By Ben Whitfield, Director of Communications at NE1 Ltd
What a whirlwind summer. Newcastle has put on another amazing show for the more than 600,000 visitors who enjoyed a packed programme of major events at venues and locations across the city. From sport and music to culture and family-friendly activities, the range of events matched the impressive scale of what was delivered.
As part of NE1’s tremendously popular Summer in the City programme, which itself attracted over 200,000 visitors this year, the scale of the activities and the growing appetite for events in the city still amazes me. And Newcastle has capacity and a healthy desire to grow the calendar still further with more events across more locations.
As we start this month, we have a rare opportunity in the NE1 calendar to review what has been achieved and plan for the future. We are using this time to consider how to attract more events to the city, how we shape the calendar to complement existing events, and how to plug any gaps in the programme.
One thing is certain: we can be immensely proud of what has been achieved to date. Most recently, the city rolled out the red carpet and extended the annual warm Geordie welcome to the 60,000 runners who took part in this year’s Great North Run as well as more than 10,000 young people and their families who ran the Junior and Mini Great North Run events. It’s one of the most incredible weekends in the events calendar and showcases Newcastle to the world. Its passion, its people, and its generosity are all on display, and history is continually made when we host the world’s largest half-marathon. The Great North Run weekend exemplifies the scale of Newcastle’s ambitions and demonstrates that we can rival any city in hosting world-class events.
Sporting highlights like this, NE1’s Dragon Boat racing on the Tyne, and the high-octane Red Bull Tyne Ride, brought the curtain down on Newcastle’s packed summer schedule and from a sporting perspective, the next few months are also looking healthy. With Newcastle back in the Champions League, there will be an influx of European visitors for the four games at St. James’ Park, and we know Newcastle will put on a great show to welcome visitors from across the continent.
Music also played a major part in attracting crowds and energising the city this summer with shows at St. James’ Park, Exhibition Park, the Town Moor, and many other performance venues.
Sam Fender’s sell-out homecoming gigs showed just how exceptional St. James’ Park is for hosting events, whether sporting or musical. Its location in the heart of the city plays to our strengths. With top-class retail, hospitality, and leisure venues nearby, concert-goers can make a day, a night, a weekend, or even a whole week out of attending a show, delivering a multi-million pound boost to local businesses.
A stone’s throw from the stadium lie Exhibition Park and the Town Moor. These open-air spaces are primed to host more festivals and gigs, having entertained major events this summer. Fontaines D.C., Lost Minds, and the Come Together festival were hugely successful events, with several sell-out nights, while long-standing cultural events like Mela and Pride returned to the city’s streets drawing large crowds and achieving great success. These events, along with the Carabao Cup celebrations, turned the national and international spotlight on Newcastle, demonstrating its capacity to host open-air events to rival other UK cities and highlighting its impressive calendar of major happenings.
Music’s role in this year’s events calendar is notable and the success of the events this summer will be key to attracting more high-profile events in the future. Newcastle is already making its mark nationally, attracting glittering ceremonies like the MOBOs and the Mercury Music Prize for their first forays outside of London.
And, in another exciting move, a partnership between Generator Studios and the Glasshouse International Centre for Music is launching “Newcastle Gateshead Music City” to transform the region into a major hub for the music industry. Building on the region’s musical talent, the partnership will create jobs, and drive tourism and investment. The ultimate aim is to gain UNESCO City of Music status alongside Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow.
At NE1, we are constantly on the lookout for new events and opportunities. Our efforts around Christmas and New Year are prime examples of how we strive to make Newcastle the best in class.
In an increasingly competitive market where major cities compete for festive fun seekers, we have extended our Christmas offer and brought more seasonal fun into the heart of the city. Last year’s dramatic increase in visitor numbers and positive feedback are clear signs that we are striking the right chord.
Events reflect Newcastle’s ambition, creativity and capacity to deliver. They’re powerful tools to increase visitor numbers, boost business and raise our cultural profile. As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we remain committed to curating an events calendar that entertains and elevates Newcastle’s reputation as a world-class destination, whatever you’re visiting for.
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