The Late Shows – supported by Port of Tyne – is a free late-night culture crawl in Newcastle and Gateshead. 2016 sees us host our 10th annual event and across the weekend of 13–14 May, over 70 arts, culture and heritage venues that are normally closed in the evening will open their doors after-hours and welcome you in.

Museums, galleries, studio collectives and landmark historical buildings come together to offer visitors one-off events including hands-on workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, performances and parties. It’s all about encouraging people to do something cultural with their evening in celebration of the international event Museums at Night.

The Late Shows began in 2007 and has now more than quintupled in size. In the first year, 14 venues took part, rising to more than 70 in 2016. Venues at last year’s Late Shows recorded over 31,000 visits across the weekend. The main objective of The Late Shows is to encourage people to visit a cultural venue that they may not have visited before. In particular, our aim is to attract a younger audience and share loyal audiences between venues.