With an abundance of new and exciting films scheduled to hit the big screen this winter, head to Odeon and enjoy some much needed family time in front of the big screen. Indulge in popcorn, tuck into mini tubs of ice cream and fill your bag of pick ‘n’ mix to your heart’s content. Metrocentre’s Odeon Cinema is one of the biggest and best in the UK where you can enjoy 17 screens of entertainment, along with the incredible immersion of full RealD, 3D and the brand new laser IMAX cinema experience. Book ahead and enjoy the ultimate big screen experience in the run up to Christmas.

Little adventurers should head to the action-packed Clip ‘n’ Climb this winter. From a 9-metre high vertical drop slide, tricky rock climbing walls and testing obstacles, this vibrant indoor climbing zone is ideal for tiny thrill-seekers to challenge their motor skills and channel their inner daredevil. Book in advance for a post-shopping treat for little people or as a fun day out for the whole family.

The Arctic Experience is back for 2022. This year, skate on over to Exhibition Square where the synthetic ice rink, snow machine, ice throne, igloo and numerous photo opportunities await. When signing up to Metrocentre’s database, the ice rink is free of charge - or budding skaters can pay a £2 suggested donation to NorthEast Homeless. If you’re looking to experience all things festive in the run up to the big day, Metrocentre has your Christmas needs covered with this wonderfully fun Arctic Experience.

Looking for ways to entertain the whole family midshopping trip? Why not flock to Angry Birds Adventure Golf for a fun-filled round of mini-golf. With two 18 hole courses, little golfers and their friends can choose to tee off in either Bird Island or Pigtropolis. With giant characters, quirky obstacles and lots of surprises along the way, you’re guaranteed good times at Angry Birds Adventure Golf.

Bowling, arcades and dodgems… need we say more? This fun-filled adventure ground is ideal for families looking to spend the whole day out. Show off your skills on the lane and unleash your competitive side, try your luck and have some fun with a go on the arcade machines - a game of air hockey is always a great shout too. And if that’s not enough, finish your day with a laugh-out-loud round on the dodgems.

Father Christmas returns to his Festive Forest Grotto Experience on 17 November. Families looking to embrace the festive season should make sure little ones enjoy this magical experience. Children will have the opportunity to unleash their creative side with their very own gingerbread cookie to decorate with the help of Santa’s elves. Then, families will take a magical stroll through the winter forest decorated with festive lights and a range of animatronic characters to set the scene. At the end of the journey, meet Santa on his sleigh and receive a special early Christmas gift.

Town Square

Over the last year Metrocentre has welcomed a host of exciting new names to its offering with some of the biggest and best international brands, high street favourites and unique independents opening their doors to shoppers. The arrival of H beauty from Harrods has brought with it a host of truly unique and inspiring brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Dr Barbara Strum, Sunday Riley, Le Labo and Anastasia Beverly Hills. It is a must-visit for beauty and makeup lovers of the North East and beyond, stocking the latest beauty brands you won’t find on the high street. From purse-friendly skincare brand, The Ordinary, to a host of Harrods exclusives such as Creed and Roja, and the full Dior Collection Privée range, it’s the ultimate playground to discover skincare, makeup and fragrance. As well as attracting new occupiers, Metrocentre is working with existing retailers to allow them to refurbish and open regional flagship stores. H&M has recently expanded their Red Mall store, which has allowed them to bring in the hugely popular interiors brand H&M Home. JD have moved into a new store in the lower Platinum Mall, three times the size of their former unit, allowing them to expand their already extensive trainer selection and bring in sports clothing brands

H&M Home

Kids Cavern

such as On Running and The North Face. Other notable new lettings include designer childrenswear retailer Kids Cavern and fragrance and skincare brand Rituals, who have opened in the lower Platinum Mall, footwear retailer Carvela has opened in the lower Red Mall and premium sportswear brand Castore in the upper Red Mall. And as Christmas rolls in, there’s a raft of exciting new names joining the line-up including luxury fragrance brand, Jo Malone and quality British womenswear retailer, Hobbs. In terms of food and drink, Grounded Kitchen will be bringing their Korean-inspired Buddha Bowls, and Tapas Revolution are the new go-to when it comes to getting our Spanish sunshine fix. 2023 is set to be even more exciting with Flannels and a new concept Sports Direct set to take the former Debenhams unit. Plus, a host of new names and existing retailers have already signed up to invest in their existing stores. Watch this space.

As some of you eagle-eyed visitors may have already noticed on your recent visit, Metrocentre is currently in the process of future proofing the centre with a plan in place to become more sustainable. Stage one is now complete with stage two scheduled to be complete by the end of the year. The second phase of the development sees the installation of solar pv car ports and 46 new EV charging ports in the Green and Blue Mall car parks, following the recent installation of its brand new solar pv rooftop panels covering an area equivalent in size to 88 tennis courts. With the 46 new EV charging bays delivered and the solar panels fitted above each parking bay, this will allow the retail and leisure destination to provide emissions-free ‘fuel’ for 7,230 electric car miles by the end of the year. Metrocentre is working with specialist renewable energy and green technology consultant, Syzygy to complete the £2.8m project and is one of the unique schemes to be granted ERDF funding for 50 per cent of the total cost of the project. It’s predicted by 2030 there will be more than 6.5 million pure electric vehicles on UK roads. Green energy generated by the solar panels at Metrocentre will be enough to power 600 electric cars for a year. It’s estimated that the electricity generated from the solar panel installation will result in a reduction of 315 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, equal to planting 32,500 trees over the system’s 25 Year Lifetime. Switching to solar energy will also reduce Metrocentre’s grid dependency by 30%, offsetting more than 37% of its total annual electricity use with its own low carbon supply. Ben Cox of Sovereign Centros, Senior Asset Manager for Metrocentre commented: “This is a really important milestone for us as we head into the next phase of our solar panel project with Syzygy. It’s been inspiring watching stage one progress and come to life and we are very excited about the new opportunities we will soon be able to offer our customers. A solar panel and car port installation of this size has never been seen before in a UK shopping centre and upon completion of the project later this year, Metrocentre will have the largest solar panel installation of any UK shopping centre. “We know Gateshead has an ambitious plan to go zero carbon by 2030, so we are proud to be actively working towards this common goal to bring renewable energy to the local community. The project plays a large role in our long-term business strategy for the centre which focuses on sustainability and our place in the region.” Keep your eyes peeled for what’s next…

Go smart this season with exquisite accessories to complete the ‘suited and booted’ look. A perfect pair of cuff links to help him step into winter in style.