Gateshead International Stadium (GIS) is a multi-purpose, all-seater venue in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally known as the Gateshead Youth Stadium, the venue was built in 1955 and has since been extensively redeveloped on three occasions. Its capacity of around 11,800 is the greatest in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, the third-largest in Tyne and Wear (behind St James' Park and the Stadium of Light), and the sixth-largest in North East England.
The main arena is principally used for athletics. The inaugural athletics competition at the redeveloped venue, the 1974 "Gateshead Games", was instigated by Brendan Foster, a Gateshead Council employee at that time. By breaking the world record in the men's 3,000 m, Foster brought international publicity to the new stadium and began a tradition of athletics competitions at the venue, which has since hosted the British Grand Prix (2003–10) and the European Team Championships in 1989, 2000 and 2013. It is the only venue to have hosted the latter event three times. Five world records have been set at the stadium, including two by pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and a tied 100 metres record by Asafa Powell in 2006.
Although Gateshead International Stadium primarily caters for athletics, it is the current or former home to teams in several sports. It has been used by Gateshead F.C. and its predecessors since 1973. It was home to the Gateshead Thunder rugby league club during their spell in the Super League, and the replacement Gateshead Thunder club played home games in the main arena, which was known as the Thunderdome when used by that team until the club relocated to Newcastle in 2015. It has also been the home of Women's Super League 2 side Newcastle United Women since 2025. Gateshead Harriers Athletic Club, which includes Foster and Jonathan Edwards among its life members, are the oldest tenants, having used the site since 1956. The stadium has also been used as a concert venue by numerous musical artists, including Little Mix, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Tina Turner.
History and development
The stadium is built on the site of two large chemical works opened in 1827 and 1834. These works initially thrived, but by the early part of the 20th century, both were in terminal decline and were demolished in 1932 to leave behind a 2-million-tonne heap of spoil. This land, approximately east of the centre of Gateshead, was cleared in 1942 but continued to lie derelict until the mid-1950s. Costing £30,000, the original venue contained little more than a cinder running track and an asphalt cycling track, though floodlights and a seating area were added soon after.—but according to sportswriter John Gibson, the Youth Stadium remained "little more than a minor track with a tiny grandstand and open terraces".
thumb|left|Aerial photograph of Gateshead (1975). The rebuilt stadium is prominent (top centre).According to author Thomas Telfer, by the turn of the 1970s, the town of Gateshead was suffering from "the classic symptoms of decay in its inner-city areas". The response during the 1960s had been a program of systematic derelict land reclamation and environmental improvement. While these measures did not have an immediate positive impact on the perception of the town, Gateshead Council pressed ahead by looking to develop existing infrastructure with a view to overall regeneration. One such opportunity was identified at the Gateshead Youth Stadium, where the council believed that investment might raise the region's profile and bring international recognition. In April 1974, Gateshead Council inaugurated a "Sport and Recreation" department. Foster, who according to Gibson became "the father of Gateshead athletics", had been forced to train in Edinburgh during 1973 as a result of the poor condition of the Youth Stadium track. In December 1973, he had been invited to a civic reception to celebrate his breaking of the two-mile world record earlier that year at Crystal Palace. At this reception, Foster was told that a new synthetic track was being laid at Gateshead Youth Stadium. His response was a promise that, if the council was serious, he would run at the stadium and break a world record (Foster later offered an explanation of that promise: "You know how it is when you've had a few drinks—you promise the world!"). and three accompanying stands; the venue was renamed the Gateshead International Stadium. and Foster's proposal to commemorate the re-opening with an athletic event was approved, allowing for the first "Gateshead Games" to be held in 1974.
thumb|Young athletes run past the Tyne and Wear stand at Gateshead International Stadium in August 2010.
The success of the first Gateshead Games and their subsequent annual renewal raised the profile of the stadium and caused Gateshead Council to further their financial investment. During the 1980s, additions were made to the site infrastructure, including the building of an indoor sports hall, outdoor football pitches and a gymnasium. In the 21st century, the site has been the subject of two major redevelopment projects. The first was completed in 2006, when two artificial outdoor football pitches, indoor athletic training facilities, sports science provisions and conferencing rooms were added at a cost of £15 million. The revamped stadium, funded by collaboration between One NorthEast, Sport England, and Gateshead College, among others, was opened on 12 May 2006 by Sebastian Coe.
