Newcastle

IF YOU fancy a night out, the UK has some cracking spots – from more chilled venues to lively spots with big crowds.

One UK city was even recently named as one of the best places to go on a night out in the world.

With so much choice though, it can be hard to know where to go in the city.

So, here are our top spots for a night out across the UK:

Brighton

According to Time Out, Brighton is the best city to go on a night out in the UK and one of the best spots in the world.

The publication commented: “Brighton’s legacy as the home of the UK’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene continues to thrive.

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“Of all cities on this ranking, Brighton received the highest score for its sense of community, with 84 per cent of locals saying it’s easy to make connections in the seaside city.”

Travel reporter Alice Penwill said: “Brighton is fun whatever the weather, and whatever the time.

“During the day you can enjoy the delights of the seaside, then in the evening head to the pubs and club – which is why it’s a hot spot for hens, stags, birthdays and a good ol’night out.

“One of the most popular spots is OHSO Social thanks to its position on the beachfront.

“During the day it has a relaxed vibe full of friends catching up over a pint with live music in the background. Then from the early evening it turns up a notch with DJ events and beach parties.

“You can stay there for the whole day if you like as on Saturdays it opens at 10am and closes at 2am.

“On one wet and windy night in Brighton, myself and some friends ventured to the Beach Huts down on the front to try out some karaoke.

“You can book out the hut, pick the tunes and staff will deliver drinks to you don’t even have to leave to go to the bar and stay singing your heart out instead.”

London

Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the capital and when it comes to a night out in London, there really is something for everyone.

For example, the city is home to Britain’s biggest nightclub – Drumsheds.

Able to host up to 15,000 people, the venue is inside a former IKEA warehouse and has various different events including parties, festivals and DJ sessions.

And you’ll be able to find 24-hour cafes in the city as well – for example, you could head to Polo Bar on Liverpool Street which serves full English breakfast 24 hours a day.

Or head to Duck & Waffle which is on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate, so you can enjoy panoramic views no matter the time.

There are some other spots that don’t quite run the 24 hours a day but are still worth visiting like Bar Italia for espresso at between 7am and 5am the following day.

Or head to London Night Cafe in Aldgate – a dedicated late-night workspace and lounge.

When it comes to themed bars, London has a load as well.

You can head to Bunga 90 in Covent Garden, where you venture through a time machine disguised as a fridge, back to the 90s – complete with giant pizzas and fun memorabilia.

Or drop by Fairgame right next to St Paul’s Cathedral, where you can get competitive with different carnival-style games.

Manchester

Manchester is a a fantastic night out for a late one (with many bars open past 3am) but is also seen as the Gaming Capital of the North.

So for any keen gamers, there loads of fun things to choose from.

Try Chaos Karts, a real-life indoor Mario Kart attraction, or NQ64, with retro arcades and themed drinks.

Of course some of the biggest nights out are found on Canal Street, part of the city’s Gay Village.

Expect everything from live music to drag shows as you bar hop along the pubs.

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey added: “Manchester has a fantastic bar scene with one of the most famous being Schofields, often named one of the best in the UK.

“But my favourites? Try The Morris or Bar Shrimp, both of which have very unique cocktail menus that transport you back in time.

“But if you want to go on into the late hours, end your night at K2, with two floors of karaoke which is open until 4am on weekends.

“And end with some chips and gravy, of course…”

Glasgow

Glasgow was recently named one of Time Out’s best cities to visit in Europe this year, ranking fourth.

Having recently visited the city, Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding says she gets it: “Often overshadowed by the capital Edinburgh, Glasgow has a lot to see and do.

“Rather uniquely, Glasgow’s night scene transports you to deep south America. Buck’s Bar is great for famished visitors, with giant chicken burgers and a true Texan vibe inside.

“A couple of doors down, you’ll find Maggie’s Rock n’ Rodeo – and it is as fun as it sounds.

“A small crowd shuffled around the dancefloor, performing a number of different line dances to a live country singer – what could be more fun?

You can even have a go at a mechanical bull at the venue as well.

If you want to continue your night, head to The Park Bar, , which is a traditional and historic Scottish pub dating back to 1895 with live traditional music often including an accordion player.

Newcastle

Up in the north, Newcastle is a great spot for a walkable night out with many spots close together.

