to the BFC’s City Wide Celebration in Newcastle. While the quotes appear original and the details are plausible, the source’s limited reputation and the absence of coverage from other reputable outlets warrant further verification. The presence of updated data and new partnerships suggests a higher freshness score, but the overall assessment remains open due to the need for additional confirmation.