New hotels, exciting new music festivals, major exhibitions and anniversaries makes 2025 the perfect year to visit NewcastleGateshead.
To find out more go to www.newcastlegateshead.com
New Hotels:
1). Gotham Hotel Newcastle | Luxury Boutique Hotel in Newcastle – Rate TBC
First 5* hotel in Newcastle – Gotham Hotel – Luxury boutique hotel offering world-class rooms, amenities & services perfect for business and leisure Stays. Combining the former Fire Station and Police Station. The Fire Station side of Hotel Gotham Newcastle, opening in Spring 2025, will offer 60 thoughtfully designed bedrooms for a luxurious and unique stay. Enjoy their restaurant and bar, featuring a DJ booth, where modern style meets historical charm. The Police Station side of the hotel will open in Autumn 2025, with 30 carefully curated bedrooms.
2). Dakota – Rate TBC on the Newcastle Quayside will offer unparalleled waterfront suites with some of the largest hotel bedrooms in the city. 116 rooms including a Grand Deluxe suite featuring 2 bedrooms and including your own butler service. – Opening Spring 2025
3). Bailiffgate Hotel, Alnwick, Northumberland
Prices from £200 a night.
Located in the historic former premises of the Duchess High School, the Bailiffgate Hotel is set to open its doors in April 2025. An iconic building at the heart of the town overlooking the Barbican entrance to Alnwick Castle, which since Norman times has been a constant presence in the landscape. The hotel features 48 bedrooms, suites and apartments, as well as a stylish bar and restaurant together with a private dining space.
Opening June 2025
New Restaurants/Bars
1). World famous Rudy’s Pizza opened its doors in December on the stunning Grey Street. Selling the best in Neapolitan Pizza the new restaurant will be a great addition to the city centre. https://www.rudyspizza.co.uk/location/newcastle/
2). Knoops – Newcastle, Luxury hot chocolate café which encourages you to discover your “perfect chocolate drink” opened opposite Grey’s Monument in December. It is the chain’s first North East store. https://knoops.co.uk/pages/store-locations/newcastle?srsltid=AfmBOopY5Sg1k1CAwIfcdRDGxfPbJm5xwgAA-noopseD8w8GFRpKmpbv
3). Award-winning Indian street food chain founded by celebrity chef Nisha Katona is set to open in a key city centre site in Newcastle. Mowgli is set to open in Spring 2025 in the former Café Royal building near the Grainger Market. Newcastle – Mowgli Street Food
4). Stack Newcastle – Back where it all began Stack Newcastle is set to take over Grade II Listed Worswick Chambers. The proposed plans for STACK include; eight bars, seven street food traders, two cocktail bars and a roof terrace, sprawled across three floors. And in true STACK style, there will be an outdoor courtyard too, with a big screen and stage for live entertainment. – Opening 2025 https://stackleisure.com/locations/newcastle/
5). The Lock Up, Ouseburn – New food and drink bar opening in Ouseburn – Opening date TBC https://www.instagram.com/lockupouseburn/
6). Eatflix Cinema – February 2025
Joe and Ollie Brack, the brothers behind Brack Burgers in Newcastle and Eatflix, a 5D cinema experience, will be opening a permanent home for their immersive film experiences.
They are restoring a former ballroom in Heaton in to become the North East’s first purpose built 5D taste cinema. Film fans will now not only be able to watch their favourite film but they will also be able to eat and drink food similar to or inspired by what is being eaten by characters on screen. at the same time.
Anniversaries:
1). 2025 is the 200th anniversary of the first passenger railway to use steam locomotives to transport passengers. From March to November there will be lots of events taking place across the region to mark the anniversary.
Highlights include:
Opening event – Bishop Auckland March 29th
Travel through time and place, as imitating the dog and SKYMAGIC bring their distinctive combination of technology, live performance, and drone show to a celebration of the bold innovation, creative thinking and ingenuity that led to the world-changing opening of the S&DR. This unique show will freewheel through time from the spark of an idea to the early locomotives, which powered the world into a new era. A story which moved people then, today and into the future.
2). Locomotion
Shildon.
From April 2025 .
Locomotion, located in Shildon, known as ‘the cradle of the railways’, will present: an exhibition highlighting Railway Firsts in Main Hall in recognition of the innovation at the heart of S&DR, the Young Railway of The Year competition, three line-ups of iconic locomotives and rail vehicles that will speak to 200 years of railway history, talks and lectures aimed at railway enthusiasts, and every weekend and throughout the school holidays there will be activities for families on offer.
3). Utilita Arena 30th Anniversary – In preparation for the Arena’s 30th year in 2025 £1.75 has been invested in 2024 to transform many of the venue’s spaces for all guests to enjoy. Improvements have been made to the guest bars with new bars offering a range of new foods and drinks; toilets (including the creation of a Disco bathroom); a refurb of the Suites, including a new premium bar, sumptuous surroundings and a luxurious atmosphere which will cater to the venue’s premium guests, as well as new state-of-art facilities for artists and their crews.
Major events at the Arena already confirmed for 2025 are:
MOBOs – Feb 18
Olly Murs – May 4
Bryan Adams – May 8
Kylie Minogue – May 17
Peter Kay – Dates in Aug & Sept
Busted v McFly – 10-12 Oct
4). Newcastle International Airport will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year with a number of new flights launching including Lyon; Malaga; Copenhagen; Berlin; Gdansk; Marrakech; Guernsey; Jersey; Agadir; Dalaman and Lyros (Via Kos)
5). Centre for Life 25th Anniversary
Celebrate Life’s Science Centre’s 25th birthday in 2025.