A second tranche of development, undertaken in two stages, was approved in November 2009. This included a general refurbishment and improvement of the existing facilities at the stadium, adding cover, better toilets and new refreshment facilities to the exposed East Stand, improving wheelchair access, adding extra catering and conferencing facilities, and a new media and management centre. This was funded by collaboration between Gateshead Council, local development funds and Gateshead College. was completed in July 2010, immediately prior to Gateshead hosting a Diamond League event. The second stage of redevelopment—the building of the corporate and media facilities—commenced on 6 September 2010 and was completed on time in summer 2011. replete with an ice rink, indoor golf course, restaurants and shops. Gateshead Council invited tenders in August 2008 from commercial organisations interested in undertaking the development. A formal draft development brief was compiled and published in November 2009. A report to Council in December 2009 noted that there had been "a reasonable level of interest at the preliminary stage" from private investors, but that only one detailed proposal had been submitted, which had been declined by the Council on financial grounds. The report also noted concerns that the original centrepiece of the proposed village, the ice rink, may have been deterring investors and that a similar proposal to redevelop land at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland was detracting from what councillors had hoped to be a unique feature of the proposed village. The result was that a fresh proposal was raised to remove the ice rink from the brief in an attempt to "stimulate the market". A public consultation was undertaken, and in May 2010, the council reported that 327 of the 375 responses received were in favour of the amended proposal. As a result, notice was given to developers that the council intended to market the site, and ten responses were received.
Structure and facilities
[[File:Gateshead International Stadium Layout.png|thumb|Diagram demonstrating layout of main arena at Gateshead International Stadium others 11,762,
West Stand
Capacity: 3,300
The main stand is the Tyne and Wear Stand, a steep, cantilevered structure This stand contains toilet and catering facilities and a bar area. Additionally during this renovation, concourse improvements were made, including new toilets and catering facilities.
Normally when this stand is used for holding away supporters for football games, the first five rows of seating are covered or closed off. This totals 840 seats. Giving the East stand a working capacity of 3160 seats.
Entrance to this stand is through six turnstiles (9–14) all located around the back of the stand on the path, which leads round from Loverose Wynd, and connects to the 3G football pitch, just off of Neilson Road.
North Terrace
Capacity: 1,348
The North Terrace is made up of two separated blocks of uncovered seating. There are 4 blocks of larger seating on the West side, totaling 573 seats. And 7 blocks of smaller seating on the East side, totaling 775 seats. Combined, the North Stand Capacity is roughly 1348 seats. Entrance to the North terrace is via 3 turnstiles (turnstile 15,16 and 17) located just off of Neilson Road.
Currently, the North Terrace is rarely used, a number of seats from the smaller blocks have been taken out.
South Terrace
Capacity: 3,114
The South Terrace, sometimes referred to as simply the South Stand, consists of a continuous, uncovered bank of seating in eight blocks It has access through four turnstiles Situated in the South-West Corner. Its capacity (hand counted through Google Earth) is roughly 3,114 seats. Sometimes, when the visiting team brings a large away following, the South Terrace is used as additional away seating.
Entrance is through four turnstiles around the back of the stand, spread out along the path, leading from Loverose Wynd.
Athletics Track and other facilities
thumb|left|Hurdles set out on the sprint straight in 2010The athletics track in the main arena was laid in 2003 and is an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standard 400m eight-lane oval. It is a polymer synthetic tartan track with a depth of . The sprint straight consists of eight lanes and is situated in front of the Tyne and Wear Stand, adjacent to the long and triple jump area. A height-adjustable water jump, for use in steeplechase racing, is located on the inside of the track. Floodlights allow athletics events to be held at night. and a more modern structure replaced it in 2006. This facility has a sprint straight in an hall, throwing and jumping facilities, a weights room, and a gymnasium.
