Viv Hardwick looks at the regional schemes to encourage people to visit venues way after the majority normally shut for the night.

THE Late Shows has been extended to two evenings, May 15 and 16, allowing thousands of visitors to enjoy free sessions of after-hours culture in NewcastleGateshead.

The event, which is running alongside the national Museums At Night 2009 project, returns for the third year with almost 30 cultural venues opening up until late, offering a range of free events, from live art to film screenings.

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is offering torch-led tours of a wormery, the Laing Art Gallery will be showing digital films made by the public and Newcastle’s Castle Keep and Seven Stories are also among the venues.

However, the queues are likely to be longest for exclusive guided tours of the pitch and dressing rooms at Newcastle United Football Club – while the chance to explore the old underground wagon way in Ouseburn’s Victoria Tunnel is almost fully booked. From 9.30pm to 11pm on May 16 there will be spooky lantern-lit tours of the graveyard at St Mary’s Church, Gateshead and also sneak previews of Newcastle City Library which doesn’t officially open until next month.

The Hatton Gallery will be hosting a special Fifties themed night while the Shipley Art Gallery will be transformed into a cabaret for the evening. Down in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, you can try your hand at sugar craft, print making and swing dancing or visit the Make it, Sell it Market.

Northern Stage, World Headquarters and Tyneside Cinema will be open until the early hours.

Clare Rigg, communications officer with Tyne and Wear Museums, says: “We’ve got 29 venues linking up as part of The Late Shows culture crawl. About half are open on the Friday and are mainly based on events in the Ouseburn Valley while all are open on the Saturday.

“Last year there was a long wait for tours of St James’ Park and because it’s so exclusive the guides can’t take huge groups around. I think there are only about five places left on a 10pm tour of the Victoria Tunnel. A new event is digital stories by the public being shown outside the Laing Gallery.

“We are hoping that people will be staying for the weekend this time and last year, when we only opened on a Saturday night, we had 11,500 people. We’re hoping for more and just hoping that it doesn’t rain.”

A free bus service will be running between the venues on both evenings. Newcastle’s Central Station is a main dropping off point for buses, but rail-users heading south should be warned that the last train leaves Tyneside at 10.46pm on a Friday and on Saturday it’s 9.50pm. To find out more about this event visit thelateshows.org.uk and you can also find the event on Twitter, Flickr or Facebook.

■ LATE SHOWS COMPETITION You could be among the first to get a sneak preview of the newly refurbished Great North Museum.

The Great North Museum is opening its doors one week early to 100 visitors as part of The Late Shows line up. On May 16, lucky competition winners will get the chance to see a spectacular after-hours Planetarium show. To have a chance of winning a pair of tickets email your name, address and telephone number to thelateshows@twmuseums .org.uk with GNM competition in the subject line. Closing date Monday.

MUSEUMS at Night 2009, organised by Culture24, is part of the European-wide Nuits des Musees celebrations. Now in its fifth year, it is becoming an established feature in the arts and heritage calendar.

May 16: The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, A unique chance to see one of Britain’s most fascinating museum experiences at night offering the greatest collection of European fine and decorative arts in the North, including works by Goya, El Greco.

10am-9pm, Adults £7 (Concessions £6) Children free (under 16 years) carers free.

Discover Tudor Durham, Old Fulling Museum Archaeology, The Banks, Durham, DH1 3EB Refreshments and family activities at the museum after your tour. 6-8pm. Admission free May 17: York Minster will remain open until midnight.

There will be night-time trips up the central tower, special Hidden Minster tours, ghost stories in the crypt, live music and a host of other events.

Family friendly. 5pm-12am