Resources Article

Coming to Middlesbrough?

We're really looking forward to welcoming you to Middlesbrough this November for Governance Now 2026: Purpose and Place.

Here you’ll find useful information to help you plan your visit, from travelling by train and finding somewhere to stay, to discovering some of the cultural activity Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley have to offer.

Whether you’re arriving for the day or making a longer trip of it, we hope you’ll take the opportunity to explore the area and make the most of your time with us.

Location: Middlesbrough Town Hall, TS1 2QJ

Middlesbrough is well connected by rail from across the UK, with direct services from a number of major cities and easy connections via Darlington. 

Travel from London King’s Cross to Darlington with LNER, with a journey time of approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. 

At Darlington, change for a Northern service to Middlesbrough, which takes approximately 30–35 minutes. 

TransPennine Express operates direct services to Middlesbrough from: 

Manchester Victoria
Manchester Airport
Liverpool Lime Street, via Manchester 

Journey times are approximately 2–3 hours, depending on your starting point. 

There are convenient direct rail services to Middlesbrough: 

Leeds → Middlesbrough: approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
York → Middlesbrough: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes 

These are among the simplest and most frequent regional routes into Middlesbrough. 

Northern operates regular services between Newcastle and Middlesbrough, with a journey time of approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. 

Services run regularly throughout the day.

From Edinburgh or Glasgow, travel to Darlington using LNER or TransPennine Express services. 

At Darlington, change for a service to Middlesbrough, which takes approximately 30–35 minutes. 

Our partner hotels for the conference are: 

Holiday Inn Express Middlesbrough – Centre Square 
A centrally located hotel within easy reach of Middlesbrough railway station, the town centre and conference venues. 

Station Suites 
Conveniently located close to Middlesbrough railway station, making it particularly suitable for delegates arriving by train. 

Further information on conference accommodation and any delegate booking arrangements will be provided as part of your booking information. 

Middlesbrough railway station is centrally located, so many of the town centre’s hotels, cultural venues, restaurants and conference locations are within walking distance. 

Yes. We recommend booking travel and accommodation as early as possible, particularly if you are travelling from outside the region. 

Yes. Middlesbrough town centre is compact and walkable, with the railway station, hotels, cultural venues and many restaurants located relatively close together. 

Below is a list of restaurants we have been recommended by our friends in Tees Valley – we would look at booking these restaurants for larger groups during your visit to Middlesbrough to make sure they can accommodate large groups. 

Food premises Address Website  
Panuozzos 13–15 Bedford Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 2LL Panuozzos Official Website 
Umi Japanese 118-120 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2JR Umi Japanese Official Website 
Rio Steakhouse 93-101 Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2PA Rio Brazilian Steakhouse Website 
Coco & Rum 200 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3RF Coco & Rum Official Website 
Sambuca 202-204 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3QW Sambuca Middlesbrough Facebook 
The Birdcage 21-23 Bedford Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 2LL The Birdcage Bar & Kitchen Facebook 
Central Park  337 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 6AA Cafe Central Park Official Website 
Bloom 1 Albert Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 1PQ Bloom Official Website 
Manjaros 186–188 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3RF Manjaros Official Website 
Akbars Restaurant 192-194 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3RF Akbar’s Official Website