Unusual nights out in Newcastle Gateshead

You'll need your wits about you when you sample an alternative night out in Newcastle. Get competitive, challenge yourselves and have some fun by branching out from the typical night out in Newcastle.

We don't need to remind you that the nightlife energy in Newcastle is top tier but did you know that there are ever-increasing ways to have a great night out in Newcastle and Gateshead that don't necessarily involve getting glamoured up and heading to one of our top bars or chilling with a beer in the best of pubs? Excellent though both these options are, you might well be looking for something a little more unusual to do on your visit to NewcastleGateshead.

Gather your mates and pick a team - these days a night out in Newcastle can include a dip in a ball pool, a legal 'rock n roll' smash-fest and a round of golf with a twist. Who's in? 

Read on for our guide to unusual nights out in NewcastleGateshead....

Point Blank Shooting in Newcastle is the UK’s first simulation shooting range. They have over 200 shooting scenes to choose from and a leader board with your name on it. Discover who amongst you has the best aim and who can remain focused despite sampling a cocktail or two when you take on the exceptionally realistic shooting ranges which are actually the same systems used worldwide to train professional shooters. The 5 replica guns you will find when opening your personal armoury have been replaced with laser technology. It can be thirsty work, testing your time, aim and reflexes - Point Blank have a cocktail bar with a trigger-happy hour with a selection of tasty bites.

Escape Key really tests the skills and abilities of everyone in your group. The independent escape room company have devised four indoor rooms which are themed on heart-racing scenarios from evading a cackle of witches to avoiding Armageddon. Each handcrafted space is a marvel and the action-packed escape experiences will get you sweating as you zone out the ticking clock to try and crack the innovative puzzles and codes. Escape Key also offer outdoor escape games that lead you through an adventure in the streets of the city so why not get your bearings in Newcastle whilst racing to outsmart the digital escape experience? 

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For those who are ready for the ULTIMATE unusual night out in Newcastle, Howlers has it all! Combining the buzz of a night club with the madness of a giant ball pool, Howlers is one of the wildest experiences you and your friends will have. It is the first and only ball pit bar in Newcastle but that's not all, expect bizarre and bonkers live entertainment no matter what night you choose to go including bonkers bingo, private karaoke booths and more.

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Lane 7 is the place to go if you love to play games and have a competitive streak. Located in the heart of Newcastle along St James’ Boulevard, you can play ten-pin bowling, ping-pong, retro arcade games, pool and there's even a chance to warble the night away with a set or two of Karaoke. Refuel for the next Beer Pong match with burgers, fries, pizzas and desserts or prop up the Lane7 bar while you compare notes on your ping-pong technique.

Ambiguously open 'until late' seven days a week, Lane7 is an ideal place for parties and quirky nights out with your friends in Newcastle. 

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Get your space rocket engine started as you and your group prepare to blast off into Mr Mulligan’s Space Golf, on Newgate Street in Newcastle. Crazy golfers will have the choice of three space-themed adventure courses to choose from when they take on the Mr Mulligan's challenge. It can be hard dodging all those shooting stars as you attempt to get a hole in one so space-goers can recharge in the bar and restaurant - for those early birders, enjoy two of cocktails for just £12 everyday from 5pm - 7pm.

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Junkyard is a brand-new golf course in Newcastle next to Maldron Hotel. Three psychedelic, Instagrammable mini-golf courses await. The weird and wacky options all seem to include an element of jeopardy as you navigate the terrifying tropical jungle in the Pablo course or experience the fright of a creepy carnival in the Bozo route. Putt your way through all sorts of bizarre holes and have the party that everyone remembers.

Junkyard is an adult playground seven days a week so welcome to alternative club! Get ready for sensory overload with neon colours, flashing lights and banging beats. Any keen under 18s can head to Junkyard with an accompanying adult before 7pm on Sundays - Thursdays.

Golf Fang Newcastle is another assault on the senses! Located in Hoults Yard on the edge of Ouseburn, Ghetto Golf is a twisted 18-hole urban crazy golf course complete with a cocktail bar. There are live DJs providing the urban beats and every inch of the venue is covered in graffiti and street art to ensure you have the most social media-friendly backdrop to your alternative night out.  

Like Junkyard, Ghetto Golf is for adults only so expect the nightclub vibe while you pitch and putt your way to success. 

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Something truly unique for you now - Smash Space has made it onto our list of unusual nights out. Do you have a lot of pent up aggression? Take out your frustrations at Newcastle's Smash Space where you have full permission to unleash your inner rage! Whether it's having the freedom to smash up a room like a rock star or throw paint balls at a blank canvas to exercise your inner artiste - you and your friends are guaranteed to leave feeling very zen! 

Definitely an early evening, sober event to kick start your night out in Newcastle! Harry Hatchet's is the first indoor urban axe throwing experience in Newcastle and another excellent alternative for groups of mates looking for things to do in Newcastle. Focus and precision is the aim of the game - can you lodge the axe in the centre of the target with a nimble flick of the wrist? Last bookings are at 8pm Tuesday - Friday and 6pm on Saturdays so you have time to head into toon to compare your achievements or commiserate your lack of skill!  

There's a general nostalgia energy going on with this guide to alternative nights out in Newcastle and why not? Don't let the kids have all the fun! A new addition to the scene is Gorilla Bar & Bowling which does exactly what it suggests - provides ten pin bowling coupled with a fully licensed bar. There is also the option to throw in some delicious food from independent Indian street food restaurant My Delhi. Alongside the bowling, try your hand at darts, Gorilla Pong and table tennis. Open until 9pm Sundays - Wednesdays and until 11pm at the weekend (Thursdays - Saturdays). 

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NQ64 Retro Arcade Bar is the new bar on the block. 

A new arcade bar that combines nightlife vibes with retro games on Pilgrim Street. NQ64 has brought neon splattered drinking dens full of retro arcade games and classic consoles to the city, with an enviable game-themed cocktail and craft beer menu that can be enjoyed whilst button bashing to victory against your mates.

There are heaps of fan favourites to get stuck into including Pac-Man, Mario Kart, Guitar Hero, Time Crisis and Point Blank. Bringing a new energy to Newcastle’s entertainment landscape, NQ64’s retro arcades and pinball machines operate on tokens which can be bought from the bar, while their games consoles are all free to play.

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