Lort Burn Specials is a new series of occasional talks and cultural nights at the Alphabetti Theatre. Drawing on the spirit of Newcastle’s countercultural past and a shared commitment to radical futures, Lort Burn Specials aim to make a new space for disc…

This, the debut novel from Belgian writer Angelo Tijssens (translated by Michele Hutchison), won the jury prize at the Prix Roman Gay in France, and it has already been translated into French, German and Spanish. In short: It’s got some pedigree. It tells…

In their third decade as a band, Franz Ferdinand have built a noble reputation as a legacy act. They took their time with this sixth album - 7 years to be exact - but this upbeat release presents a polished preservation of what the band has always done we…

We’ve had a sneak preview of some of the amazing exhibitions that are set to light up Baltic in 2025 – which we detail below – but one show that you simply must go and see is Mani Kambo’s ‘Ax-is Mun-di’, which is open to visitors now. Mani Kambo: Ax-is…

Adwaith – featuring Hollie Singer, Gwenllian Anthony and Heledd Owen – are one of the finest Welsh bands around, certainly if you’re into envelope-pushing post-punk and indie-rock, and I’m slapping their Cluny gig with an “Eagerly Anticipated”. I got h…

Newcastle’s frankly awesome Parastatic return with a new album in February that’s going to blow your post-rocking socks off. It’s been ten long years since Parastatic hit us up with their thrilling ‘Recall Fade Return’ album, but now they’re back and …

Reuniting with Mike Leigh nearly three decades after her star-making turn in ‘Secrets and Lies’ Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivers a barnstorming performance as a disappointed and bitter woman raging at the world in this complex and empathetic character stud…

Alnwick Story Fest 2025 is running from 28 February-2 March with oodles of top authors heading to the Northumberland town to discuss their latest opuses. Alnwick Story Fest is really spreading its wings this year with Alnwick Garden, Alnwick Playhouse…

Work! That’s what’s going on here, and a new exhibition at the National Glass Centre is all about the changing face of work in Europe, Africa and South America. This fascinating show features photographs from the IPRN Changing Faces Collection and incl…

Rossi is one of the most exhilarating of the new breed of producers and DJs, and he’s set to bring all the thrills when he visits NX in Newcastle this February. Rossi’s sets are inspired by the ever-growing ‘minimal groove scene’ that’s lighting blue …

‘Here Be Dragons’ is a captivating new show for families and packed with music, fun and adventure. It’s playing in venues across Sunderland and South Tyneside this February. Em lives near the River Wear. She is ten and isn’t afraid of made-up stories. But…

Elon the Musk. What a strange man, but I’m guessing you could say that about anyone from the extreme right. Go on, choose some of the usual suspects. How about this lot: Hitler, Mosley, Webster, Franco, Hoover, Bannon, Yaxley-Lennon, Farage, Trump - you h…