Eldon Square celebrates 50 years at the heart of Newcastle shopping

Ask anyone who grew up in or around Newcastle about Eldon Square and the memories come flooding back. In 2026 the shopping centre is celebrating 50 years at the heart of city life.

The first phase opened on 4 March 1976, with a second phase following that September, and at the time it was the largest indoor shopping centre in the country. Queen Elizabeth II carried out the official opening ceremony in 1977, during her Silver Jubilee year.

The centre took its name from Old Eldon Square, the elegant Georgian square designed by John Dobson in 1824, whose eastern terrace still stands. Some of the malls were named after local culture: Chevy Chase after the medieval Northumbrian ballad, and Douglas Way after the Scottish Earl of Douglas who features in it. Fenwick created an entrance from the centre into its store, and Bainbridge moved in when it opened.

The anniversary has prompted plenty of nostalgia. Regulars of a certain age remember the pencil statues that children loved to climb and the café often described as looking like a spaceship or flying saucer. Big-name visitors over the years have included Muhammad Ali, who came to Newcastle in the 1970s, and Ant and Dec, who drew huge crowds.

For many shoppers, it was where they discovered fashion. One local, Kerry Malia, recalled trips into town as a child spent exploring the latest fashions from retailers such as Tammy Girl and browsing at Virgin Megastore.

The centre has kept evolving. St Andrew's Way and Grey's Quarter, now home to more than 30 restaurants, bars and cafés, joined the mix over the years, and Fenwick, John Lewis, Next and Marks and Spencer are among its anchor stores. With Freight Island, billed as Newcastle's newest food, drink and music neighbourhood, adding to the city's buzz, the next chapter is already under way.

Fifty years on, Eldon Square is still a place of first jobs, weekend strolls, rainy-day refuges and meeting friends at the Monument entrance.

Store listings, opening hours and anniversary stories can be found on the Eldon Square website.