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|||Pole vault||4.82m||13 July 2003
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|||Pole vault||4.87m||27 June 2004
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|||100m||9.77||11 June 2006
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The first major athletic event held at the stadium was the Vaux Breweries International Athletics meet in July 1961. According to its sponsors, the highlight of this meet was the team three-mile race, won by the Blackpool and Fylde Athletic Club, which was awarded a gold tankard as its prize. The track was resurfaced by Regisport in 1982, and the venue's profile was further raised in the summer of 1983, when Gateshead-born athlete Steve Cram faced Sebastian Coe over 800m in the Gateshead Games. In front of a reported crowd of 15,000 who were "shoehorned into the bowl" and millions more watching on BBC's Sunday Grandstand, Cram prevailed to spark "pandemonium" in his final race before winning the gold medal at the 1983 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki.
In 1989, Gateshead hosted the Europa Cup. The men's competition was won for the first time by a Great Britain team captained by Linford Christie and which included Kriss Akabusi and Jack Buckner; the event was described a decade later as having had an "invigorating effect" on those who were in attendance. Christie won in a time of 10.07 seconds, ahead of Jon Drummond in second and Lewis, who finished "a distant third". The 100m race was the highlight of the "high-profile" Vauxhall Invitational meet, which was televised in the UK by ITV and watched by around 10 million viewers. Michael Johnson, John Regis, and Steve Cram competed in various events at the Vauxhall Invitational. This made Gateshead the first venue to host the event twice. On 16–17 July 2000, spectators at Gateshead once again saw Great Britain's men's team take the title, this time by half a point from Germany in second place; the British victory came despite missing ten first-choice team members. The women's event was won by Russia, who defeated second-placed Germany by thirteen points.
right|upright|thumb|[[Paula Radcliffe runs the 10,000m at Gateshead in 2004.]]Foster's "Gateshead Games" had become the British Grand Prix by 2003, and on 13 July, 21-year-old Yelena Isinbayeva set a new world record of 4.82m in the women's pole vault event. Isinbayeva's achievement in the last event of the meet was so unexpected that only 1,000 of the 10,000 spectators witnessed it, the rest having left early. For her achievement, she was given a bonus cheque for $50,000. but although competitors included Tyson Gay, Powell, Jessica Ennis, and Vincent Chepkok, the attendance was unusually poor, causing the local press to wonder whether Gateshead's contract for the marquee event would be renewed. Those fears were to prove well-founded when UK Athletics agreed to a three-year contract to stage the event at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. The move prompted one reporter to lament that "the switch is a major blow to both Gateshead International Stadium and North-East sport in general, but can hardly be regarded as a major surprise given the dwindling support for major athletics events in the region."
This loss was mitigated somewhat by the European Athletic Association's decision to award Gateshead the 2013 European Team Championships, the successor to the Europa Cup. In doing so, Gateshead became the only stadium to host the European Team Championships on three occasions. The championships were held on 22–23 June 2013 amid very wet and windy conditions. On the first day of competition, Mo Farah ran a 50.89-second final lap in winning the men's 5000m to help the home team into third place on 181 points, behind Russia (194 points) and Germany (195 points). Despite a strong start, the Great Britain team were unable to make up the deficit on the second day of competition and finished in third place overall with 338 points, behind runners-up Germany (347.5 points) and the champions Russia (354.5 points).
Due to the redevelopment of Birmingham's Alexander Stadium for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the British Grand Prix Diamond League fixture was set to return to Gateshead in 2020 for the first time in 10 years. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place on 16 August but was rescheduled to 12 September and then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
Tenants
Gateshead Football Club
The stadium was briefly used by former Football League members Gateshead A.F.C. after leaving Redheugh Park in 1973, but the club went bust later in the year. The following year, South Shields Football Club relocated to Gateshead and were renamed Gateshead United; they played at the Gateshead Stadium from 1974 to 1977, when it folded and Gateshead F.C. was formed.
Gateshead F.C. have been tenants since their formation in 1977. That record was broken a year later when 4,121 saw Gateshead defeat Telford United 2–0 on 9 May 2009 to win a promotion to the Conference Premier League. The current record attendance for a competitive fixture stands at 8,144, set on 4 May 2014 when Gateshead played host to Grimsby Town in the second leg of the Conference Premier play-off semi-final. Gateshead won 3–1 to progress to the final at Wembley Stadium, where they were beaten 2–1 by Cambridge United. The defeat consigned the club to a 55th consecutive season outside the Football League. Gateshead F.C. continue to play at Gateshead Stadium, but according to North East Life magazine, it is "a fine but inappropriate stadium [...] as a football ground it can be a soulless home."
