What's On in Newcastle This Weekend

Newcastle Beyond Van Gogh — One of the most talked-about immersive art experiences in the world has landed at Utilita Arena, and it is every bit as spectacular as it sounds. Step inside and let Van Gogh's Starry Night, Sunflowers, and dozens of other iconic works wash over you in floor-to-ceiling projected animation — it is less like visiting a gallery and more like falling headfirst into a painting. Sessions run from 10:00am through to 6:00pm with half-hourly entry slots, so whether you're an early bird or an afternoon wanderer, there is a time to suit you — check the website for ticket prices and to book your slot.

Absolute Bowie — If you have ever wanted to witness Ziggy Stardust strut across a stage in Newcastle, this is your moment — Absolute Bowie is widely regarded as the finest David Bowie tribute act in the country, and watching them fill the grand O2 City Hall is nothing short of a theatrical event. Expect every era of Bowie represented, from the glam rock shimmer of the early seventies through to the cool sophistication of the Let's Dance years, all delivered with extraordinary attention to detail. Doors open ahead of a 6:30pm start, so grab a drink, find your seat, and get ready for a night that will have you singing all the way home — check the website for tickets.

Not Green Day — The Cluny is one of Newcastle's most beloved small venues — intimate, loud, and always full of people who genuinely care about the music — and tonight it hosts Not Green Day, a tribute act that captures the scrappy, three-chord glory of Dookie and American Idiot era punk-pop with serious passion. If you spent any part of your youth with eyeliner on and a well-worn hoodie, this is the kind of Friday night that feels like going home. Kicks off at 7:30pm — check the website for tickets.

The Goodness - Friday Nights @ Billy's — For something a little more low-key but no less joyful, Billy Bootleggers hosts The Goodness from 7:30pm, and at just £0–£2 on the door it might be the best-value Friday night in the city. It is the kind of unpretentious, feel-good live music evening where you turn up not quite knowing what to expect and leave having had the time of your week. Grab a pint, find a spot, and let the music do the rest.

Containment Presents: Makina Madness. CADZOW, MDDLTN, — When the rest of the city is winding down, World Headquarters is just getting started — from 11:00pm, Containment brings Makina Madness to one of Newcastle's most legendary underground venues, with CADZOW and MDDLTN leading the charge into hard, euphoric dancefloor territory. Makina is a genre that demands commitment and rewards it in spades, all thundering beats and melodic rushes that will keep you moving until the lights come up. Entry is £5–£12, which for a night of this energy is an absolute steal.

Newcastle Beyond Van Gogh — Immerse yourself — quite literally — in the blazing sunflowers, starry nights, and turbulent skies of Vincent van Gogh at Utilita Arena Newcastle, with sessions running from 9:00am right through to 5:00pm so you can pick a slot that suits. This is not paintings on a wall; it is thousands of projected brushstrokes swirling around you in a fully enveloping sensory experience that tends to leave people genuinely speechless. Check the website for ticket prices and to grab your preferred time slot before they sell out.

Monster Truck Motorfest Newcastle — Newcastle Racecourse becomes a thunder-drenched playground from 10:00am as monstrous machines with tyres taller than most adults crush, jump, and spin their way to glory at Monster Truck Motorfest. It is the kind of event that turns usually-reserved adults into wide-eyed kids, and for the actual children it is practically life-changing. Tickets are priced from £15 to £75, making it a flexible choice for families who want a seriously spectacular day out.

The Andy Raynor Band - Live @ Billy's — For an afternoon that costs next to nothing, head to Billy Bootleggers from 3:00pm where The Andy Raynor Band bring their live set to one of Newcastle's best-loved intimate venues. Entry is just £0 to £2, which means you can walk in off the street, grab a drink, and stumble into something brilliant with absolutely no risk. It is the kind of spontaneous Saturday afternoon moment that ends up being the story you tell for years.

