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Berwick Arts Venues Thrive Despite Maltings Closure
The northernmost arts venue stays dark through a major rebuild, but films, exhibitions and pop-ups fill the gap across town.
How we reported this
The Maltings in Berwick-upon-Tweed sits closed for a £28.4 million redevelopment and will not reopen until the end of 2027.
England’s northernmost arts venue normally anchors film, theatre and gallery work for the whole region. Its shutdown forces every regular programme onto other sites, yet organisers have kept a full calendar running at scattered locations rather than pausing activity.
Films and exhibitions move to Barracks and Granary sites
Screenings now take place at the Maltings Cinema inside Berwick Barracks. Visual arts exhibitions occupy the Granary Gallery. Pop-up events appear at additional spots around the town whenever a suitable space opens up. The Straw Yard on the Visit Northumberland listings remains an active entertainment venue with the contact number 01289 349943 and the website www.thestrawyard.co.uk.
These moves keep both ticketed film releases and free or low-cost exhibitions available without requiring the main building. Residents and visitors therefore still find new work on screen and on walls every week.
Festival dates and monthly fairs mark the calendar
The 21st Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival ran across Berwick-upon-Tweed from 20 to 22 March 2026. Art at Etal continues as a monthly pop-up fair on the second Wednesday of each month from April through October at Etal Village Hall in Northumberland. Both events sit inside the same network of alternative programming that began when the Maltings closed.
The £28.4 million figure and the 2027 reopening date come directly from project records published by Visit Northumberland. Festival dates appear on the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival site. Art at Etal dates are listed on the same Visit Northumberland and local tourism pages that track the Maltings closure.
Anyone planning to attend a screening, exhibition or fair this summer can check the Visit Northumberland pages for the Maltings and the Straw Yard or ring 01289 349943 for current listings at the Straw Yard. Updated schedules appear there as new pop-ups are confirmed.