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Newcastle-Gateshead to host 2018 Great Exhibition of the North

A major cultural exhibition is heading to the North East in 2018 after Newcastle-Gateshead fended off competition from three northern rivals to be announced as hosts of the Great Exhibition of the North.

The event, which is set to take place in the Summer of 2018, will showcase the North’s cultural and artistic heritage with a programme of events held across Tyneside.

In a competitive bidding process, Newcastle-Gateshead’s proposals for walking circuits around Tyneside, a major exhibition hub at the Great North Museum: Hancock, along with a raft of other events and programmes across the region was enough to beat off competition from Blackpool, Bradford and Sheffield.

As part of the exhibition, the Government has pledged to contribute £5m to the exhibition, along with a further £15m legacy fund to attract more cultural investment in the North.

Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley, who announced the winning bid this morning, commented: “The Great Exhibition of the North is fantastic news for Newcastle-Gateshead. It will showcase the dynamic arts, cultural and design scenes in the city and across the whole of the North.

“It’s so important that, regardless of where you’re from in the country, everyone is able to enjoy and access great culture. This cultural investment will bring enormous benefits to the region, including regeneration, increased tourism and cultural engagement.

Congratulations to Newcastle-Gateshead on their successful bid - I’m excited to see what summer 2018 will bring.“

It is hoped that the event, which is the brainchild of former Chancellor George Osborne, will help to boost investment and tourism in the region, and act as a boon to the Government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Carol Bell, Culture and Major Events Director at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, celebrated a ‘creative’ and ‘innovative’ bid and said that work must now begin on bringing together the North as a whole to recognize its cultural strengths.

She added: “We now look forward to extending this partnership approach right across the North of England to shine a spotlight on our collective cultural assets and strengths.

“Together we will develop and stage an event that the whole of the North can be proud of and which we hope will have far-reaching benefits for culture, communities, tourism and businesses – in 2018 and beyond.”

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