Former Sun reporter, Ryan Gray said: “Newcastle isn’t just a place for crazy nights out, cheap trebles and drinking shots with celebs.

“It also has more than its fair share of relaxing pubs, perfect for whiling away an evening with a couple of pints.

“Undoubtedly the best place to do that is the Ouseburn Valley, with historic boozers like the Cumberland Arms, the Tyne Bar and the Ship making for a fantastic pub crawl away from the craziness of the city centre.

Here you can head to Free Trade, which has amazing views of the Tyne as well as a beer garden.

The city is also home to some great tap rooms and breweries.

For live music enthusiasts, there are a number of venues with large gigs as well as venues with more intimate shows.

Ryan added: “Smaller venues like the Head of Steam opposite the train station showcase the next generation of musical talent, while the Cluny in the Ouseburn Valley regularly hosts established names.

“Elsewhere, the City Hall and Utilita Arena are your go-to spots for bigger names, while Newcastle United’s football stadium St James’ Park has been known to host blockbuster gigs as well.

“With a scene that has produced the likes of Sam Fender in recent years, going to the smaller venues might be worth your while if you want to catch the next wave of talent before it hits the big time.”

Juventus have announced the arrival of Pape Matar Sarr from Tottenham on an initial loan while also agreeing a season-long loan deal for Newcastle forward Nick Woltemade.

The Serie A club will pay Spurs about 2.5m euros (£2.1m) for the loan of Senegal midfielder Sarr.

The club confirmed the deal includes an obligation to buy the 23-year-old for 27.5m euros (£23.6m) if certain conditions are met during the 2026-27 season.

Sarr, who joined Spurs from Metz in 2021, made more than 100 Premier League appearances for the north London club and also helped them win the Europa League in 2025.

He has made 42 appearances for Senegal since his international debut in 2021 and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.

The announcement comes after Luciano Spalletti’s side also agreed a loan move for Woltemade, though that deal does not include an option to make it permanent.

The Italian side had been one of a number of clubs from the continent interested in signing the 24-year-old before Tuesday’s deadline.

Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.

Rodri was that man at Manchester City under Guardiola and, following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona, new manager Enzo Maresca has signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

The club also look set to make a bid for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.

It was still not easy for Gonzalez to leave Manchester City, where he felt settled, but Newcastle will give him the platform he has been longing for as a key player.

The enthusiastic Spaniard sees this as an opportunity to develop further, which has always been a driver.

“His mentality is top,” Toure said. “I would review games individually with the players and every time I had my laptop and sat next to him, he was so open to learning.

“He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way.

“You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism.

“He’s going to keep on improving because of his mentality.”

Gonzalez certainly did so when he left Barcelona, where his professional career started, and has such experience to fall back on.

Having spent a decade at Barca, and risen through the ranks, Gonzalez ultimately had to depart to truly flourish elsewhere.

Following a successful loan spell at Valencia, he joined Porto on a permanent basis at the age of 21 before earning a move to Manchester City.

Former Barcelona B team-mate Roger Riera feels he has developed “another vision” as a result.

“Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football,” he said. “He’s added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player.

“He is a better package now.”

There were early glimpses of just what Jaissle’s side could be – the intensity, the balls in behind, the grit, spirit and work rate.

Few embodied those qualities quite like new arrival Amar Dedic, who only completed his £30m move from Benfica on Tuesday, but what was just as striking was the performances of one or two of last summer’s signings following difficult first seasons on Tyneside.

It was Anthony Elanga who opened the scoring against Liverpool with a well-taken finish into the bottom corner while Yoane Wissa, who set up substitute Joe Willock’s second, is clearly relishing added responsibility under Jaissle.

It said it all that Wissa, a forward, won more duels (11) than any other Newcastle player on Sunday.

“The manager expects me to be a leader and lead the group,” the 29-year-old told Sky Sports.

“He wants me to be winning balls, making sure everyone is going forward, going for the kill, and sometimes just be calm.”

Jaissle saluted Wissa’s display, even if he could not help but add he also had the chance to “kill the game” to make it 3-1.

This was Newcastle‘s achilles heel last season.

No other side dropped more points (27) from winning positions in 2025-26 and predecessor Howe was the first to admit last May that “anything can happen” after he was asked if such a habit could seep into this campaign.

Yet the reaction of those Newcastle supporters who stayed behind to applaud afterwards was telling on Sunday.

