A history of Newcastle's Pink Triangle
How Newcastle's LGBTQ+ scene grew into the Pink Triangle, told through dated, sourced milestones.
Timeline
- 1950s-1960sThe Bigg Market area was the hub of Newcastle's gay scene before the Pink Triangle took over that role.
- Late 1970sThe Senate bar in the Haymarket was the meeting place of the Tyneside Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE).
- 1980sPowerhouse began as a basement gay club on Waterloo Street; it has since operated from four locations, now Westmorland Road.
- 1991MCC Newcastle (Metropolitan Community Church) founded.
- 2000The Centre for Life opened on Times Square (opened by the Queen in May 2000); its ground-floor units now house Rusty's and Rusty's Showbar.
- 2008First Pride event, 'Pride on Tyne', held in Leazes Park in July; later moved to Exhibition Park and the Town Moor.
- 2010Baron & Baroness on Times Square renamed Rusty's.
- 2014Northern Pride grew to a free three-day festival with over 65,000 visitors and 7,000 parade participants.
- 2020Queens opened on Marlborough Crescent on the former site of The Central.
- 2022Newcastle hosted UK Pride (22-24 July, postponed from 2020); march from the Civic Centre to the Town Moor, with council support.
- 2023Eazy Street on Westmorland Road closed after 13 years (final night 9 April).
- 2024City Safe partnership hub launched at City Library in May, covering the whole city centre; Bobby's on Scotswood Road closed at year end.
- 2025Pride co-run by Northern Pride and Curious Futures; after a High Court ruling, uniformed police did not march; parade held 19 July. The Singing Canary opened 30 May; Scotswood Showbar opened 17 October.
- November 2025Northern Pride ceased trading after 17 years and handed Newcastle Pride to Curious Futures (Curious Arts), donating its £8,500 balance.
- 2026First Newcastle Pride delivered by Curious Arts (25-26 July), with the Pride Arena on Times Square in the Pink Triangle; organisers report 10,000+ on the march.
Venues we remember
- Blonde Barrel: Sports bar and drag venue on Times Square (formerly Twist), sister to Rusty's. Marked permanently closed; site now Rusty's Showbar (by April 2026)
- Bobby's: Drag venue and sports bar at 78 Scotswood Road with its own Drag Idol competition (earlier names Rockies, The End, Secrets). End of 2024; replaced by Scotswood Showbar, 17 Oct 2025
- Eazy Street (and Eazyoke Lounge): LGBTQ+ bar with drag, DJs and a karaoke lounge on Westmorland Road, open 13 years. Final night 9 April 2023
- Queens: Large multi-storey bar on Marlborough Crescent, opened 2020 on the former Central site. Replaced by The Singing Canary, opened 30 May 2025
- Central / The Dog / Barking Dog: Earlier bars on the 15 Marlborough Crescent site. Before 2020 (site became Queens in 2020)
- BASE sauna: Sauna at 85-89 Blandford Street. Reported closed; date unknown
- Senate bar (Haymarket): Meeting place of the Tyneside Campaign for Homosexual Equality in the late 1970s. Not stated
- Punchinellos Bar, Royal Turks Head Hotel (Grey Street): For decades a meeting place for older gay men. Hotel now gone (date not stated)
- Roxbro House: Gay-friendly hotel. Permanently closed (date not stated)