Highlights include:
Celebrate British Science Week and discover an immersive world with Luma, the giant, glowing robotic snail! This nine-metre-long interactive snail has a gentle, welcoming and otherworldly presence – and just loves an audience.
See through skin and inside an eye in the Human Guinea Pig Show with guests Medical Mavericks (Saturday 22 Feb to Friday 28 Feb only).
Lightbox, a major NEW interactive exhibition exploring light, sounds and water waves opens in May.
Keep an eye on Life’s social media for more exciting updates, including hidden tickets and birthday messages from famous faces.
Major sporting events
There are lots of exciting sporting events taking place in the North East next year including international cricket and rugby as well as the return of the Magic Weekend at St James’ Park.
1). International cricket at Durham’s Riverside:
England Men v West Indies Men – T20
Friday 6 June – 6.30pm
England Women v India Women – One Day International
Tuesday 22 July – 1pm
Women’s Rugby World Cup – Fri 22nd Aug – Opening game Stadium of Light, Sunderland – Rugby World Cup 2025 – MySunderland
2). Magic Weekend – May 3 & 4th, St James’ Park, Newcastle
Super League’s Magic Weekend is heading back to Newcastle to celebrate it’s 18th anniversary. It will be the 10th anniversary of Super League’s first Magic Weekend in Newcastle in 2015, and the eighth time in the subsequent decade that Rugby League has staged its unique festival at the home of Newcastle United FC.
The 2025 line-up, determined as usual by the league placings, includes a repeat of the 2024 Betfred Challenge Cup Final between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves as the Sunday afternoon centrepiece – and a first ever Magic staging of the classic Super League rivalry between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos on Saturday night.
Tickets: From £30 (Adult day ticket)
https://www.superleague.co.uk/tickets/magic-weekend
Music Festivals and Events
1). MOBOS – Feb 18th, Utilita Arena
The biggest night in Black music and culture is back! On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the iconic MOBO Awards will take over Utilita Arena Newcastle for the very first time – and you won’t want to miss it!
Join us for a night filled with electrifying live performances, special guest appearances, and unforgettable moments as we celebrate the best in music, entertainment, and creativity.
Full line-up TBC
Tickets: From £29
This new music festival is billed as being the North East’s biggest ever music festival. Held over 5 days at Newcastle’s Town Moor, the festival has already named some major headliners including Robbie Williams and Kings of Leon.
Tickets: From £82.50
3). Sam Fender weekend – Thurs 12th; Sat 14th & Sun 15th June
Sam Fender will make a much-awaited return to St. James’ Park for three headline shows in June 2025 as part of his upcoming People Watching Tour.
4). Coast Fest 2025 – 27-29th June, Percy Park, North Shields
After a hugely successful two years, Coast Fest is back with a bang. Bringing National Touring headliners and over 150 artists to the fields of North Shields in a family friendly, affordable extravaganza right on your doorstep!
Expect the return of our Main stage, Second stage, Rave Cave, Youth Music stage and the legendary Tyne Idols buskers bus, alongside many new surprises such as our family fancy dress day (you can probably already guess the theme)!
5). Loosefest – August (Dates TBC)
https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/Loosefest/#about
6). Newcastle’s Noughty 90s Festival – 23rd August
The nation’s favourite throwback festival is back for it’s 5th year in Leazes Park.
Take in a show
Book yourself a theatre break and choose one of the many top shows coming to the North East this year.
Newcastle’s Theatre Royal will be hosting an array of great shows including:
Miss Saigon; Six and Book of Mormon
Whilst at the Sunderland Empire you’ll be able to see Mary Poppins or Hamilton to name a few!
Annual events
1). January Restaurant Week Newcastle – 13th – 19th Jan
Dine at some of the city’s top restaurants for just £15, £20 and £25 per person.
2). Late Shows – May 16 & 17th across NewcastleGateshead
The Late Shows, an award-winning late-night free culture crawl will return on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025.
During The Late Shows, open art studios, music and performance venues, galleries, museums, studio collectives and landmark historical buildings come together to host intriguing interactive events for visitors. It’s all about encouraging people to do something cultural with their evening.
The Late Shows take place between 6-10.30pm, with last entry at 10pm. Friday night is for Ouseburn Valley venues. Saturday night’s event takes place at venues across central Newcastle and Gateshead with Gateshead venues open from 6-10pm, last entry at 9.30pm.
3). Northern Pride – July (Dates TBC)
4). Gateshead Pride – August (Dates TBC)
5). Great North Run Weekend
The AJ Bell Great North Run is the world’s biggest and best half marathon, with 60,000 runners taking on the route from Newcastle to South Shields each year. It’s famous for its inclusive atmosphere, unbeatable route-side entertainment and warm Geordie welcome, not to mention the millions of pounds raised each year for worthy causes. Great North Run magic can be hard to understand – until you’ve experienced it for yourself. With an epic start line in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, a unique city to sea route, and a huge after party in the event village at the end – it’s no wonder that this event is loved and treasured by so many each year.
The Great North Run is more than just a one-day event – it’s a packed weekend of celebration, personal achievement and fun for all ages!
During the Great North Run weekend, many events will take place such as: the Great North 5k and the Mini and Junior Great North Runs.
The UK’s biggest and best kids running event, the Junior Great North Run, gives everyone a chance to shine on Great North Run weekend. Minis aged 3-8 take on a 1.2km dash, while Juniors aged 9-16 tackle a 4km sprint.
The AJ Bell GreatNorth 5k is the curtain-raiser for the North East’s biggest weekend of sport, starting this year on Friday September 7th.