Elo Experience (Tribute) — The grand O2 City Hall Newcastle gets the full Electric Light Orchestra treatment from 6:30pm as the ELO Experience bring their spectacular tribute to one of rock's most joyously orchestrated catalogues. Think soaring strings, blistering guitars, and hit after hit from Mr. Blue Sky to Don't Bring Me Down filling one of the finest concert halls in the north. Check the website for tickets — an evening like this in a venue this good is hard to beat.

Duran Duran Experience — The Cluny hosts a night of pure 80s electricity from 7:30pm as the Duran Duran Experience recreate the glamour, the synths, and the irresistible grooves of one of the decade's defining bands. The Cluny is a venue that knows how to make a live show feel warm and alive, so expect a room full of people who know every single word to Rio. Check the website for ticket details and get there early to soak up the atmosphere.

Shindig: Sasha — If you are chasing the perfect end to a perfect Saturday, World HQ from 9:00pm is the only address that matters — Shindig brings the legendary DJ Sasha to one of Newcastle's most respected clubs for a night of deep, hypnotic, and euphoric electronic music. Sasha's ability to read a room and build a journey over hours is simply unmatched, and World HQ provides exactly the right intimate, committed dancefloor for it to hit hardest. Tickets are £20 to £26 — honestly, worth every penny.

Newcastle Beyond Van Gogh — Running in waves from 9:00am onwards at the Utilita Arena, this immersive experience drops you inside the turbulent, luminous world of Vincent van Gogh — think swirling Starry Nights and golden sunflowers projected floor-to-ceiling all around you. It is the kind of exhibition that makes even seasoned gallery-goers gasp, and with multiple entry slots throughout the day, you can slot it around everything else. Prices are listed on the website, and a Flexi ticket option is also available for extra booking flexibility.

Shorty Sundays — NQ64 is one of Newcastle's most brilliantly bonkers venues — a retro arcade bar where the controls are always within reach — and Shorty Sundays from 11:00am is their standing invitation for families to come and play together. Kids and grown-ups can battle it out on classic arcade cabinets in an atmosphere that is genuinely joyful rather than just tolerated. Check the website for the latest pricing and age guidance, and get in early before the queues build.

Hoedown Sundays — Dust off your boots and head to Cowgirls And Country from 2:00pm, where Hoedown Sundays transforms the afternoon into a full-throttle country and western party. At £40 it is a commitment, but by all accounts this crowd gives it everything — line dancing, big sounds, and an energy that makes a regular Sunday feel very far away. If you have ever wanted to try something wildly out of your usual comfort zone, this is the one.

DIGITAL presents: Tre Reynolds + guests @ Ouseburn Garden — From 3:00pm, the gorgeous outdoor setting of Ouseburn Garden becomes the stage for a proper open-air electronic music session courtesy of DIGITAL, one of the North East's most respected club nights. Tre Reynolds heads the bill, bringing a sound that is sophisticated and seriously danceable, with the fresh air and greenery of the Ouseburn Valley adding something you simply cannot replicate indoors. Tickets run from £8 to £25 — an absolute steal for a Sunday afternoon that feels like a mini-festival.

GHOSTS OF GARAGE: Newcastle Launch w/ MJ COLE - FREE Entry — UK garage royalty MJ Cole rolls into Freight Island Newcastle from 5:00pm for the launch of Ghosts Of Garage in the city, and the entry is free — yes, actually free. MJ Cole helped write the soundtrack to a generation with that warm, soulful, skippy two-step sound, and hearing it live in a venue as atmospheric as Freight Island is the kind of evening you will be telling people about for weeks. Get there early; a free Cole show will not stay quiet for long.

Slow Mass + Outlander + Dish Texas — The Cluny is one of those venues that wraps itself around live music like it was built for nothing else, and from 7:00pm it hosts a three-band bill headlined by Slow Mass alongside Outlander and Dish Texas. Whether you are already a fan or just someone who loves discovering new guitar music on a Sunday night, this is the kind of intimate gig that reminds you why live music matters. Check the website for ticket prices and grab them before they go.