We’ve changed our name.

We used to be Sage Gateshead. We’re now The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. New name. Same great home for live music lovers. 

Our search for a new name started when it was announced that an arena and conference centre would be built next door and would be called The Sage. So to avoid confusion we wanted to come up with a new name that reflected who and what we are.

But while we’ve changed our look, our commitment to great live music for everyone remains at the heart of everything we do.

You can read more about how we became The Glasshouse and find answers to frequently asked questions on this page – or you can email us with questions at customerfeedback@theglasshouseicm.org.

How we became The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

We chose our new name and tagline by listening to people from across the North East of England and beyond. Back in June 2022, we held focus groups and launched a public campaign where hundreds of you shared your stories and memories of hearing and learning music with us. We celebrated this with a dedicated website where thousands watched and listened to each other’s stories.

We did workshops with our staff to hear about their experience from the inside. And thought about how we could bring all your amazing memories and connections front and centre of our new identity.

Our new name and brand are inspired by the idea that:

Music lives and grows here.

Because you told us that’s why we matter.

From first strums to headline performances, meeting your musical heroes to simply being part of ‘a collective of music lovers’ – we spent our summer seeing ourselves through your eyes and ears. And that’s what we wanted to reflect back with our new brand.

Our new look

So how do you represent all this in a brand? A logo? A colour palette? Luckily, we had Manchester-based design team Music, to help us with this.

We needed an identity that reflected the vibrancy and energy of music making that happens at The Glasshouse and our activity around the region. Bright cyan and cool blues, zesty orange and greens, alongside atmospheric dark greens and reds. A colour palette to transport you through the many moods of music – and remind you of the blue skies and waterways of the North East – whenever you visit us in person, scroll our website or a new brochure lands on your doormat.

As for our logo, one comment helped lock in what it should be. That our bold architecture was ‘as much a symbol of home as the Tyne Bridge’.

Our building is a place where people feel at home. Where music happens. We’re proud to play such a prominent role on the Newcastle Gateshead skyline so it needed to stand just as proud in our brand.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Glasshouse International Centre for Music?

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is a home for live music lovers.

It’s a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or opera singers. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum-selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practise in the same spaces as our acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Because as an international centre for music we’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from our region or bringing the world’s best artists to our stages. And as a charity we’re focused on making sure all of that is available to anyone – no matter where you’re from, how old you are, how much money you have, or what challenges you face.

Which is why every year more than 2 million people are able to join us for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in our own venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.

So whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows here.

If I have a Sage Gateshead ticket, is it still valid?

We’re re-issuing all e-tickets to include our new name. By Friday 15 September, we’ll have emailed you your new e-ticket. This means your original e-ticket will no longer be valid.

If you get to the venue and you only have your original e-ticket, it won’t be valid, so just pop along to the box office and they’ll be happy to reprint your ticket.

If you were posted a ticket, it will still be valid. We’re working hard to reduce the amount of paper we use, so we won’t be sending you a new printed ticket. You don’t need to swop your printed ticket for a new one, but if you’d like it as a souvenir – box office can reprint it for you.

If you have any questions, you can visit our Tickets page, pop along to our Box Office in person, email us at boxoffice@theglasshouseicm.org or call us on 0191 443 4661.

I didn’t purchase my ticket via your website or box office, what do I need to do?

If you didn’t purchase your ticket through our website or box office, then both your e-tickets and printed tickets will still be valid. There’s no need to get them swapped.

Why have you changed your name?

We decided to change our name when it was announced that a new conference centre and arena built next door would be called The Sage.

We welcome this investment in the region, helping to complete Gateshead Quays as a thriving cultural destination. Sage Group continue to support our charitable work through our longstanding partnership.

Our new name and brand came about through lots of conversations with people in the region – audiences, artists, music-makers, young people, families, volunteers and colleagues. It reflects who we are and what we’re about. With us, every ticket bought, every drink ordered, and every donation made goes back into supporting music and musicians in our region.

We look forward to the next chapter in our story as part of the Gateshead Quays.

What’s happening at Gateshead Quays?

The Sage, a new arena and convention centre, is being built next door to us. This new commercial development will operate as part of an international network of large-scale venues that includes stadiums and arenas.

This development will complete the Quayside and create a unique destination in the UK, made up of cultural venues, entertainment, business, and education.

The Glasshouse and BALTIC have been on this quayside since the early 2000s, and this development will help further develop the area as an international destination.

Does this mean the relationship with Sage Group is ending?  

No. Sage Group remains an active and committed partner, just in a different way.  

Were Sage Group involved in choosing your new name?  

No more than anyone else. We asked audiences, music-makers, staff, and artists who play here why we matter.

Hundreds shared memories of hearing and learning music with us and what this meant to them. They told us about the power and the joy of music, the feeling of being on stage, the memories they’ve made, the music they’ve created together with others, and the sense of community they find here. That’s how we came up with our new name, and our new tagline.

How do I find out more about the process behind changing your name?

You can read the story of how we went from being Sage Gateshead to our new name, The Glasshouse, on this page.

If I have another question, who do I ask?

If you have another question relating to our name change, please email customerfeedback@theglasshouseicm.org.