Staying in one of our Newcastle hotels on a city break? There’s no reason to come home empty-handed, because the UK’s largest shopping centre is just a short hop from the centre of town. With a mix of cool and quirky independent boutiques and high-street favourites amid its 330 stores, this is retail therapy on a massive scale - you’ll find something for every taste, style or budget.
Just three miles south-west of Newcastle, towards Gateshead, the regular bus and train service make it easy to find. But the Metrocentre is so vast, you may get lost once you’re inside. If you were to walk its entire circumference you’ll have covered three and half miles, and it takes 2,250 man hours to deck its halls come Christmas-time (along with 18 lorry-loads of decorations). There are over 50 places to eat and an Odeon IMAX cinema - the only one in the North East. And, even if you hate shopping with a passion, you could always head to the Namco Funscape to race on the fastest dodgems in Europe.
Start your shopping trip to the Metrocentre in style by staying nearby. The Newcastle (Metro Centre) Premier Inn is only a short drive away from all the bright lights and indulgence - and its comfortable beds and great breakfasts never go out of fashion.
Metrocentre
Metrocentre
Metrocentre
Essential Information
While there’s every store you can imagine, it’s not just about shopping here. People go to the Metrocentre to meet and have fun, too. With leisure opportunities, kids’ activities and must-see events laid on throughout the year, here’s what you can expect on your great Geordie day out.
Shopping
With big department stores like House of Fraser and Debenhams rubbing shoulders with the likes of Primark, H&M and Topshop, pretty much every high street fashion shop is represented. There are a number of quirky boutiques in The Village and The Forum, while the Metrocentre’s newest development, the Platinum Mall, has designer brands in a glitzy setting. There’s also large branches of Lego, Disney and Apple Store.
Leisure
The Metrocentre is a leisure destination in its own right. Take a break from shopping at the Namco Funscape entertainment centre which features 18 ten-pin bowling lanes, a soft play area and pool lounge, along with a bar. It also boasts the fastest dodgems in Europe - great for racing the family. You’ll also find the only Odeon IMAX cinema in the region at the Metrocentre, with 12 screens, two bars and a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream stand.
Events
From celebrity appearances to art displays, there’s always something going on. Recent events have included a pop-up planetarium and a zen zone where you could join in with meditation and get a free massage. But the Metrocentre really pulls out all the stops at Christmas,with its own panto (featuring store mascots the Metrognomes), huge carol concerts and the region’s most spectacular Christmas grotto.
Family fun
Kids will love riding the little train that runs the length of the mall. A great way to see what’s on offer, it costs £2 per person and picks up and drops off at the Disney Store. There’s also an outdoor play area near the yellow car park, with climbing walls and a fireman’s pole. Visiting in the school holidays? The Metrognomes mascots are always on hand for photos, and host regular musical shows.
Top Tip
Had to bring your wheelie suitcase with you to the Metrocentre (or just bought too much to carry)? Stow it away at the safe and secure lockers. You’ll find them in the upper Blue mall near Greggs and lower Yellow mall behind the Customer Services desk and the largest ones cost up to £6 for ten hours.
While it was opened back in 1986, the Metrocentre is constantly updating to provide all the state-of-the-art facilities you could think of to encourage you to stay all day.
Opening Times
The Metrocentre opens from 9am from Monday to Saturday, and at 11am on Sunday. Most shops shut at 9pm on weekdays, 7pm on Saturdays. and 5pm on Sundays, while the restaurants and cinema open long into the night.
Facilities
There are ATMs, toilets and customer service desks throughout. The lower blue mall has its own customer service lounge where you can read free newspapers and surf the net. Families are well catered for, with buggies for hire and a kids’ club offering big discounts.
Layout
While it’s huge, the Metrocentre is easy to navigate. It’s split into colour-coded malls - blue, green, yellow and red - and each of these has a dedicated car park. Should you get lost, head to a customer services desk - there’s one in each mall.
Accessibility
There are lifts, level access and wheelchairs and scooters available to hire, free of charge (after paying a refundable deposit). Each of the car parks has designated disabled and accessible parking bays, but you must display your blue badge.
Eating and Drinking
Dieters beware! The Metrocentre’s yellow zone food court, known as Qube, is packed full of 50 different eateries, each offering some delicious temptations.
Quick bites
Looking for something to grab and go? There’s sandwiches at Pret and tasty savouries at Gregg’s. Fast food-wise there’s a McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Subway. But for something a little different, try Five Guys, Bun and Roll for Vietnamese street food or a super-fast MOD pizza.
Cafes
Get your caffeine fix at Costa - there are four to choose from. Or head to Beckleberry’s, where coffee shop meets ice cream parlour. There’s Mooboo for some deliciously different bubble tea, or the Krispy Kreme cafe where you can tuck into your favourite doughnut while you sip your coffee
Sit-down meal
Alongside chains like Carluccio’s, Frankie and Benny’s and Coast to Coast, you’ll find some exciting new restaurants to try. There’s Thaikhun for Thai street food, Barburrito for healthy Mexican fare or you could make like the locals and head to Buffet King for an oriental all-you-can-eat buffet.
Bars
Sip some champagne or sparkling wine at the white marble island bar at Oh You Pretty Things, or head to Ambar at the Odeon for cocktails, beers and bar snacks. The Namco Funscape has its own bar and lounge, where you can shoot some pool while you relax with a drink.
Near the intu Metrocentre
Don’t fancy shopping all day? There are plenty of things to do within easy reach of the Metrocentre.Get some exercise at the Jump Arena trampoline park - it’s less than half a mile from the shopping centre and it’s full of all things to fling yourself around on, from giant air bags to massive foam pits.
If that sounds a bit too much like hard work, the fantastic Discovery Museum is less than two miles away. Here you can explore the maritime, scientific and industrial history of the north east - and marvel at the famous Turbinia steam boat.
Getting to the Metrocentre
Travelling to Metrocentre from the centre of Newcastle is really easy. There are nearly 10,000 parking spaces across four car parks, and the centre has its own bus and train station with direct links to the city.
By car
It takes just 15 minutes to drive from the city centre to the Metrocentre and parking is free of charge once you get there. The code for your sat nav is NE11 9YG and it’s well sign-posted from the A1, which even has extra lanes for less queues at busy times.
By bus
Over a hundred buses an hour arrive at the Metrocentre’s own bus station from all over the region. From Newcastle city centre, take the intu Metrocentre Shuttle 100 - there’s one every eight minutes and it takes 15 minutes to get to the shopping centre.
By train
If you’re coming via the Metro system, you’ll need to take a bus from either Monument, Central and Gateshead Metro stations. Buy a transfare ticket because this will let you hop off and onto any bus that takes you the rest of the way to the Metrocentre.