Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 18:27:00

Beneath the students' union building on Newcastle University's city-centre campus sits Venue, a basement entertainment space that doubles as one of the city's busiest live-music rooms. Run by Newcastle University Students' Union (NUSU) on Kings Walk, it switches between student-union functions and public gigs, club nights and events, often within the same week. The main space is a flexible, multi-room arena with an elevated stage, a 360-degree bar and high-tech sliding dividers that let it scale from intimate shows up to a capacity in the region of a thousand or more. One night it might host a pop-up fair or the union's awards ceremony, the next a full standing gig by a major touring act. Over the years its basement stage has hosted a long list of well-known names on their way through the north-east, from indie and rock bands to chart pop acts, with the union pointing to the likes of The 1975, Lewis Capaldi, Ella Henderson and Bring Me the Horizon among those who have played there. Alongside the gigs, the building's rooms stage regular club nights spanning a range of dance genres. The venue is open to the general public as well as students, and during the annual Newcastle comedy festival its smaller spaces also host stand-up. Its location on campus, a short walk from Haymarket Metro and the city centre, makes it an accessible stop on the regional touring circuit. As a union-run space, it combines a commercial events programme with its core role serving Newcastle's student body, and can be booked out for club, society and private events. That dual purpose, paired with its adaptable basement layout, keeps it in near-constant use through the academic year. The Kings Walk building has long ranked among the city's larger live-music spaces, and over the decades its basement has hosted touring guitar bands such as The Charlatans, Travis and Primal Scream alongside dance nights and big-name DJ events. With Haymarket Metro and central bus routes close by, and the city's pubs and late-night options within walking distance, the venue sits at the centre of student life on campus.