Things to Do

NewcastleGateshead offers everything from world-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award winning dining and much more! Minutes away from coast and countryside you can go from relaxing at the coast to soaking up world-class; from getting back in-touch with nature at a woodland retreat to shopping ‘till you drop at Europe’s largest indoor shopping and leisure complex, we guarantee that ‘boring’ - that awful little word - will slip quietly from your vocabulary while you’re far too busy to even notice.
 
It’s rare to find anywhere so diverse that amazes visitors at every turn with its dialogue between ultra-modern and ancient, urban and rural, tradition and innovation and the world-class and well-known with all that is local, unique, unspoiled and full of character. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are linked here, as nowhere else, by the famous Northern spirit which unites our unique region.

 
Music, Film and Theatre?

With Newcastle’s Theatre Royal (regional home to the Royal Shakespeare Company) and the Sunderland Empire providing world-class theatre to suit all tastes from West End productions to esoteric drama. Live Theatre produces work as varied and diverse as its audiences and Northern Stage is a world-class venue for theatre making.

Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena and The Sage Gateshead attract big name performers and underground acts alike with their versatile performance spaces, whilst film-buffs are more than catered for with Metrocentre’s state-of-the-art ODEON IMAX screens as well as Newcastle’s smaller independent cinemas such as the Tyneside.

Arts and Culture?

Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art with its rolling programme of exhibitions is the biggest gallery of its kind in the world – an organisation whose ethos and mere existence captures NewcastleGateshead’s passion for culture which began, arguably, with Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North. It’s also worth checking out the huge variety of public art walks in the region’s towns, cities, coast and countryside as well as the wide range of smaller galleries across the area.

History and Heritage?

In the heart of Newcastle City Centre the Castle Keep, one of the country’s finest examples of a Northern Keep, hints at the region’s thousands of years of heritage in contrast to the neo-classical architecture of Grainger Town, with Grey Street winning Academy of Urbanism’s Great Street Award 2010. Attractions such as 2,000 year old Tynemouth Priory and Hadrian’s Wall confirm the region’s rich past and complement the offering of museums such as the newly refurbished and extended Great North Museum or take a tour through the fascinating Victoria Tunnel, which runs directly under the city.

Sun, Sea and Sand?

Although we can’t promise there’ll always be sun, we guarantee you’ll be impressed by our stunning coastline which, studded with some of the country’s best beaches, provides the perfect setting for a summer day at the seaside or a refreshing autumnal stroll. In 2010, all of Tynemouth's Beaches were awarded prestigious Blue Flag status alongside Sunderland’s Roker and Seaburn beaches and South Shields’ Sandhaven, guaranteeing the highest standards in safety and cleanliness.

Shopping?

NewcastleGateshead is well-known for its excellent shopping provided by Eldon Square, the UK’s largest city centre shopping complex, and the Metrocentre, Europe’s largest indoor shopping and leisure complex. Paired with the range of boutiques lining High-Bridge Street and scattered throughout fashionable suburbs like Jesmond, as well as the quaint and quirky markets of Tynemouth and Armstrong Bridge in Jesmond, NewcastleGateshead is a shopaholic’s dream!

Eating and Drinking?

Our brilliant nightlife is a point we needn’t labour, and you won’t be short of surprising places to eat, drink and be merry during the daytime too – whether it's dining out, calling into a cosy bar or being spotted in a cutting-edge club, NewcastleGateshead and its surroundings provide a feast of choice. For something a little different why not try Blackfriars restaurant which, housed in a historic friary in Newcastle City Centre, is believed to be the oldest restaurant in the country, or the award-winning Colmans of South Shields for the best fish and chips money can buy!

Sport and Leisure?

With Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club spawning the legendary Jonny Wilkinson and Gateshead International Stadium regularly hosting the best in international athletics talent plus climbing walls, the UK’s largest water park, a dry ski slope, surfing school, Beamish Wild High Ropes for the slightly more adventurous and much more, it’s not just football we’re passionate about...  although if you fancy a kick around or want to watch a match in one of our two stadiums we promise we won’t say no.

World-class events?

NewcastleGateshead host all sorts of exciting events throughout the year. EAT! NewcastleGateshead is a food festival with a difference. Quirky, imaginative and of course delicious, EAT! proves that food festivals aren’t exclusively for connoisseurs. Sunderland Airshow, the biggest free event of its kind in Europe, never fails to amaze kids and grown-ups alike with jaw-dropping flying displays from the Red Arrows, Enchanted Parks sees Gateshead’s beautiful Saltwell Park transformed into an intriguing winter wonderland whilst Juice, NewcastleGateshead’s award-winning festival for children and young people, hosts all sorts of wild and wonderful events for babies, children and teenagers... and it keeps the parents entertained too!