Generator and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music have announced the launch of Newcastle Gateshead Music City; a game-changing initiative to drive investment, boost jobs and supercharge education and skills.
Newcastle Gateshead Music City will empower the region’s brilliant musicians and music professionals to succeed within a thriving music ecosystem, with career opportunities to rival anywhere in the UK.
Newcastle Gateshead Music City will work to bolster the rising levels of visitors enjoying and discovering live music, with music tourism to the region up by 29% in 2023 according to figures from UK Music. It will also inspire and develop the next generation of musicians from the region, with opportunities to play and learn about music.
Goals set by Newcastle Gateshead Music City include the generation of between 2000 and 4000 jobs related to music, and £750 million increased contribution to the local economy from the music sector.
North East mayor, Kim McGuinness said: “For generations, North East music has shaped our region’s identity and powered our dreams. But for too long it has been treated as an optional add-on to our economic success. As North East mayor I’m working with people from across our region to put the creative economy at the centre of our plans for economic growth.
“That means not just more fabulous music coming from talented local artists, but also space for recording, backing for live music and, crucially, a skills plan for the creative industries.
“The music city project will help make these plans a reality not just in Newcastle and Gateshead but across our North East, and I look forward to working with The Glasshouse, Generator and musicians across the region on delivering these plans.”
Award-winning North Shields singer-songwriter Sam Fender says: “I fully support the launch of Newcastle Gateshead Music City. I couldn’t be prouder of my region for its vast wealth of musical heritage.
“Music is an integral part of our culture that has been neglected historically in the North East. It’s about time we put more resource into nurturing our local talent to ensure it is taken seriously as a priority sector.”
North East headquartered music development agency, Generator has been pivotal in shaping the plans and vision for Newcastle Gateshead Music City. In the past two years, the organisation has forged partnerships with major record labels, including EMI North and Warner UK, introducing some of the most influential individuals in music to the opportunities which exist in the North East.
Generator CEO, Mick Ross said: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the region on the global map for music and the creative industries. Newcastle Gateshead has the perfect ecosystem of development organisations like Generator, existing and future venues, educational facilities and industry investment, and crucially, a cultural environment and population that wholly embraces the creative sector and the economic opportunities it presents for everybody.
“Adding the collective civic and political willingness to make such ambitious plans come to fruition, now is the time for all those component parts to come together and to make Music City happen.
“At Generator, we feel an enormous sense of duty, pride and determination to be the beating heart of what will be a collective commitment of so many to make this happen and see the region thrive creatively and economically through these plans.”
Alongside Sunderland Music City and Sonic Futures in Tees Valley, Newcastle Gateshead Music City is set to create a music strategy for the North East that will position the region as a national music powerhouse.
Wendy Smith, Creative Director of The Glasshouse International Centre for Music said: “Newcastle Gateshead Music City will build an even stronger music community, helping us to understand the assets and the gaps so that together we can build an even better and more resilient music ecosystem in the city and wider region.
“We have an amazing music history that we can celebrate, a vibrant music scene right now and an even more exciting future.
“Growing music here will create jobs, increase people’s skills, and make sure every child or young person can get involved with music, as learners, creators and audiences. We want to see children from all backgrounds and life circumstances learning music now to be the artists on our stages in the future.
“This Music City will be for everyone, impacting people of all ages and from all walks of life in our region.
“The recent announcement of the MOBOs coming to Newcastle in February 2025, alongside the MOBO Fringe Festival, highlights national awareness of diverse artists and audiences growing in the North East.”
Cllr Karen Kilgour, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “I am incredibly proud to support the launch of Music City. This initiative promises to not only showcase the incredible musical talent we have in our region but also to create real economic benefits and opportunities for our community.
“With new jobs, skills development, and a strong focus on nurturing talent, this project will make a lasting impact on Newcastle’s future and will support the development of an inclusive economy to benefit residents in every corner of our city.
“It supports our wider strategic goals and will drive inward investment, access to opportunities, talent retention and ensuring that Newcastle continues to be a leader in the creative industries.”
Cllr Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: “We’re delighted to be working with and supporting Newcastle Gateshead Music City.
“Music and creativity play a hugely important role in helping people to thrive. Recognising the huge amount of music on both sides of the River Tyne and the potential for this to grow will support the well-being of the people of Gateshead and bring many opportunities for creativity and employment”.
The North East music scene is thriving, with major label attention on the region following in the wake of artists like Sam Fender, critically acclaimed performers like Nadine Shah and Lanterns On The Lake, and rising names like Frankie Archer, Finn Forster, Kay Greyson and a buzzing live music network. The Newcastle Gateshead Music City will supercharge this sector in the North East and build profile, investment and generate more musicians and music for those that live in the North East and music fans all over the world.
