North East venues

The North East is home to the Tyne Bridge, stunning coastlines, the Parmo – and, of course, some great small music venues.

These can be found in all corners of the region, from Newcastle city centre to Stockton-on-Tees, and each venue offers musicians something different.

Our selection includes a café with a capacity of 80, a Grade II listed building and an iconic riverside venue with a long heritage as a live space for local, national and international touring bands.

With such a diverse range of cultural institutions, it’s little wonder that some of the biggest acts in the world came to the North East to perform while they were still relatively unknown.

These include The Cribs, Reverend and the Makers and Bombay Bicycle Club, as well as local acts like Wildhearts, Maximo Park and Whitesnake.

These venues have such a standing within music that they still attract established artists on a regular basis, while at the same time providing a platform for local musicians.

Ku Bar in Stockton-on-Tees has not only recently hosted headline acts like Blossoms and Cabbage, but it also helped launch the careers of such North East favourites as Abel Raise The Cain and Avalanche Party.

For more information about the North East’s small music venues, check out our interactive map above.