The Empress Ballroom / Spanish City

The Spanish City was a permanent seaside fairground in Whitley Bay, a seaside town in the North East of England. It was demolished for redevelopment (including a new school) in the late 1990s. The centrepiece of the Spanish City was the Dome, which still exists, although most of the fairground site has gone.

The Spanish City was opened in 1910. It earned its name in 1904 when Charles Elderton, who ran Hebburn's Theatre Royal, brought his Toreadors concert party troupe to perform there. The Spanish City became the Empress Ballroom in 1920.

In 1979 the Retundar Ballroom was converted into the starlight rooms for live entertainment. The Spanish City's funfair was extremely popular with fairground rides and amusements, including a 'Corkscrew' roller coaster, which is now at Flamingoland in Yorkshire, ghost train and waltzers.

The Dome has had a number of uses over the years as a ballroom, amusement arcade, and Laser Quest Laser Tag Arena, most recently it became a live music venue playing host to several bands including an appearance by Ash in 2001.