18 Must-Visit Cultural Venues in Newcastle

One of the many great things about living in Newcastle that perhaps doesn’t get celebrated enough is its collection of world-beating cultural venues – the galleries, theatres and museums that make the city fascinating and diverse are definitely worth shouting about. So we’ve gathered together a few of the most interesting for you to explore at your leisure.

Art Galleries

The Laing Art Gallery (New Bridge Street West) is getting a lot of attention at the moment because it’s home to the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition until early December, but this lovely Grade II-listed baroque building is worth a visit any time. The focus of its collections is mostly British and figurative, with examples from the likes of Holman Hunt, Edward Burne-Jones and amazing paintings by local artist John Martin. It’s open till 7.30pm every day too, so it’s ideal for some post-work edification.

About to hit its centennial, Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery (Kings Road) is something of a hidden gem but boasts a 3,000-strong piece collection, perhaps the most notable being the wall from Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn, an amazing piece of found object collage. Meanwhile, Northumbria University is home to Gallery North (Sandyford Campus), which focuses on both contemporary British (and especially north-eastern) art in a collection that includes the Norman Cornish Archive, and – in its Woon Gallery Of Asian Art, a rightly famous collection of both contemporary and ancient art from many of Asia’s cultures and eras.

Gallagher & Turner (St Mary’s Place) doubles up as both a specialist commercial framers and a modern and contemporary gallery, currently hosting a fascinating show of poster art by the likes of Chagall, Matisse and Hockney.  Barely a year old in its current location, Workplace Foundation (Blandford Square) is an art gallery and charity that seeks to promote art beyond London with a particular emphasis on artists from the North East. Often collaborating with other media and musical organisations, Workplace Foundation is at the cutting edge of contemporary art and is never less than fascinating.

Newcastle Arts Centre (Westgate Road) is perhaps the creative hub of the city's arts scene, with its various buildings offering courses and workshops, art supplies, meeting spaces, and venues for hire as well as providing a home to The Jazz Café and The Black Swan - all this and a regular series of exhibitions and events too. Right in the heart of the city, High Bridge Works operates in a similar vein as a hub for creative and cultural workers whose art is often on show at the venue's top-floor gallery space Newcastle Contemporary Art.

Finally, the Side Photographic Gallery (Side) is one of the preeminent photography galleries in the country, with an adjacent cinema and an ever-changing series of exhibitions (the current Street Photography show with work by Doisneau, Forsyth, and Weegee is a real treat). It’s also worth noting that all these galleries host regular talks, seminars, workshops and the like so keep an eye on their websites.

Theatres

The Theatre Royal (Grey Street) is a commanding presence in the city – architecturally, geographically, and culturally – and has been home to great theatre in Newcastle in all its forms for around 250 years. Whether your tastes go to jukebox musicals, operas, ballet, or the legendary annual panto, the Theatre Royal has it covered in style. Tyne Theatre & Opera House (Westgate Road) is a comparative newcomer at 155 years (this month!) and offers a similar range of events although leaning more towards plays, comedy, and music – Sarah Millican, Steeleye Span, and The Canterville Ghost are all coming up soon.

At the other end of the spectrum you’ll find Alphabetti Theatre (St James Boulevard), a small independent theatre and arts venue that’s been providing a home for the very best upcoming and experimental theatre for a decade. Priding itself on inclusivity, diversity, accessibility, and fostering new talent – and with a recently added comedy and cabaret bar – there’s always something to delight and intrigue at Alphabetti.

Live Theatre (Broad Chare) is a small but perfectly formed venue that deserves its excellent reputation for nurturing new writing and talent (The Guardian said it was 'one of the most fertile crucibles of new writing’). As well as cutting-edge theatre they also host occasional gigs and events. Another theatre with a formidable reputation for nurturing new voices is Northern Stage (Barras Bridge), which lays claim to being the largest producing theatre in the North East. It plays host to everything from popular musical theatre and plays for kids to more experimental works - and occasionally things like dance -  in a space that places diversity, young talent, and forward-thinking at its heart.

And finally there’s The Stand (High Bridge), which strictly speaking is a comedy venue rather than a theatre but hosts plenty of shows that blur the lines between the two and – by virtue of being part of the famous mini-chain – often really punches above its weight, especially in Edinburgh Fringe preview season.

Museums

For a city with such a remarkable history, it’s no surprise that Newcastle is home to some incredible museums, although it might be a surprise that one of the most notable is the entirely forward-looking Life Science Centre (Times Square).
Almost 25 years old, the centre hosts some amazing permanent attractions like the Space Zone (with its fantastic planetarium) and visiting or specially curated exhibitions, often tied in with social or cultural events and aimed at kids - plus regular talks, workshops, kids' events and even ice skating.

Just a short walk away, the Discovery Museum (Blandford Square), is a museum almost as rich in history as its exhibits. With an emphasis on local history, especially Newcastle’s industrial and maritime past, there’s a programme of temporary exhibitions and upstairs you can find Destination Tyneside, a wonderful gallery showcasing the history of migration to the area. Great North Museum: Hancock (Barras Bridge) is very much most peoples’ idea of a traditional museum: wildlife and prehistory, the Romans and more are all well-represented in a big and beautifully curated series of collections. As with other the venues mentioned here, Great North Museum: Hancock hosts plenty of talks, events, workshops and more.

Finally, there’s the truly wonderful Seven Stories (Lime Street, Ouseburn) – AKA The National Centre For Children’s Books – a seven-storey (obviously) building uniquely dedicated to championing, promoting, and preserving literature aimed at children. From exhibitions to celebrity visits, story-telling sessions to writing and creative workshops, Seven Stories Is a remarkable place to help instill a love of reading in our kids.

Do also take a look at the Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums website – many of the venues here are involved and they offer various membership schemes to help you take full advantage of what the city has to offer.

Hopefully this has given you lots of inspiration about visiting the many interesting, enriching and entertaining cultural mainstays of Newcastle. Make the most of them, we're spoilt for choice!