Newcastle Events and City Guide

For detailed information visit www.visitnewcastlegateshead.com

Shopping

Eldon Square

One of the leading shopping centres in the UK with over 140 stores. The most prominent department stores in the country are Fenwick (which provides a free personal shopping service) and John Lewis.  Right in the heart of Newcastle. Opens daily.

Eldon Garden

Linked to Eldon Square is Eldon Garden shopping centre which offers an extensive collection of designer brands and fashion labels in a stylish environment as well as specialist outfits for interiors, jewellery, gifts and home electronics.  Opens daily.

Monument Mall

This four-storey shopping arcade and food mall has a glass dome and is directly above the Monument Metro station. Opens daily.

MetroCentre, Gateshead

One of the largest shopping and leisure complex in Europe. The centre offers many high street outlets, department stores and specialist shops.  The centre also offers superb leisure attractions including a unique indoor theme park, The New MetroLand, complete with rollercoaster, UCI eleven screen cinema; Megabowl entertainment centre and restaurants, cafes and bars. Opens Daily

Travel: located on the A1(M), 10 minutes from the city centre by car with free parking. There is also a bus service running frequently from Newcastle Central Station (no. 100) and a direct train service. Express buses (X66) also depart from Gateshead Interchange every 10 minutes.

Royal Quays

Royal Quays is a unique shopping environment situated about 10 miles away from NewcastleGateshead and next to the international ferry terminal. A massive refurbishment programme has attracted some of the biggest brands on the high street - all offering up to 50% off recommended retail prices every single day. If you love shopping, you'll enjoy browsing in their huge range of stores. Opens daily

Northumberland Street

The NewcastleGateshead equivalent to Oxford Street in London is Northumberland Street which is built exclusively for shopping…no cars.
The most dominent shop on the street is Fenwick.  This upmarket department store is particularly good for designer clothings. There's also a free personal shopping service available by booking in advance.

Tourist Information Centres

Newcastle Tourist Information Centres
City Centre Information Centre
Central Arcade, Market Street, Newcastle NE1 5BQ

Tel: +44 (0)191 277 8000
E: tourist.info@newcastle.gov.uk
Open: Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm; Sat 9am-5.30pm.

Guildhall Visitor Information Centre
Newcastle Quayside NE1 3AF

Tel: +44 (0)191 277 8000
Fax: +44 (0)191 277 8009
Minicom: +44 (0)191 277 8010
E: tourist.info@newcastle.gov.uk
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 9am-4pm.

Gigs

If it's gigs you're after then there's no shortage of venues to try. The Cluny, Carling Academy, Head of Steam, the Northumbria and Newcastle University Unions, the Corner House, Jazz at the Bridge, the Jazz Club or The Black Swan all have live music ranking from cool jazz to spiky pop.

Clubs

Newcastle is famous for its vibrant nightlife which attracts everyone around the UK.  If you want to experience the real Newcastle nightlife then you must visit Digital - whose Shindig night was voted Musik Magazine 'Underground Club of the Year' and it attracts top DJs from around the world, or try The Attic and the popular Baja Beach Club.

Galleries

BALTIC is a major international centre for contemporary art on the south bank of the River Tyne, and is one of the biggest contemporary art spaces in Europe.

A former 1950s grain warehouse, the interior has been transformed into a series of stunning art spaces. With a bookshop, bars and cafes, including a roof-top restaurant, BALTIC is a good place to capture the excitement of the area.

The Discovery Museum, and the Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology and The Biscuit Factory the biggest commercial art space in the UK are also well worth a visit.

And for some fun and excitement for all the family, visit Centre for Life where you can travel back in time to meet your ancestors and Seven Stories, the Centre for the Children's Books a fantastic seven-storey converted mill which is the national centre celebrating children's literature.

For art lovers galleries such as The Laing, Hatton, Shipley and University of Northumbria are treasures of fantastic paintings, sculptures and displays, with some superb exhibitions running throughout the year.

Theatre & Performing Arts

Theatre Royal is one of the most renowned theatres in the country, and in its 170 year history has seen some of the biggest names in dance, drama, music and comedy. The theatre presents over 370 performances per year and is the regional home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, Opera North and Rambert Dance Company.

We also offer tremendous homegrown talent at Live Theatre, one of the country’s leading new writing theatres and the only dedicated new writing company outside London. Live Theatre’s diverse range of events also includes music, comedy, community events and hosting touring plays.

For more new and cutting-edge theatre, Northern Stage has opened a superb new building and The Journal Tyne Theatre, housed in a Grade 1 listed building, is another venue offering inspiring theatre.

Dance City is the National Dance Agency for the North East of England and welcomes all kinds of people with a passion for all kinds of dance.

Famous Parks

Close to the city centre is Leazes Park, the oldest city park in Newcastle and the perfect place to recharge your batteries after a hectic day in the city.  

Just one mile from the centre of Newcastle is Jesmond Dene, a wonderful wooded valley with the Ouseburn gurgling happily along the bottom. There's a pets' corner for the kids, cafe and a series of bridges and walkways to complete the adventure. The Armstrong Bridge craft market every Sunday sells unusual local goodies.

If you're feeling romantic you should investigate Gibside 18th Century Pleasure Grounds and Chapel, a park once owned by the late Queen Mother's family, the Bowes-Lyons. Now owned by the National Trust, it includes a Palladian chapel, a ruined 18th century house and acres of parkland. Only it is only 15 minutes from the city centre.

Equally close to the city centre is Saltwell Park, with grade II listed Saltwell Towers, just re-opened after a major restoration which includes a cafe and visitor centre. There's a delightful fairytale mansion, monuments, pavilions and a series of garden rooms ranging from the Italianate to the rustic.

The Alnwick Garden is approximately a 45 minute drive from NewcastleGateshead. Created by the Duchess of Northumberland for everyone to enjoy, The Alnwick Garden is breathtakingly beautiful. It's also breathtakingly large - over 65,000 individual plants make it one of the biggest European plant collections in the UK, there are 10 miles of paths and the whole garden covers an incredible 40 acres.

In Northumberland, Wallington Hall has an enchanting walled garden and several follies in its Capability Brown designed grounds. The dramatic Quarry Garden at Belsay Hall is full of ravines, corridors and pinnacles.

For a gentle stroll and lazy picnic, Derwent Walk Country Park, Derwenthaugh and Watergate Forest Park all offer acres of woodland walks and waterside meadows within just a short drive or bus journey from the city centre. You could even see a Red Kite flying overhead as these magnificent birds have recently re-introduced to this part of the region.

A little known gem is Crook Hall, a medieval manor house just 12 minutes train ride away in Durham. Its enchanting gardens include a Shakespearean Garden, Silver and White Garden and secret Walled Garden.

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