Whitley Bay: Beach, Culture and Events

Whitley Bay combines the beach, cultural attractions and recurring events. The places below show which factors you can consider when making your decision.

Beach and leisure activities

Whitley Bay Beach is a Blue Flag award-winning beach with golden sand. Walkers use it regularly. An annual sandcastle competition takes place there in summer. The competition links the beach with a clearly defined seasonal event and may be relevant when planning a summer stay.

The other leisure activities offer different highlights: Whitley Bay Water Park has a variety of splash features and water sprays; Whitley Bay Ice Rink offers skating for beginners and advanced skaters. The beach competition focuses on building in the sand, while the water park and ice rink offer other types of activity. This makes it possible to distinguish between the options according to what you want to shape your stay.

Spanish City and culture

Spanish City is a landmark of Whitley Bay and reopened after a restoration costing several million pounds. Spanish City is home to Trenchers Restaurant & Takeaway. The Dome was originally completed in 1910. For architecture enthusiasts, this completion date provides a specific historical point of reference; the restoration and reopening form another part of Spanish City's history.

Playhouse Whitley Bay offers music, drama, theatre, dance and comedy. It regularly hosts productions by local arts and theatre groups and has an auditorium with 638 seats. Its range makes the venue interesting for travellers considering different types of live performance.

Jam Jar Cinema is a permanent cinema with one screen and 50 seats. It offers a different cultural focus from Playhouse's varied stage programme: it may be important whether you want to include a film night or live performances in your travel plans. With 50 seats, the cinema has considerably less capacity than Playhouse's 638-seat auditorium.

Events and getting around

Whitley Bay hosts the North Tyneside Firework Display every year. A Food and Drink Festival is also held annually at Spanish City Plaza. Along with the summer sandcastle competition, these offer different occasions to plan a trip around. If an event will shape your stay, check the date for your travel year.

Whitley Bay Metro station is also a useful reference point for getting around the town: it is only a short walk from the town centre. This information can help you include the town centre in your travel plans.

If walks are your priority, the beach, regularly used by walkers, offers a different point of reference. Programme, date and beach-related activities therefore provide distinct starting points for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Tynemouth.

For the broader travel overview: North Tyneside.