THE UK city home to the first Greggs is getting a huge new American-inspired food attraction.
Following on from its success in Manchester, Freight Island is set to open its second site in Newcastle.
A new tourist attraction is to open in Newcastle following it’s success in Manchester (pictured)[/caption]
The £16million tourist destination will transform a former Debenhams unit in Eldon Square to become the largest food, drink, and entertainment venue in a UK city centre.
Inspired by the likes of New York’s Coney Island and Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, Newcastle‘s Freight Island will be a mixture of family-friendly events.
Located on the top floor of the defunct department store, the 60,000 square foot space will have a selection of food stalls and a new live music venue.
Called the Music Box, the new venue will host a variety of touring acts from art showcases, theatre shows, national festivals and DJ sets.
Raves for kids will also be part of its roster of events.
There will also be a restaurant onsite as well as communal seating areas underneath a retractable roof.
A specialist Aperitivo cocktail bar will have cocktails on tap as well as wines and beers.
The new city centre attraction is slated to open in the autumn, with an official date yet to be revealed.
Co-founder and managing director of Freight Island, Dan Morris, said: “This venue has been designed with scale, prominence, and long-term investment in mind.
“We hope to replicate the huge success of Freight Island in Manchester, where it has already contributed over £30 million to the local economy.
“This incredible venue in the heart of a very special city offers a truly exciting opportunity to create a cultural space that could become a focal point of Newcastle for years to come.”
Until Freight Island opens later this year, there are plenty of other activities and attractions to keep visitors entertained in the underrated UK city.
Newcastle is home to Grey Street, which is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful streets thanks to its Georgian architecture.
The road runs from the ornate Theatre Royal down towards the city’s iconic quayside where the famous Tyne and Millenium bridges are found.
Freight Island will have to compete for a spot on Newcastle’s culinary map, with Gordon Ramsay declaring the curry he had at Khai Khai was as good as some that he had tried in India.
The celebrity chef said: “I had one of the best curries in my entire life, that took me back to being in Mumbai and Rajasthan.”
From fine dining to fast food, Newcastle is home of British fast food staple Greggs, with the first branch opening in the city 80 years ago.
There are plenty of things to do in Newcastle, including a walk over the Tyne and Millenium bridges[/caption]
There are plenty of other sites in the city too, including the Baltic Centre for contemporary art.
The former flower mill hosts a range of variety of exhibitions, events and educational programmes.
If you’re in need of a laugh, there’s also the Stand comedy club where A-list performers have been spotted trying out new material.
And for families, there’s also The Hoppings – the largest funfair in Europe.
It’s been running since 1882 and sees more than 400 of the country’s biggest and brightest attractions arrive at the town moor for a week of fun each year.
What is it like to visit Newcastle?
THE SUN’S David Whitley recently visited Newcastle, here’s what he thought…
Newcastle, with its wild party scene, has a strong reputation as a city break for adults.
But how does the Toon pass muster with kids in tow?
There’s a slightly old-fashioned feel to the Discovery Museum — it largely focuses on the history of Newcastle and the River Tyne, which is more of interest to parents.
Understandably, the sections on the coal industry don’t grip the girls but the interactive segments are great.
They try on Norman helmets, pull on ropes to get cargo off a ship and attack the Science Maze section with gusto.
No one will claim Newcastle Castle is the most impressive in Britain but what makes it special is that it is in the city centre.
There’s no set tour to follow, which means the girls are free to scamper up staircases, down passageways and through heavy wooden doors.
They revel in being able to explore, having free run of the maze-like castle keep.
They find prison cells, a chapel and medieval-style toilets.
The star attraction, however, is the planetarium.
Here, a show about the constellations opens the girls’ eyes to the scale of the universe.
They’re wowed to discover a star that’s a million times bigger than the sun, and a supernova playing out across the overhead dome is dazzling.
The UK’s busiest train station is also undergoing a multi-billion development.
And here’s the first look at the London skyscraper set to be one of the tallest in Europe.
Freight Island will open in autumn 2025[/caption]
