Sunderland's Music Scene: Bands, Venues and Where to See a Gig

Sunderland has a long record in music. In the 2000s a handful of Wearside bands won national attention within a few years of each other, and the venues that grew up around them are still putting on gigs most weeks. The city now has its own music strategy, Pride and Potential, which runs from 2025 to 2030, and a Sunderland Music City directory listing places to hear, record and rehearse music. This guide covers the bands, the venues and where to go to see live music now.

Individual musicians born in the city and its surroundings, from Dave Stewart and Lauren Laverne to Emeli Sandé, are covered in our guide to famous people from Sunderland. Here the focus is on bands and places.

Kenickie and the 1990s

In the 1990s Sunderland produced Kenickie, formed in 1994 by Lauren Laverne, Marie Du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X. They played their first gig at the Broken Doll in Newcastle, released early records on the local label Slampt and became favourites of John Peel before signing to EMIdisc. They released two albums, At the Club in 1997 and Get In in 1998, and split after a final show at the London Astoria in October 1998.

The Futureheads and Field Music

The Futureheads formed in 2000, after the members met at City of Sunderland College, and practised at the Sunderland City Detached Youth Project. Their first gig was at Ashbrooke Cricket and Rugby Club in December 2000. Their debut album came out in 2004, and their cover of Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" reached number eight in the singles chart in February 2005.

In May 2005 Sunderland hosted Radio 1's One Big Weekend, and The Futureheads played it. The same weekend they performed before kick-off at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland were presented with the Championship trophy. After a break from 2013, the band re-formed in 2019 and released the album Powers that year.

The Futureheads' original drummer, Peter Brewis, went on to form Field Music with his brother David in 2004. Field Music have released a long run of albums on the Memphis Industries label, and their 2012 album Plumb was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Frankie & The Heartstrings and the birth of Pop Recs

Frankie & The Heartstrings formed in Sunderland in December 2008. Their debut album, Hunger, reached number 32 in the UK albums chart in February 2011, and they toured with bands including Florence + The Machine, The Futureheads and Kaiser Chiefs.

When their second album came out in June 2013, the band opened a record shop in Sunderland to promote it. It was meant to be a pop-up for two weeks, but the response from local people persuaded them to keep it going. That shop became Pop Recs. The band's drummer, Dave Harper, died in August 2021, and the cafe at Pop Recs, Sonny's, is named in his memory.

The venues

Pop Recs has been at 172-175 High Street West since late 2021, in a restored Grade II listed row. It is a community interest company with a record shop, a cafe and a venue holding around 250 people.

The Bunker on Stockton Road is a grassroots music project that began in 1980 as a youth project on Borough Road and has been at its current home since 1983. Over the years it has hosted gigs by The Clash, Björk, Chumbawamba and Billy Bragg. After arts funding was withdrawn in 1998 it was bought and reopened in 2001 by two local musicians, and it is now run as a community interest company. The venue holds about 50 people and puts on gigs alongside rehearsal rooms, recording facilities, a record label and its own radio station.

Independent on Holmeside is a city-centre venue for touring bands and club nights. Its programme mixes gigs by visiting and local acts with late-night club nights. In January 2026 it took part in Independent Venue Week with a charity gig for a local soup kitchen.

The Fire Station on High Street West is the city's newest large venue. Its auditorium opened at the end of 2021 and holds about 550 seated or 800 standing, and it is also the base of the Sunderland Music Office. It hosts gigs, comedy and theatre.

The Sunderland Empire is mainly a theatre but also books concerts and comedy. Its story is told in our history of the Sunderland Empire.

Best for: The Bunker, Pop Recs and Independent are all within walking distance of the city centre, so it is easy to fit a gig around a meal or a drink. Check each venue's own listings for set times and tickets.

Stadium concerts

The Stadium of Light has hosted stadium concerts since 2009. Take That played there in 2009, 2011 and 2026, Oasis in 2009, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in 2012 and 2024. Coldplay, Beyonce, the Spice Girls, Pink and Elton John have all played the ground. The stadium's record attendance is 60,000, set at an Ed Sheeran concert on 3 June 2022, the first of two nights there.

See it today

• Pop Recs, 172-175 High Street West: shop, cafe and gigs.
• The Bunker, 29 Stockton Road: small-room gigs, plus the Everywhere at Once all-dayer, held across four rooms in June 2026.
• Independent, 27-28 Holmeside: touring bands and club nights. Reef play on 21 November 2026.
• The Fire Station, High Street West: larger gigs, comedy and theatre.
• Sunderland Empire, High Street West: concerts alongside touring theatre.

For more ideas for an evening, see date night in Sunderland and quiz nights in Sunderland, and our pubs guide for places to go before or after a show.

Know a venue or band we have missed? Get in touch.