Today
Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle's Utilita Arena for a second year
After Sam Fender's triumph on home turf in 2025, the Mercury Prize returned to Newcastle's Utilita Arena on 22 October 2026 with another strong shortlist of twelve albums.
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Music & Nightlife
Newcastle's live music venues, bars, comedy clubs, record shops, studios and festivals, plus what's on after dark across the city.
3 days ago
Generator turns Newcastle into a music city with a week-long Mercury Prize Fringe
Newcastle music development agency Generator filled the city with more than 30 Pay As You Feel gigs, talks and masterclasses for the Mercury Prize Fringe, held from 15 to 22 October 2026.
5 days ago
The Cluny: the Ouseburn mill that became a launchpad for breaking bands
Housed in a Grade II listed former flax mill by the Ouseburn, The Cluny has welcomed everyone from Arctic Monkeys to Mumford & Sons on their way up.
8 days ago
Boiler Shop: rock and roll in the birthplace of the railway age
Behind Newcastle Central Station, the restored Boiler Shop at Robert Stephenson's locomotive works has become one of the city's best-loved live music venues.
11 days ago
The Glasshouse celebrates 20 years of music on the Gateshead Quays
Two decades after opening as Sage Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music remains a home for orchestras, pop stars, folk heroes and thousands of learners.
13 days ago
The Fire Station gives Sunderland a stage worthy of a Music City
Sunderland's restored Edwardian fire station and its award-winning auditorium now host more than 250 events a year, from orchestras to indie and electronic acts.
16 days ago
Kathryn Tickell: four decades of carrying Northumbrian pipes to the world
More than 40 years after her debut album, Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell is still touring, collaborating and championing young musicians across the North East.
19 days ago
The Unthanks mark 20 years of Tyneside folk with Royal Northern Sinfonia
From a first gig at Holmfirth Folk Festival in 2004 to an orchestral anniversary tour, Ryton sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank have taken North East song to the nation.
30 September 2026
Newcastle City Hall: the grand old hall where rock history was recorded
Bob Dylan, Bowie and Motörhead all played Newcastle's City Hall, and nearly a century after it opened, the Grade II listed concert hall is still packing in audiences.
27 September 2026
Mouth of the Tyne Festival brings big names to a clifftop priory
Since 2005, North Tyneside's summer festival has filled the ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle with music, and Olly Murs is first to be announced for 2027.