Newcastle Entertainment

Newcastle has a vibrant, independent and exciting arts and culture scene that tourists will enjoy. There are so many different ways of enjoying an evening in the city or the surrounding areas, whether it is dancing the night away or doing something a little quieter like browsing art galleries or taking in a show.

Eating out

Finding a place that serves a good hearty meal at Newcastle is certainly not a challenge. Many restaurants are located around the harbour area including the Customs House Café, Blue Water Pizza and the Queen’s Wharf Brewery.

Darby street, appropriately named Cooks Hill, and Beaumont street have many dining places and pubs serving tasty food in large portions for relatively low prices. This area also has many pubs with live bands playing jazz and blues. The Castle and Fanny’s are very popular with tourists, but are only open from Wednesday to Saturday. There are many restaurants and cafés that offer fine dining experiences; while along the beaches, you can find eateries suitable for a quick meal and rest.

Local cuisine

Visitors should try some Australian tucker (food) while in Newcastle including ostrich meat (cooked in a variety of ways), anzac biscuits, lamingtons and damper, the traditional Australian bread that is made in a cast iron oven.

Theatre and music

Naturally, dining at one of the trendy restaurants by the beaches, harbour or in the city is one of the favourite ways to spend part of the evening. There are also several British-style pubs, where live bands play jazz and popular music, while Newcastle’s discos give opportunities to dance the night away.

Newcastle has many small theatres, which usually have shows playing all week long. Some of the genres being hosted include dramas, musicals and even stand-up comedy. The main theatre, the Civic, is on Hunter street, and it hosts several musicals, concerts, plays, dances and many other events each year.

Newcastle is also home to several musical events yearly including the Newcastle Jazz Festival, usually held over three days in August.

Shopping

Shopping in Newcastle is very pleasant, as there is a wide array of shops and markets to browse. Huge department stores sell branded items; markets sell curios, clothes, fabrics, fruits and vegetables; while little boutiques and many other types of stores can also be found here.

Shopping and markets can be found in Marketown, Charlestown, Kotara, Jesmond, Gelndale and many other areas in Newcastle. The most popular items that are purchased are usually aboriginal souvenirs including boomerangs and artworks, which make lovely gifts.