“We were there for each other if something went wrong,” Jaissle said of his players.

“We acted like a unit. In such a short amount of time, this is a top starting point and the frustration was there as well, but these are the challenges we have now.

“With the pre-season, with the transition phase, it’s normal. Today someone threw stones in the way and we need to take that out to be successful again.”

This remains a Liverpool side offering more questions than answers.

One significant question is the Cody Gakpo conundrum, which will roll into the final week of the transfer window.

If Liverpool do bring in two more attacking players then Gakpo may leave.

The club have been linked with Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye and have had two bids rejected for Brighton‘s Yankuba Minteh.

Yet Dutchman Gakpo was Liverpool‘s best player at Newcastle and took his goal brilliantly – while there was another positive in the performance of Spanish forward Victor Munoz on his Liverpool debut from the bench.

Munoz won the late penalty after replacing Ngumoha but Iraola’s decision to take off the English teenager off after just over an hour summed up how much he struggled down the right.

Ngumoha will turn 18 next week and has preferred to play down the left throughout his youth career but failed to have an impact on the other side.

With Iraola determined to have his wingers able to play on both sides, it remains to be seen if that experiment persists once Liverpool get more attackers in.

What is for certain is that Iraola needs more options. Once Munoz and Alexis Mac Allister came on in the 63rd minute, Iraola’s remaining bench options were: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ronald Araujo, Wataru Endo, Kostas Tsimikas, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell and Lewis Koumas.

Defensively, both Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong had poor games at full-back and Liverpool were undone on the counter attack for both of the goals they conceded.

The lack of a defensive midfielder showed and it was revealing to see Iraola use Mac Allister just ahead of the back four after Joe Willock put Newcastle 2-1 up.

Liverpool have now conceded more goals via fast breaks in all competitions than any other Premier League team since the start of last season – nine.

All that and more will be food for thought for the new Liverpool boss but this was a relatively positive start to life under Iraola – who prefers to wait until the day after the match for a debrief.

“I’ve liked a lot of the things I’ve seen from the team,” he said. “There’s definitely things to improve like the goals but I’ve seen a lot of things I’ve liked from the team. I’ve liked the energy, especially the players coming from the bench. I think we finished the game quite strong physically.”

“We will never give up. I can guarantee you that,” Szoboszlai told Sky Sports. “We have to fight every time – all day long during the 90 minutes. Everybody who came off the bench also made an impact as well. We need the whole squad and we need to be ready.”

That desire was never a cause for concern on Tyneside. But this Liverpool squad must improve, both in terms of quality and quantity.

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Newcastle United have signed defender Amar Dedic from Benfica for about £30m.

Dedic has joined the club on a five-year deal after having a medical on Tyneside on Monday.

He has reunited with manager Matthias Jaissle, with whom he previously won the Austrian title at Red Bull Salzburg in 2023.

“It’s a special feeling and a really big honour for me to join Newcastle United,” he said after the move was announced on Tuesday, his 24th birthday.

“I’m really happy to be here and can’t wait to start playing for the club and the amazing fans.

“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me. We know each other well. He knows what I can bring on the pitch and I’m really happy to be playing for him again.

“Playing Premier League football at St James’ Park is going to be really special. Every game feels like a big occasion, with an amazing atmosphere. I’m really excited to get started.”

Newcastle had been in the market for a new right-back following the departure of veteran Kieran Trippier, who joined Wolves on a free transfer when his contract expired earlier this summer.

Dedic could quickly be called upon to feature in Newcastle‘s season opener at home to Liverpool on Sunday as Tino Livramento is still recovering from a calf injury he sustained on international duty with England in June.

Jaissle said he was “really looking forward” to working with the defender again.

“He’s a player who I know really well, having worked with him from a young age in Austria and followed his career since,” he said.

“He will bring both defensive and attacking qualities to our squad, which suits the style of football that we want to play.

“He’s athletic, aggressive and technically very good, but also has a lot of potential to develop further.”

Newcastle United changed shirts in the first half of their pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen.

The hosts walked out in their black and white home kit, which has a blue trim, but decided to ditch it during the first hydration break at St James’ Park on Saturday.

