The Cluny: Jesmond's Favourite Live Music Venue
A 300-capacity live music venue in a converted Victorian flax mill on the edge of Jesmond — The Cluny has hosted Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, and hundreds of emerging acts.
If you live in Jesmond and you like live music, you already know The Cluny. Tucked into a Victorian flax mill on Lime Street in the Ouseburn Valley — a 10-minute walk from Jesmond's Osborne Road — it's one of Newcastle's most important independent music venues, and it's been that way for over two decades.
The Building
The Cluny occupies part of 36 Lime Street, a Grade II listed building originally constructed in 1848 as a flax spinning mill, designed by the celebrated Newcastle architect John Dobson. The building later served as a warehouse and whisky bonding store — the "Cluny Whisky Bonded Warehouse" — before being redeveloped in the late 1990s as part of the Ouseburn Valley's creative regeneration.
The venue opened as The Cluny Bar in 1999 and was taken over by The Head of Steam Limited in November 2002, which is when it became the venue it is today. The industrial bones of the building — exposed brick, high ceilings, raw beams — give it a character that purpose-built venues can't match.
Best for: A Victorian flax mill turned live music venue. Designed by John Dobson in 1848, open as The Cluny since 1999.
The Music
The Cluny's 300-capacity main room is the beating heart of Newcastle's independent music scene. It's the kind of venue where you see bands before they break — and the list of artists who've played here before going on to fill arenas is remarkable:
- Arctic Monkeys — performed as part of a UK tour in August 2005
- Mumford & Sons — played here in September 2009
- The Vaccines, Kate Nash, Duffy, Solange Knowles — all played The Cluny on the way up
- Maxïmo Park — previewed their second album here in January 2007
The venue was voted Best Live Music Venue by music development agency Generator North East in 2009, and it's a regular fixture in lists of the world's best small venues. The programming spans indie, folk, punk, alternative, and everything in between — typically 3–5 gigs per week.
Cluny 2
Next door, Cluny 2 is a smaller second room that runs its own separate programme. It's even more intimate — ideal for acoustic sets, spoken word, comedy nights, and emerging artists. The two rooms can run events simultaneously, which means there's often a choice of gig on any given night.
Food and Drink
The Cluny isn't just a gig venue — it's a genuinely good pub and daytime cafe.
The Cluny Kitchen
The kitchen serves food throughout the day: Monday–Saturday 12pm–8pm, Sunday 12pm–7pm. The menu runs to burgers, hot dogs, falafel, nachos, wings, and fries — honest, well-priced pub food that's a cut above the usual. It's a popular lunch spot for the Ouseburn's resident artists and studio workers.
Drinks
The bar carries a strong selection of cask ales and craft beers, reflecting the venue's Head of Steam heritage. There's a decent wine list and a full spirits range. On a sunny day, the outdoor seating overlooking the valley is one of the best spots in the Ouseburn.
Best for: Good beer, honest food, and one of the Ouseburn's best outdoor seating spots.
The Ouseburn Connection
The Cluny sits at the heart of the Ouseburn Valley — Newcastle's creative quarter, and the nearest cultural district to Jesmond. The valley is home to artist studios, galleries, craft breweries, and some of the city's best independent venues. The Cumberland Arms is a few minutes' walk up the hill; Seven Stories (the National Centre for Children's Books) is next door.
For Jesmond residents, the Ouseburn is the natural evening-out destination that isn't Osborne Road. The walk down from Jesmond Vale takes about 10 minutes, and the Metro (Byker or Manors) is a short ride back if you don't fancy the hill home.
Practical Information
- Address: 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ
- Phone: 0191 230 4474
- Email: hello@thecluny.com
- Website: thecluny.com
- Kitchen hours: Mon–Sat 12pm–8pm, Sun 12pm–7pm
- Gig times: Most evening shows doors 7:30pm–8pm; 18+ for evening gigs
- Capacity: 300 (main room)
- Tickets: Via Universe.com — check the website for listings
Getting There from Jesmond
- Walk: 10–15 minutes via Jesmond Vale and the Ouseburn footpath
- Metro: Byker station (5-minute walk to the venue)
- Cycle: The Ouseburn cycle path connects from Jesmond Vale
Why It Matters
Every city needs venues like The Cluny — places where touring bands can play to 300 people who actually care, where local acts can build an audience, and where the programme is curated by people who love music rather than algorithms. Newcastle has several good venues, but The Cluny's combination of history, programming, and atmosphere puts it in a class of its own.
It also happens to be right next to Jesmond. If you haven't been, fix that.
What's your favourite Cluny gig? Let us know.