Come for the music. Stay for more

Our city has an impressive musical background with artists like Dave Stewart, Field Music and The Futureheads all growing up here, and that influence still shows. There's a long history of punk and post‑punk in Sunderland, and you can still hear that honest, straight‑talking style in a lot of new music coming through.

In recent years Sunderland has played host to global music icons such as Elton John, Beyonce, The Spice Girls and Bruce Springsteen to name a few. And 2026 is no different with Take That set to 'take' to the stage at the Stadium of Light and BBC Radio One's Big Weekend coming to Herrington Country Park to get our Summer of Music underway!

Sunderland's burgeoning independent music scene has its own strong sense of identity. It's not so much about big hype or chasing trends, but more about people making music they care about. With Indie, punk, folk and soul at the heart of it, there are more DJs and electronic nights popping up too. A true 'home bred' scene, a lot of Sunderland's bands are borne out of friendships and local connections rather than the wider music industry. Sunderland recently achieved Music City status and aims to establish our city as a globally recognised music hub, with a focus on ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to make, learn, record, rehearse, promote, perform and listen to great music.

We have an energetic live music scene held in a few key places. The Fire Station brings in bigger acts while also backing local talent while smaller bars and pop‑up spaces are just as important, giving people somewhere to try new things out, play their first gigs and keep the scene moving.

What really keeps Sunderland's music scene going? It's the people. Musicians support each other, audiences are loyal, and everyone chips in to make things happen. It might not always be flashy, but it's welcoming, hard‑working and proud of where it comes from.

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