Jesmond Pool & Gym, usually known more for its laps than its live performances, has recently emerged as a quirky venue for musical performances. 

It has become an unlikely venue for Newcastle’s Jazz and Improvised Music Festival, hosting a unique performance by jazz musician Faye MacCalman earlier this year. 

The ticketed night, which sold out, involved a Friday swimming session for the local community, who were able to glide through the water as MacCalman’s atmospheric jazz infused the pool with an unexpected intimate, yet lively, vibe. “It was like we were all part of it together,” MacCalman explained. 

She added: “The sounds of splashes and movement added to the music, so the audience became part of the sound.”  

After the event’s success, the performer is eager to return: “It was creating an atmosphere for them to swim and reflect,” she told JesmondLocal. “I’d love to do another swimming pool gig like that again one day.” 

The concept sprang to life when Jazz North East representative Wesley Stephenson and MacCalman, both frequent swimmers at Jesmond Pool, struck up a conversation mid-swim. Inspired, Stephenson, whose organisation runs the Newcastle Jazz and Improvised Music Festival, approached the pool’s management with the idea, aiming to bring the festival beyond traditional venues.

“It’s indicative of what we try and do with the jazz festival. It’s not the kind of festival that is all housed in one building. We like to use a variation of spaces.” Stephenson said.  

He added: “It’s nice to be able to reach out in, in different ways like that as well. And it’s not just all about music. It’s about music integrating with other parts of your life… So I think when it comes to the festival, that’s the place where you can kind of reach out and start using more alternative ideas.” 

While the Jazz and Improvised Music Festival was held at many other events across Newcastle, including at Gosforth Civic Centre and the historic Literary and Philosophical Society, Jesmond Pool stood out for the organiser. “There’s not a lot of music happening here in Jesmond,” Stephenson said. “It brought people in the area together in a new way.” 

Although this was the first time the Jazz and Improvised Music Festival took place at Jesmond Pool, it’s not the venue’s first experience hosting live performances. 

With past performances featuring DJ sets, violinists, and trumpet players, Jesmond Pool is building a reputation as a unique and alternative venue for enjoying live music. 

Owner Scott Armstrong shared that the idea first emerged in 2021, inspired by a visit to Butlin’s, where he experienced an afternoon of soul disco by the pool. As a part-time DJ himself, Scott decided to test the concept during one of Jesmond Pool’s quiet Friday “chill-out” sessions – and it turned out to be an instant hit. 

“We just thought it would make Fridays, which is generally one of the quietest nights of the week at the pool, more interesting,” he said. “I think [it’s interesting] because it’s a weird place to perform.”

He added: “The acoustics in that building, on that poolside, are amazing and to be honest, it sounded brilliant. It was a brilliant event.” 

With events like these covering the costs of the pool, Armstrong also mentioned that since both his first DJ event and MacCalman’s festival performance, there seems to be an avid demand for more events like these.  

“I don’t think there’s really a live music scene in Jesmond at all. If you’re down at Ouseburn, it’s a hub down there – everything’s going on,” he said. “So, it’s something we’ve tried to dip our toe in.” 

Armstrong hints that there are plans afoot for the pool in the future, with more events expected in the new year.