The Cluny

About The Cluny

The Cluny is a bar, cafe and live music venue in the heart of Newcastle's Ouseburn Valley, occupying part of a Grade II listed former flax mill on Lime Street. Built in 1848 to a design by John Dobson, the building later served as a warehouse and as the Cluny whisky bonded warehouse before its industrial spaces were reimagined for the arts. Today it shares the wider building with artists' studios, offices and recording studios, and has long been regarded as one of the North East's most important stages for breaking bands, with a capacity of around 300.

Alongside its main room the venue runs a second smaller space, giving it a busy and varied programme of live music across many genres. The bar is known for a wide selection of real ales and world lagers, with an emphasis on local and independent breweries, and it also serves food and coffee through the day. Its combination of gig venue, pub and cafe makes it a year-round fixture of Ouseburn cultural life.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature The Cluny.

Christmas Markets in Heaton

Heaton has no Christmas market of its own, but the Ouseburn makers' weekends are on the doorstep and Newcastle Christmas Market runs from 19 November to 23 December 2026. A guide to festive markets within easy reach.

Corporate Christmas Party Venues in Heaton

Heaton has no hotel ballroom, but it does have function rooms, social clubs and a football clubhouse that take a work party, plus bigger rooms a few minutes away in Byker and the Ouseburn.

Bonfire Night in Heaton & the Ouseburn 2026

The Ouseburn display at the City Stadium last ran in 2019 and has not come back. Here is where Heaton and Byker readers actually go in 2026, starting with Blue Flames at Benton on the night itself.

Cleared Ouseburn Valley Site With Consent for 128 Flats Goes on the Market

A cleared 0.63-acre freehold site on Crawhall Road, at the head of the Ouseburn Valley, has been brought to market with consent for 128 apartments and pre-application talks over a larger co-living scheme.

Halloween in Heaton & the Ouseburn

Spooky storytelling at Seven Stories, family fun at Ouseburn Farm, Halloween nights at the Cluny and Cumberland Arms, and ghost walks through old Newcastle.

Things to Do in Ouseburn

A local guide to Newcastle's cultural quarter, the city farm, children's book museum, art galleries, a wartime tunnel, and the riverside pubs and music venues packed into the Ouseburn Valley.

The Best Pubs & Bars in Ouseburn

A guide to the best independent pubs and bars in Newcastle's Ouseburn valley, from real ale havens and riverside beer gardens to live music institutions.

Live Music in Ouseburn: The Best Venues

A guide to the Ouseburn Valley's best grassroots live music venues, from The Cluny and The Cumberland Arms to free gigs at The Tyne Bar and club nights at Cobalt Studios.

Getting to & Around Ouseburn: Metro, Buses & Parking

A practical guide to reaching the Ouseburn valley in east Newcastle by Metro, bus, on foot and by car, plus honest advice on the area's limited parking.

A Weekend in Heaton & Ouseburn: The Perfect 48 Hours

A two-day itinerary for east Newcastle, from riverside gigs and a wartime tunnel to a city farm, valley galleries and the best of Heaton's independent food scene.

The Best Beer Gardens in Heaton & Ouseburn

Where to drink outdoors in east Newcastle this summer, from riverside benches beneath the bridges to hillside terraces with views over the Tyne.

The Best Bars & Cocktails in Heaton & Ouseburn

Where to drink after dark in east Newcastle, from cocktail bars and natural wine to late DJ nights across Heaton and the Ouseburn.

Upcoming Events

Events that feature or are connected to The Cluny.

Past Events

Recent events connected to The Cluny.