There was an apparent colour clash with Bayer Leverkusen’s away kit, which is mint with a blue pattern, so Newcastle players put on their lilac third strip instead.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive weekend away in autumn, you don’t need to go far, as this UK city has been named the cheapest for a budget-friendly break and it’s packed with history and culture

Autumn can be an excellent time for a weekend away, and if you’re looking forward to exploring some cities in the cooler weather, then you might want to consider some hidden gems in the UK.

Research carried out by ticket sellers SeatPick has shown the best UK cities for a budget friendly concert weekend, but you don’t need to have plans to see a gig to enjoy the top destination. There are plenty of historic and cultural sites to enjoy, and its famous for its buzzing nightlife.

Newcastle upon Tyne took the top spot to be crowned the UK’s cheapest city break, beating Liverpool into second place and Birmingham into third. Gilad Zilberman, CEO at SeatPick said: “Newcastle combines a vibrant nightlife with one of the UK’s most affordable city-centre accommodation.

“With average hotel prices of just £79 per night, a walkable centre and plenty of bars and restaurants close to major venues, it’s one of best-value cities for turning a concert into a weekend away.”

One of Newcastle’s most iconic sights is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, and it’s worth visiting at night when its lit up to get the best photos. At weekends, visit the Quayside Sunday Market for a relaxed day walking along the waterfront with food stalls and arts and crafts.

The 12th century Newcastle Castle is also a major landmark. Walk through the rooms and enjoy immersive experiences that bring its past to life before heading to the roof for panoramic city views. Another place to see the city from above the rooftops is from Grey’s Monument. Climb 164 steps up the narrow winding staircase, but be warned, it’s not for the claustrophobic or those who get tired after a couple of flights of stairs.

You might prefer to stay on the solid ground of Grey Street, enjoying the historic vibes of its Georgian architecture, exploring colourful art galleries, or simply sitting in one of its many international restaurants, classic pubs, or stylish bars. You’ve also got major shopping streets and centres just a short walk away, with lots of independent stores among high street favourites.

Newcastle also has a lively cultural scene, and in the evening you can enjoy performances at the Victorian-era Tyne Theatre & Opera House, or the contemporary Northern Stage which has performances from Shakespeare to family-friendly shows. The city is also famous for its nightlife, its compact centre making it easy to go out without spending a fortune in taxis. Popular areas for nights out include Collingwood Street, sometimes known as the The Diamond Strip because of its stylish bars and Bigg Market which has inexpensive and vibrant clubs.

Of the second place choice, Gilad said: “Liverpool combines a thriving music scene with one of the UK’s best-value city breaks. Its compact city centre means fans can explore the Royal Albert Dock, Bold Street and the Cavern Quarter before heading to the M&S Bank Arena or nearby venues without relying on taxis for longer journeys.” While Birmingham was praised for its “excellent transport links and a compact city centre”.

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The squad have become familiar with those principles following a draining training camp in Spain last week, which culminated in a 2-1 win against Valencia.

Goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek said Newcastle want to “show the opponents that they will have a hard time against us”, while defender Malick Thiaw has spoken about the intensity under Jaissle being “really high”.

Season ticket holder Adam Stoker feels the club still need further additions, but he believes Jaissle’s playing style will be a “huge positive” as the German looks to build on Howe’s legacy.

“Eddie did look a bit tired and didn’t quite look the same manager as when he started,” Stoker said. “Some of that energy had been lost and it correlated with the performances of the team.

“We have seen a tiny bit of Jaissle’s ideas now and they seem to be very much in keeping with Newcastle in 2022-23, which was a hugely exciting team to watch.

“That playing style makes the crowd feel involved because the fans want to watch a high tempo.

“Playing front-foot, high-intensity football is something the crowd at Newcastle has always been on board with.”

Jaissle now has little time to catch his breath before the season opener against Liverpool on Tyneside on 23 August.

This is a manager who, like all of the club’s young signings this summer, has never experienced the Premier League before.

That brings the unknown, particularly after Newcastle lost key players Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes this summer, which Jaissle said has left a “vacuum”.

But he also sees it as an opportunity.

“We are ambitious,” he added. “That is the most important thing.

“It is why I decided to come here, but this will not happen overnight, especially when you have such a big transition phase now.

“You need to have a clear goal and wish of where we want to go to. That starts from the decision-makers, the management and the board.

“Then, if you have that synergy with the fans, the players and the staff to go there, I’m pretty sure it will be a successful story. But we need time now.”