The Glasshouse

From evenings packed with Broadway classics to 007 and favourites like Kate Rusby to The Unthanks and The Snowman and Home Alone film screenings with Royal Northern Sinfonia, The Glasshouse has a Santa sack filled with warming winter treats and nights out for all tastes to make this festive season extra special.

The Glasshouse invites you to rock around the Christmas tree with them this year. It’s alive with music this December kicking off with the beguiling The Unthanks in Winter, a mesmerising winter fantasia which is sure to delight fans (3 Dec).

The influential and unforgettable Midge Ure sums up his iconic musical journey at a night filled with his greatest hits, guaranteed to get the building jumping (4 Dec).

The three-part vocal harmony group at the forefront of the UK Americana, folk and country music scenes, The Wandering Hearts returns to The Glasshouse with Driving Home for Christmas, an evening of festive song, stories and laughter (6 Dec)

It wouldn’t be Christmas without two of the best films screened to live music at The Glasshouse. Home Alone in Concert is set to warm hearts with mischievous nostalgia (7 & 8 Dec). As the clock creeps to Christmas Eve, fill small children with wonder with The Snowman in Concert – a timeless classic (22 – 24 Dec).

Martin Stephenson is one of Britain’s best-loved musicians. As a talented solo artist and with his band, The Daintees, he’s produced over 40 albums. His live performances are an exuberant tour-de-force, combining heart-in-your-mouth intimacy with playful humour and warm self-deprecation. The Glasshouse welcomes this Washington lad for a fantastic night of music (7 Dec).

Seven of the UK’s best brass players come together as Septura to wow audiences with five centuries of the greatest festive classical music ever written, including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite narrated by Classic FM presenter Zeb Soanes (8 Dec).

After three sell-out tours, the ultimate Irish-inspired Christmas concert is back with an even bigger production for 2024. Fairytale of New York sees singers, musicians, and dancers perform all the hits in this energetic, feel-good Celtic Christmas knees-up (9 & 10 Dec).

In a night of sparkle and spectacular tunes, Royal Northern Sinfonia join sparkling West End and Broadway guests for Christmas at the Musicals: a night to make audiences laugh, cry and leave on a high (11 Dec).

Superstar saxophonist Jess Gillam sounds the festival fanfare with her ensemble in a funky, spirited night of electrifying musical friendship taking in festive favourites from all corners of the musical universe (12 Dec).

Next door on the same night is Luther– the world’s premier show that celebrates the velvety sounds of Luther Vandross, bringing his amazing career to life, including the hits Here and Now, I Really Didn’t Mean It, So Amazing, The Best Things in Life Are Free and many more (12 Dec).

Swing into the festive season with Paul Edis and his swing band friends in what’s become a Christmas tradition, A Jazzy Christmas (15 Dec). Another opportunity to catch that big band vibe comes from the internationally acclaimed BBC Big Band. With legendary conductor Barry Forgie and the extraordinary talents of vocalist Emer McParland, they perform a sparkling collection of seasonal favourites (17 Dec).

For a more traditional Christmas concert, an incredible line-up of soloists will get together with conductor Dinis Sousa and Royal Northern Sinfonia for Handel’s joyous Handel’s Messiah (15 Dec).

Five leading lights of the British roots scene link up to create a festive folk band like no other. A Winter Union shares soaring harmonies and exquisite musicianship across a repertoire of brand new, specially written songs, fresh arrangements of traditional carols and seasonal classics from both sides of the Atlantic (17 Dec).

Full of warmth and charm and featuring songs from her latest charting Christmas album, Light Years, Kate Rusby rounds off 2024 in style with her annual and much anticipated Christmas tour (18 Dec).

Staying true to their North Eastern, Northern Soul roots, Smoove & Turrell’s mix of songs about working-class life, tributes to lost loved ones, and floor fillers have built a friendly, loyal fanbase over the years (20 Dec).

Join Jez Lowe and his intrepid band of Bad Pennies travelling the globe in search of joy, laughter, music, song and the true spirit of Christmas with their harmonies, Northumbrian pipes and guitars, fiddles, bass and piano (22 Dec).

Between Christmas and New Year, there’s family fun, date nights and more. Back by popular demand, Romanian-British pianist Alexandra Dariescu and ballerina Imogen-Lily Ash come together for a redesigned multimedia performance of The Nutcracker (29 Dec).

Calling all James Bond fans for a night of double-o-heaven with Royal Northern Sinfonia and West End stars Louise Dearman and Oliver Tompsett belting out the big tunes, including Skyfall, Goldfinger and The World is Not Enough (30 Dec).

Unashamed musical joy fills The Glasshouse on New Year’s Day with its version of the famous Viennese traditional concert. Packed with heart-on-sleeve melodies, ravishing waltzes and a brilliant array of composers beyond Strauss, Royal Northern Sinfonia is led by its new Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti (1 Jan at The Glasshouse and then on tour).

Royal Northern Sinfonia also lights up beautiful buildings with classical music on its tour from Carlisle to Cullercoats, Bishop Auckland to Berwick, Hartlepool to Hexham (28 Nov – 5 Dec). This is the biggest candlelit tour yet, and more music fans in the North will see this spectacular concert than ever before. Expect to hear the orchestra’s signature blend of classical chart-toppers and lesser-known gems, brimming with cheer.

The much-loved £5 ticket scheme returns to The Glasshouse in 2024, helping to bring music to all throughout December. The discounted tickets are distributed through local partner charities, who support people going through times in Newcastle and Gateshead with the hope of making a festive night out affordable this year.

Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of The Glasshouse, said:

“Christmas at The Glasshouse is a very special time for us. There is an incredible array of shows and brilliant artists coming to our stages throughout December, and truly something for anyone who enjoys music, whether that’s folk, jazz, swing, soul or classical. Meanwhile, Royal Northern Sinfonia is back lighting up the region with their Christmas by Candlelight concerts.

“Over 1000 of our tickets will be priced at £5 and £2.50, for those who otherwise might not be able to come. As always, we want as many people as possible to celebrate Christmas with music this year and look forward to rocking around our Christmas tree with you.”

/ENDS

Media contact: Susie Gray, Susie.gray@premiercomms.com 07834 073795

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About 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 string quartets. 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 its acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Because as an international centre for music they’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from the region or bringing the world’s best artists to their stages. And as a charity they’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 for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in their venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.

Whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows there.

More about The Glasshouse

International Centre for Music

• From global stars to artists starting out, The Glasshouse has hosted 10,022 performances, totalling 4.7m tickets. To have seen every performance would have meant seeing one show every day for 27 years.
• It’s hosted over 220,000 music lessons for North East folk. The region’s young people have learnt to play, sing or produce with us, on over 1.7m occasions.
• Royal Northern Sinfonia perform at The Glasshouse, tour the region, and have played to international audiences on four continents, with livestreams reaching people across five.
• Like stepping stones, artists like Ward Thomas have worked their way from their free stages to selling out its big hall and getting global recognition.
• The Glasshouse regularly opens its doors to a wide range of conferences and events. Since 2004, they’ve welcome over 400,000 delegates from the likes of Greggs, NHS and British Engines, and many, many more.
• The charity is one of Gateshead’s biggest employers, and so far it’s generated £500m of economic value to the region.
• The charity has been the proud guardians of The Glasshouse for almost 20 years, safeguarding it when live music was put on hold during the pandemic.
• The centre has 630 panes of glass and stands 40m tall.