Topics > Newcastle City Centre > Streets > Northumberland Road > Newcastle City Hall
Newcastle City Hall
City Hall is located on Northumberland Road, Newcastle. It was designed by Nicholas & Dixon-Spain and opened in 1927. A Harrison and Harrison organ, with over 4,000 pipes was installed in 1928 for choral and orchestral concerts and organ recitals. City Hall became a major venue for orchestras, rock and pop bands, comedy acts, and civic functions. City Hall is adjacent to Northumberland Baths ('City Baths') and together are a Grade II listed building.
Newcastle City Hall is a concert hall located in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. Opened in 1927, the City Hall was built as a part of a development which also included the adjacent City Pool. It has since become a venue for orchestras, rock and pop bands, and comedy acts, as well as for celebrity recitals, talks and civic functions.
Organ
In 1928, to create the city's first dedicated concert venue, a Harrison and Harrison organ was built. A concert instrument, as opposed to a cathedral specification, it has been used for choral and orchestral concerts as well as organ recitals. It has 4,274 pipes, with a number of unique stops and has been described as "A Rolls-Royce" of organs.
The organ is currently in a poor state of repair, although as a result of its neglect, the instrument is probably the last and largest example of a Harrison tubular-pneumatic action (most other large organs were converted to electro-pneumatic action after World War II). The organ is also unusual in that it is unaltered, as most comparable organs have been modified, added-to or revoiced.
The British Institute of Organ Studies awarded it a Grade 1 Historic Organ Certificate in 2003, and it is classified as part of the hall's Grade II status.
Closure threat
In November 2012, Newcastle City Council announced that, as part of a wider cost-cutting process, the future of the City Hall and the adjacent City Pool is under review, with a number of options being considered including closure or handing over the venue to an external operator. Council leader Nick Forbes pre-empted the outcome of the consulations process by stating that the City Hall has "No long-term future". In response, a 13,000 name petition against closure was presented to Newcastle City Council on 31 January 2013 by members of the Facebook 'North East Music History Group'. The City Pool has since closed, although the City Hall remains open.
In April 2016 it was announced that the Theatre Royal Trust had taken over management of the venue.
Noted musical acts
In 1981, Motörhead recorded the majority of the tracks for their live album, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, at the City Hall. The album was #1 on the UK billboard charts for almost 2 months following its release that year. That same year, Slade performed and recorded their show, which was later released as a live album, entitled Slade on Stage. Emerson, Lake and Palmer recorded their live album, Pictures at an Exhibition, there on 26 March 1971.
The Animals reunited and performed there for a one-off performance in 1968, after lead vocalist Eric Burdon disbanded them and formed a new version of the band.
In July 1970, Lindisfarne made their debut appearance at Newcastle City Hall. In December 1976, as a one-off gig, Lindisfarne played three sell-out concerts in the City Hall. This was repeated in the following years as Lindisfarne got back together, with 132 shows in total at the venue.
In December 2013, Jacka (Ray Jackson Art) will be performing with a new lineup of Lindisfarne, as part of the efforts to keep Newcastle City Hall as a music venue.
Visit the page: Newcastle City Hall for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.
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from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061970:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Maybury Malcolm 1995
Pinned by Pat Thomson
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(6265): Newcastle, Northumberland Road, City Hall
- "The City Hall and Baths (HER 6248) were built in 1928 by C. Nicholas and J.E. Dixon Spain. Neo-Georgian design with a colonnaded entrance. City Hall and Public baths. 1928. …
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![](/uploads/thumbs2/city_hall.png)
from http://newcastlecityhall.org/
Newcastle City Hall
- "Newcastle City Hall prides itself on showcasing the finest acts from around the world, be it Rock, Pop, Comedy or Musicals the biggest names in the business play the City …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7570/16043319229_dc7563fcb7_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, May 1977
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from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
054810:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1990
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
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from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061969:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Maybury Malcolm 1995
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003394:City Hall Northumberland Road/College Street Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1930
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041532:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1966
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![Alan Hull (1945-1995)](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8477/8229582328_49a069af12_z.jpg)
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Alan Hull (1945-1995)
- Overview Career Alan Hull, born in Benwell in 1945, was a singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band Lindisfarne. Hull was born at 68 Sutton's Dwellings, Benwell, Newcastle …
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048486:Organ City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1985
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060101:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1993
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NORTHUMBERLAND BATHS/CITY HALL - List Entry
- "City Hall and Public baths. 1928. Designed by Nicholas and Dixon-Spain.Steel framed, brown brick with ashlar and red brick dressings, and slate hipped roofs. Ashlar plinth. Northumberland Road, front two …
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City Baths
- Overview Map Street View Newcastle City Pool and Turkish Baths opened for public use in 1928. The Baths and adjacent City Hall together are a Grade II listed building. The …
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City Hall and Baths, Northumberland Road, Newcastle
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Northumberland Baths, City Pool and City Hall, Northumberland Road
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![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2755/4086729269_c3ab7408a6_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061970:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Maybury Malcolm 1995
Pinned by Pat Thomson
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(6265): Newcastle, Northumberland Road, City Hall
- "The City Hall and Baths (HER 6248) were built in 1928 by C. Nicholas and J.E. Dixon Spain. Neo-Georgian design with a colonnaded entrance. City Hall and Public baths. 1928. …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/city_hall.png)
from http://newcastlecityhall.org/
Newcastle City Hall
- "Newcastle City Hall prides itself on showcasing the finest acts from around the world, be it Rock, Pop, Comedy or Musicals the biggest names in the business play the City …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7570/16043319229_dc7563fcb7_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
City Hall, Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, May 1977
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/23/4084847541_80d52afd50_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
054810:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1990
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2506/4087485592_2eef4822a5_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061969:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Maybury Malcolm 1995
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2654/4075576711_2ffe98e002_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
003394:City Hall Northumberland Road/College Street Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1930
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2539/4081493896_140865ec11_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
041532:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne City Engineers 1966
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![Alan Hull (1945-1995)](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8477/8229582328_49a069af12_z.jpg)
  Co-Curate Page
Alan Hull (1945-1995)
- Overview Career Alan Hull, born in Benwell in 1945, was a singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band Lindisfarne. Hull was born at 68 Sutton's Dwellings, Benwell, Newcastle …
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2689/4081828392_be56a68202_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
048486:Organ City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1985
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2490/4086333093_3b6b1578bc_z.jpg)
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
060101:City Hall Northumberland Road Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1993
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/historic_england.png)
from https://historicengland.org.u…
NORTHUMBERLAND BATHS/CITY HALL - List Entry
- "City Hall and Public baths. 1928. Designed by Nicholas and Dixon-Spain.Steel framed, brown brick with ashlar and red brick dressings, and slate hipped roofs. Ashlar plinth. Northumberland Road, front two …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![City Baths](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/67/00/1670002_16db3d62.jpg)
  Co-Curate Page
City Baths
- Overview Map Street View Newcastle City Pool and Turkish Baths opened for public use in 1928. The Baths and adjacent City Hall together are a Grade II listed building. The …
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/64/46/4644629_6410553d.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
City Hall and Baths, Northumberland Road, Newcastle
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/67/00/1670002_16db3d62.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Northumberland Baths, City Pool and City Hall, Northumberland Road
Pinned by Simon Cotterill