In October 2009, Gateshead chairman Graham Wood unveiled plans to move to a new, purpose-built 9,000-capacity ground on Prince Consort Road in the centre of Gateshead. Detailed proposals were published soon after, and Wood told local media in 2012 that he expected the move to increase crowds and alleviate the financial constraints on him as he continued to bankroll the club; it was estimated that crowds would need to reach 3,000 regularly for the club to operate profitably from Gateshead Stadium. According to the original proposal, the stadium was expected to be ready for the 2012–13 season, but financing has been difficult, and the proposed move is now on hold.
Gateshead Harriers
Gateshead Harriers are an athletic club based at Gateshead International Stadium. Founded in 1904 as Gateshead St Mary's Church Running Club, they were initially a men-only club until they allowed the admission of women in 1951. The club moved to the Gateshead Youth Stadium in 1956, making the Harriers the stadium's oldest tenant. In 2006, they won a promotion to the first division of the British Athletics League and were the only club from the north-east of England to compete at that level. After a six-year stay in the division, the Harriers were relegated to division two in August 2012 after failing to win enough points at the final meet of the season at Eton to prevent a bottom-two league finish. Club officials received over 100 new applications for membership in the aftermath of the 2012 London Olympics.
At least one Gateshead Harrier has taken part in every Olympics and Paralympics held since 1972. Notable alumni include Brendan Foster, who joined the club aged 17 and later claimed that "my first aim was to be the best runner of Gateshead Harriers". Foster, inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010 and then voted the eleventh "greatest Geordie" in a local poll, later became the president of Gateshead Harriers and remains so as of 2012. Current world triple-jump record holder Jonathan Edwards, another member of the England Athletics Hall of Fame, joined Gateshead Harriers in 1991. Edwards was a member of the club when he set his record mark in winning gold at the 1995 World Championships in Helsinki, winning Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and a second world title a year later in Edmonton. Both Foster and Edwards are honorary life members of the club.
Gateshead Thunder
thumb|upright|right|[[Newcastle Thunder|Gateshead Thunder playing against Limoux in the Challenge Cup at Gateshead International Stadium in 2004]]In 1998, Gateshead was awarded a rugby league franchise after a three-way contest with Cardiff and Swansea. The result was Gateshead Thunder, who played in Super League IV in 1999. The Thunder played at Gateshead International Stadium, and the club had, according to sports journalist Andy Wilson, "an enjoyable and surprisingly successful season", which included home and away wins against St Helens and a sixth-place finish in the table – missing out on the playoffs by two points. Despite these performances, which attracted an average crowd of 3,895 to Gateshead Stadium, the franchise lost £700,000 in its first year, The result was the formation of Hull FC, and when the authorities refused permission for the merged clubs to enter a Hull-based team into the RFL's second tier, There have been some highlights, including winning Championship 1 in 2008 However, the Thunder went through a 64-game losing streak spanning two-and-a-half years before winning against Workington Town on 29 August 2012.
Relations between the Thunder and Gateshead Council were strained at times, with a possible move to Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, first mooted and rejected in 2006. In 2008, the club committed itself again to Gateshead Stadium for the immediate future; however, in March 2014, The Journal reported that talks had begun between Thunder's managing director Keith Christie and representatives of Newcastle Falcons with a view to the Falcons taking over the rugby league club. Falcons' owner Semore Kurdi confirmed that a bid had been made to purchase Gateshead Thunder on 20 March 2014, though he refused to elaborate on whether he intended to relocate the club if that bid was accepted. The takeover was confirmed on 23 May 2014, though it was announced that the club would continue to play at the International Stadium. In January 2015, Gateshead Thunder were officially renamed Newcastle Thunder and relocated to Kingston Park. Keith Christie told the BBC that the move was "a business decision" designed to build a new fan base for the club.
