Newcastle is a city in northeastern England on the north bank of the River Tyne. The city today is a bustling business and cultural centre with a reputation for nightlife.

During the day, go take a look at the dramatic bridges that cross the Tyne Gorge. Wander the streets — Newcastle still has a medieval street layout with narrow pedestrian-only alleys called ‘chares’ along the riverside. Ancient stairs rising up to the higher parts of the city centre still exist. There are also several museums to see throughout the city:

o The Centre for Life and Science Village
o The Discovery Museum, for the history of Newcastle
o The Newburn Hall Motor Museum
o The Great North Museum

Live theater is a proud tradition of Newcastle. The largest and the oldest of them all is the Theater Royal on Grey Street, known for presenting both Shakespeare and West End musicals. Other theaters to try include The Round Theater, the Jubilee, Northern Stage, the People’s Theater and the Journal Tyne Theater.

Before going out to the theater and sampling the nightlife, try one of the wide range of restaurants. You’ll find Spanish, Polish, Greek, Japanese, Italian, French, Chinese, Indian, Moroccan, Persian, Lebanese, Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese and Mongolian cuisines, as well as several top-flight restaurants run by top chefs.

Now let’s talk about the nightlife. You’ll find bars, nightclubs and pubs all along Bigg Market and on the Quayside near the city centre. For high-end clubs, go to the Central Station area, the Diamond Strip on Collingwood Street, Neville Street and Osborne Road in the Jesmond neighborhood. A new indoor complex called The Gate has opened recently in the city centre with numerous clubs, bars and restaurants.

And there are many festivals stretching out over several days all year long:
o In February, Chinatown, on Stowell Street in the north-west end of Grainger Town, celebrates the Chinese New Year.
o In April, the Newcastle Beer Festival celebrates, what else, beer.
o In May, during the bank holiday, the Evolution Festival presents live indie and dance music on the Quayside.
o In March, every two years, the AV Festival presents concerts, screenings and exhibitions on electronic art.
o In mid-June, the EAT! NewcastleGateshead festival runs for two weeks celebrating the food and drink of the region.
o In June, the Hoppings Fair in Europe takes over Newcastle Town Moor, coinciding with Race Week over at High Gosforth Park.
o In June, the Newcastle Community Green Festival celebrates community and the environment in Leazes Park.
o In June, the Northern Rock Cyclone presents a cycling festival within and around Newcastle.
o In late July, the Ouseburn Festival sets up near the city centre for, among other days, Family Fun Day and Carnival Day.
o In August, on the bank holiday weekend, the Newcastle Mela is a two-day multi-cultural celebration of music, food and drama from the Pakistani, Punjabi, Hindu and Bengali cultures.
o In October, the SAMA Festival celebrates the culture of East Asia.