This coming weekend sees the Olympic football quarterfinals taking place at St James’ Park in NewcastleGateshead – arguably the biggest sporting event the city has ever seen. As a result, the city’s riverscape will come to life as this year’s Bridges Festival gets underway.
The family-friendly event brings together the River Tyne’s heritage with Olympic fever in a celebration of the city’s involvement in the Games and of northern culture in general – and it’s completely free. Pubs and restaurants along the Quayside are offering discounted food and drink all weekend – safe to say that famous Geordie spirit will be rife.
During the day (from 11am Saturday & 10am Sunday) visitors are encouraged to get active by racing against a virtual Usain Bolt or hiring bikes for a mile-round cycle of the festival. Alternatively, arty types can help Newcastle artists design a bridge across the Tyne or print their own postcards using a vintage letterpress.
Other entertainments over the two days range from face painting to live brass bands, and the festival is expected to be bigger than in years past thanks to the swarms of football fans invading the city. To say farewell to the games in Newcastle (they move to London for the semi-finals), there will be a Saturday night spectacle involving fireworks, performers and pyrotechnics over NewcastleGateshead’s seven iconic bridges.
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