In May 2024, the club announced an immediate return to Gateshead from Kingston Park. They played there for the remainder of the season before relocating to Crow Trees, the home ground of Blaydon RFC, in 2025.
Gateshead Senators
The Gateshead Senators (originally the Gateshead International Senators) are an American football club formed in 1988 when the Newcastle Senators, who played at Northern Rugby Club, moved across the Tyne to play at the Gateshead International Stadium. The club have had mixed fortunes, but their most successful season came in 1999. Having won eight of their nine games in the regular season, the team won the Division One North title and advanced to the end-of-season playoffs. After beating the Merseyside Nighthawks 43–0 in the quarter-finals, the Senators defeated the Essex Spartans 33–19 in the semi-finals to reach the championship final. At the Saffron Lane Stadium in Leicester, the Senators faced the Bristol Aztecs. In a tight encounter, the Senators claimed the Division One British American Football League title with a 7–2 victory. The club reached the playoffs again in the next three seasons but were unable to replicate that success, and after a season voluntarily spent in Division Two in 2003, returned to Division One North in 2004. They continue to play in that division and, in the 2012 season, failed to make the playoffs after recording five wins and five defeats in their ten games.
The Senators were a tenant at Gateshead Stadium from 1988 to 2011.
Newcastle United W.F.C.
Newcastle United W.F.C are a professional English women's football club, affiliated with Newcastle United F.C. They were founded in 1989 and are based at the Newcastle United Academy Training Centre, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne. On 25 July 2025. The club announced that they were leaving their home at Kingston Park and moving to Gateshead's, all-seater venue. The move was prompted as Newcastle needed permanent access to a predominantly natural grass pitch, complying with current Women's Super League (WSL) rules, which means a “Grass Pitch” (as that term is defined in the Laws of the Game). As part of the move promotion hunting, Newcastle United Women will invest in an elite playing surface and upgraded facilities.
Concert venue
Gateshead International Stadium has been used for many years as a concert venue. On 31 July 1982, the Police performed at the stadium as part of their Ghost in the Machine Tour, with U2 as a supporting act. Reports in the local press suggested that the Police seemed disappointed that the stadium was only half full and cited high ticket prices and poor weather as possible causes. On 16 June 1992, Guns N' Roses, supported by Soundgarden and Faith No More, performed at the stadium. This time, the weather was hot and sunny, which helped ensure that the concert, part of the Use Your Illusion Tour, was a sell-out. American rock group Bon Jovi have played twice at the stadium. The first occasion was on 27 June 1995, while supported by Skin, on their These Days Tour. The group returned to Gateshead on 22 August 2000 as part of their Crush Tour.
Tina Turner performed multiple times at the stadium. As part of her Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour, she performed twice on consecutive nights (21–22 July 1990) and attracted a total of 60,000 spectators. Turner performed for a third time at the stadium as part of her Wildest Dreams Tour on 12 July 1996. The venue later played host to Little Mix on 26 July 2018 as part of their Summer Hits Tour. Other artists to have played at the stadium include Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Simple Minds, and Simply Red. In 2024, the venue hosted an Ibiza music festival.
Transport
thumb|[[Gateshead Stadium Metro station]]
Gateshead International Stadium is east of Gateshead Town Centre and is on the A184 Felling Bypass, with access to a car park at Neilson Road. Journey time by car from Gateshead town centre is approximately five minutes and a further five minutes travel from Newcastle upon Tyne. A footpath runs adjacent to the Felling bypass, and the journey by foot from Gateshead town centre takes some fifteen minutes. A journey east to Heworth Interchange also takes around fifteen minutes. Two designated cycle routes run past the stadium. These are Hadrian's Way, which provides access from Tynemouth in the east and Wylam in the west, and the Keelman's Way, which runs along the south bank of the River Tyne towards Blaydon-on-Tyne.
The stadium is well served by public transport. It has its own Tyne and Wear Metro station, the Gateshead Stadium Metro station. This is at Shelley Drive, some five minutes' walk from the ground. Trains run direct from this station to all other Metro destinations; trains to South Shields and South Hylton stop at Platform 1, while trains travelling towards St James and Airport stop at Platform 2. The Gateshead Stadium Metro station is open seven days a week,