Described as the largest single-site F&B and entertainment venue in a UK city centre, the venue is set open at Eldon Square in the city in the autumn.
Inspired by the likes of Coney Island in New York and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, the new £16m space will span 60,000sq feet and will reclaim the top floor of the former Debenhams department store as well as additional roof top space.
The venue will transform the top floor of the former store offering a mix of experiences, including global street food, a food hall with communal seating under a retractable roof, family-friendly events, DJ sets, and live performances.
Freight Island will also be home to wine tanks as part of a sustainability-focused single-producer-led wine programme, an aperitivo cocktail bar, and a diverse beer range.
Another key feature will be a purpose-built Music Box — a venue for live music and touring acts that will allow Freight Island to host events, including corporate gatherings, art showcases, theatre, national festivals and international tours.
“This venue has been designed with scale, prominence, and long-term investment in mind and we’re delighted to have worked with Pradera Lateral, XPE Group plc and Newcastle City Council to bring it to Newcastle,” says Dan Morris, co-founder and managing director at Freight Island.
“We hope to replicate the huge success of Freight Island in Manchester, where it has already contributed over £30m to the local economy.”
“Newcastle is the perfect location to take Freight Island to the next level. The city is growing rapidly, and Freight Island will play an important part in that by nurturing local talent, whilst bringing our vibrant mix of food, drink, music, and entertainment to this incredible city.”
Newcastle regeneration
Freight Island has signed a 15-year lease at the Eldon Square site, which is set to be a major catalyst for Newcastle’s regeneration, which is being boosted by a number of investments including Newcastle City Council £50m City Centre Transformation Programme and the extensive Pilgrim Street redevelopment.
“Freight Island is more than just an entertainment venue; it’s a transformative project that will enable us to accelerate the performance of Eldon Square whilst celebrating the incredible culture that Newcastle is renowned for,” says Kitty Vaughan, head of UK leisure and F&B at Pradera Lateral, Eldon Square’s asset management team.
“The £16m investment transforms Eldon Square into the beating heart of Newcastle and is an important building block in our ambitious growth plans for the centre.”
Freight Island opened in Manchester in 2020 when it transformed a derelict space at Manchester’s Mayfield Depot into a 600-capacity venue.