Newcastle is a city for all seasons but in summer it shows itself off in its best light with a packed programme of events and activities that draws people in and allows them to enjoy the space and all that the city has to offer.
Creating a destination with lots of events and activities is one of NE1’s priorities for the summer months. One attraction that has really made its mark since its introduction six years ago is the Thomas Cook Airlines Quayside Seaside. The pop up beach returns annually to the banks of the Tyne signalling the start of summer and is always well received by visitors and the people of Newcastle alike.
Each year, the beach’s return is heralded with a fanfare of tweets and social media posts from people who flock to its deckchairs to enjoy the sand, the views and the beach huts and has gained national and international recognition for the city. The beach is a welcome and much loved attraction which this year we brought back earlier than ever before. Come rain or shine – people come to the beach to take a break, play on the sand or watch the world go by.
Events and activities in and around other areas of the city help give Newcastle its unique identity and cement its place as a modern European regional capital city. It is these events that create a sense of community and provide people with shared experiences that bring the city to life and put Newcastle on the map. They also provide a major hook attracting visitors from across the UK and internationally.
This year we have no shortage of events. In May we enjoyed the return of Rugby League’s Magic Weekend, one of the liveliest tournaments in the Super League calendar. 12 teams and a myriad of fans from all over the UK descended on the city to enjoy the carnival style atmosphere that the games create. This year was the 3rd successive year Newcastle has hosted the Games and recorded one of the top three highest attendance figures ever, the other two record years were also those held in Newcastle.
The dust has hardly settled on Magic Weekend and we are already gearing up for the next major milestone in the city’s event calendar, The NE1 Newcastle Motor Show. This year, the event will be staged on the 8 and 9 July, delivered in association with DFDS. The show has grown in stature year on year and is now one of the largest open air city centre based motorshows in the UK. This year, it will be over 200% bigger with more exhibits and zones extending to new parts of the city.
Over 30% of Newcastle city centre is public realm. At NE1 we are committed to ensuring that these public spaces are used to best effect and enhance the city centre offer for residents and visitors alike.
A key to our work is to help make areas of the city economically sustainable now and into the future. Unlocking Heritage Lottery Funding and encouraging public and private sector investment in the Bigg Market is currently one of NE1’s major projects. When completed next year, it will have a transformational effect on the area and the city. The public realm work, scheduled for completion next Spring, aims to restore the historic significance of the Bigg Market as well as securing the area and its heritage for years to come.
The restoration runs a lot deeper than the bricks and mortar rejuvenation, a programme of events and activities are planned to revive and animate the space, keeping it active and creating a welcome space for the public to use. Markets, local history tours, arts programmes and work with the city’s Universities, schools and colleges will all bring the space to life and ensure it attracts new visitors and groups who would otherwise not use it. We want people to reconnect with the Bigg Market and the surrounding area.
Northumberland Street is another crucial area that has demanded our attention. Led by the City Council who have commissioned architects Faulkner Brown alongside commercial real estate experts Cushman & Wakefield, we are currently developing plans that will breathe new life into the city, creating a retail destination to rival any other European regional capital city.
As a city it is crucial we get the management and investment in our public realm right, it represents a huge opportunity that just can’t be missed.
