Newcastle Gateshead Music City
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- About
This city knows how to make noise. It always has.
Music in Newcastle Gateshead has long been more than entertainment. It brings people together, carries stories, and creates spaces where voices are heard. For generations, sound has been part of how this place expresses itself – in joy, in resistance, in celebration, and in solidarity. That instinct remains. But the opportunity now is bigger.
Newcastle Gateshead Music City is entering its next phase, bringing together artists, venues, communities, and industry to strengthen the region’s music ecosystem and ensure its voice is heard nationally and internationally.
Our Foundation Report
The publication of the Foundation Report marks the first step in setting the long-term direction of Newcastle Gateshead Music City.
Developed with Counterculture and Newcastle University, and supported by the North East Combined Authority, the research draws on conversations with artists, venues, industry professionals, businesses and supporters from across the local music ecosystem.
It brings together a year of research and listening to understand the realities of making, supporting and sustaining music across the city region – and where collective action can make the greatest difference.
The research recognises both the strength of what already exists in Newcastle Gateshead and the barriers that must be addressed to unlock long-term success. These insights cut across the whole ecosystem, from talent development and infrastructure to access, sustainability and growth.
This report distils those insights into six initial areas of focus for Newcastle Gateshead Music City.
What’s next
In 2026, these focus areas will be developed into a Strategic Plan. Through collaboration with partners locally, nationally and internationally, Newcastle Gateshead will continue to shape a world-class, connected and sustainable music ecosystem built for long-term impact.
About Newcastle Gateshead Music City
Newcastle Gateshead Music City champions the role of music in shaping the region’s cultural identity, economic growth, and global reputation. Music here connects communities, builds opportunity, and drives cultural and economic value. Our role is to ensure that contribution is recognised, supported, and sustained. Working with artists, venues, businesses, and civic partners, Newcastle Gateshead Music City strengthens the infrastructure needed for music to thrive creatively, culturally, and economically. This work is rooted in collaboration with those who make and support music at every level.
The initiative is led by Generator and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, building a connected and future-facing music ecosystem for the region.
