Metrocentre marks 40 years with a birthday giveaway and a home for independents

When the first phase of Metrocentre opened on 28 April 1986, it changed shopping in the North East for good. Forty years later, the Gateshead centre is celebrating its birthday in style.

Built on the former site of Dunston Power Station near the River Tyne, Metrocentre was masterminded by Sir John Hall's company, Cameron Hall Developments, and financed by the Church Commissioners. When the scheme was showcased at a local hotel in early 1984, more than 1,000 visitors came, including many of the UK's top retailers. The first phase, the Red Mall, included the first out-of-town branch of Marks and Spencer, and the official opening followed on 14 October 1986.

Today Metrocentre has more than 270 stores, restaurants and leisure venues and welcomes 15.8 million visitors a year, with an average dwell time of over two hours. Recent arrivals have included Zara and Stradivarius.

The 40th birthday celebrations have a generous heart. In May 2026 the centre launched a £2,500 gift card giveaway, with a giant 2.4m-high birthday cake touring five locations in the mall. Each £2 entry gives shoppers the chance to win a £500 gift card, with all proceeds going to North East charity Feeding Families and its Every Child Deserves a Birthday appeal, which provides birthday celebration boxes for children in families facing hardship. The giveaway runs until the end of October.

There is good news for independent fashion and lifestyle brands too. The Metrocentre Partnership has announced plans to transform The Forum, the link between the Blue and Green Malls, into The Crescent, a space championing independent retail. Inspired by picturesque market towns, it will feature up to 10 refurbished units with Victorian-inspired shopfronts and hand-painted signage, an artisan coffee hub and greenery, and it is designed to suit local brands, including those opening their first physical shop.

Forty years on, Metrocentre is still evolving, and The Crescent could give shoppers a new reason to explore.

Store listings, events and details of the birthday giveaway are on the Metrocentre website.