In pictures: Metrocentre turns 40

Once Europe’s largest shopping centre, the Metrocentre turns 40 this week.

Opening in 1986, the Gateshead mall still welcomes 16 million visitors a year to its 270 stores, restaurants and leisure attractions.

It was described as a “retail revolution” by developer Sir John Hall when it opened and it even had its own indoor theme park, Metroland.

Metroland gave way to the Yellow Mall in 2008, the busy restaurant quarter which now has the cinema.

A black and white photo of an older couple going up on an escalator. There is a woman in front of them. To their right there is a tubular lift which has people inside of it. There is a white pillar in the centre of the room which is large and open with a glass ceiling. There are trees decorating the space.

The Metrocentre opened its doors in 1986 [Metrocentre]

The centre also had a major refresh after the pandemic, one of the most difficult periods in its history.

Here are some photos showcasing the Metrocentre’s history and how much it has changed over the years.

The shopping centre has served as a meeting place for the past four decades [Metrocentre]

A black and white photo of the shopping centre with people dressed smartly walking down a corridor lined with shops. The central shop has manniquins in the window. The ceiling has an arched window.

The Metrocentre has undergone a lot of change over its 40 years [Metrocentre]

The old cinema which has a lit up board with AMC written in red letters. Some of the films showing are also listed, including Top Gun, Dirty Dancing and Witches of Eastwick. People are gathered below the sign.

The cinema moved to the newly created Yellow Mall after Metroland closed [Metrocentre]

The upper balcony of the shopping centre with people leaning over the wooden bannister. In the open space in the centre there is a small inflatable red, white and yellow hot air balloon.

Can you remember the giant hot air balloons? [Metrocentre]

A black and white photograph of the bus station with a double decker bus on the right. On the right women dressed smartly are walking alway from the camera towards the stands. The woman on the right is wearing a trench coat and the woman next to her on the left is wearing a pencil skirt and jacket.

The original bus station was demolished, with the new one in the Red Mall opening in 2024 [Metrocentre]

A giant Christmas tree in the centre of a large atrium. It is decorated with red and white decoations including candy canes, nutcrackers and fairy lights. There are other trees around it and people milling around at the bottom. There is a balcony above the main floor and the ceiling is covered in glass.

The Metrocentre has always been decked out for Christmas [Metrocentre]

A black and white photo of the technology shop Currys in the 80s. There is a blonde woman with a perm bent over behind the counter. Two men talk in the left corner of the shop. The back wall is lined with old, small televisions. There is a plinth with Currys written on it in the centre of the photo.

Currys has certainly changed significantly since the 80s [Metrocentre]

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