Newcastle's Freight Island to take inspiration from New York and success of Manchester venture

Freight Island in Manchester
-Credit:Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News


Newcastle’s nightlife – and daytime leisure scene – is set for a major boost this year when revellers will be transported to Freight Island.

And the food, music and entertainment brand has already proved to be a major success in Manchester, where it opened in 2020.

Bringing together restaurant level street food vendors, innovative bars, art, family-focused events, live music and regular festivals in the regenerated Mayfield district, the original Freight Island in the North West proved to be the hottest ticket in town when it opened – not least of all because the massive venue had been purposely built as a socially-distanced venue to tackle the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.

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So what can the people of Newcastle look forward to?

The Manchester brand is busy working with a host of partner organisations on plans to transform the top floor of the former Debenhams unit in Eldon Square, as well as a new rooftop space, into a vibrant £16m hive of activity.

Freight Island in Manchester
Freight Island in Manchester -Credit:Manchester Evening News
Freight Island in Manchester
Freight Island in Manchester -Credit:Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News

And the team hopes it will become a destination akin to some of the best entertainment parks in the world.

Think Coney Island in New York – the bright and colourful Brooklyn entertainment area famed for its amusements, boardwalk and restaurants – the Tivoli Gardens pleasure park in the heart of Copenhagen, and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, the lively food emporium which has been bringing together myriad culures and cuisines since 1917.

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Just as the former department store in Newcastle and its rooftop are currently a blank canvas ripe for exciting changes, Freight Island in Manchester radically transformed a largely unused scrap of land.

In 2020, Escape To Freight Island was opened to the public following the conversion of the former railway depot into an outdoor beer garden and food hall. Set on land behind Manchester Piccadilly, the development features one of the biggest outdoor spaces in the city, with a raked terrace and comfy booths set around the edge. Meanwhile, Freight Island’s industrial indoor space offers a rotating selection of food and drink outlets featuring a list of the city’s best known bars and restaurants.

It regularly hosts events – including showings of the Six Nations games in the UK’s biggest fanzone – quizzes, New Year’s Eve firework displays, Bingo Lingo, reggae feasts and American Buffets every sunday, daytime clubbing events with the likes of Bez and Clint Boon and silent discos.

Escape to Freight Island at Depot Mayfield.
Escape to Freight Island at Depot Mayfield. -Credit:Manchester Evening News
Escape to Freight Island at Depot Mayfield.
Escape to Freight Island at Depot Mayfield. -Credit:Adam Vaughan

The brand comes with great pedigree too. Looking at the original venue, Escape to Freight Island in Manchester made it onto the list of the 25 Best Beer Gardens in England in 2023 and it was the only Greater Manchester spot to make the cut, with judges at Big Travel 7 citing “when the sun is shining, it feels more Balearic than British, thanks to its live music, expertly-made cocktails and wafting aromas from the nine independent food vendors stationed outside”.

Dan Morris, co-founder and MD of Freight Island, added: “Newcastle is the perfect location to take Freight Island to the next level. The city is growing rapidly, and Freight Island will play an important part in that by nurturing local talent, whilst bringing our vibrant mix of food, drink, music, and entertainment to this incredible city.”