Creative Central NCL is part of The Late Shows 2026, with live music, poetry, street art and interactive art taking place across central Newcastle on Saturday 9 May.
From Grainger Market to Discovery Museum, this year’s programme includes events and commissions that bring something extra into the city centre for the night, whether that is live performance, something hands-on, or a reason to look at familiar places differently.
What to look out for
Grainger Unplugged, Grainger Market
Grainger Market will be filled with live music as bands and buskers pop up across the aisles, creating a lively late-night atmosphere in one of Newcastle’s best-known public spaces.
Visitors can expect performances from artists and musicians who are part of Generator’s Independent Artist Development programme, including:
Naomi Kelly, Rosie Larada, Jamie Beth, Savannah Lily, Jamie Dickinson, Jonny Goodwin, North Riding and Nadeem.
Alongside performances, you can enjoy street food, drinks and late-night shopping, giving the market a different feel for the evening.
Visitors can also join artist Bianco Perry to paint a 90s-inspired mini still life, capturing — and eating — iconic 90s snacks in all their nostalgic glory.
True North, Amy Langdown, various venues
Created by poet Amy Langdown, True North is a poetry trail installed across six sites in the city centre. The work invites people to look up, wander and come across words that reflect the energy, curiosity and creative life of the city.
Spread across multiple locations, the trail adds another layer to the night, linking places together as people move through town.
Streets Alive – Urban Gallery, Newcastle Arts Centre
At Newcastle Arts Centre, you can see the opening night of Streets Alive – Urban Gallery, an exhibition celebrating the street art on Forth Lane and Pink Lane.
The exhibition highlights the public art and environmental improvements created through the involvement of artists and designers in the Forth and Pink Lane Urban Galleries, a Creative Central NCL series of commissions in partnership with NE1, Newcastle Arts Centre and Project North East.
During The Late Shows, visitors can meet artists involved in the project and help contribute ideas and images for new artworks in the Lanes. Guided by the artists, people will be invited to take part in two new panels: one made up of community portraits and another bringing together creative responses to the urban landscape.
The new artworks will add to the Urban Galleries and help further establish Forth Lane and Pink Lane as places for public and community art.
Seven Bridges, SALT, Discovery Museum
At Discovery Museum, visitors can experience Seven Bridges, a collaborative sound installation by music producers SALT, inspired by the Tyne’s iconic bridges. By stepping onto sensor pads, participants unlock different layers of sound and build the piece together in real time.
It is interactive, playful and best experienced with other people.
Creative Central NCL X The Late Shows 2026
The Late Shows is always a good excuse to see the city differently, and this year’s Creative Central NCL-supported work is part of that mix. Whether you start in Grainger Market, head to Discovery Museum, Newcastle Arts Centre or come across True North on the way, these projects are there to be stumbled on, joined in with and enjoyed as part of the evening.
The Late Shows takes place on Friday 8 May in Ouseburn and Saturday 9 May across central Newcastle and Gateshead.
You can explore the full Creative Central NCL programme on The Late Shows website.