Sports & Leisure

Sunderland AFC (Stadium of Light)

Sunderland AFC play home matches at the Stadium of Light on the north bank of the Wear, a 49,000-capacity ground opened in 1997. The club also runs guided stadium tours on selected non-match days.

About Sunderland AFC (Stadium of Light)

The Stadium of Light opened in July 1997 on the site of the former Monkwearmouth Colliery, replacing Roker Park as the home of Sunderland AFC. It holds around 49,000 for football. A Davy lamp monument at the entrance marks the mining heritage of the site, and the ground also hosts large summer concerts, with a capacity of around 60,000 in concert layout.

Tickets for home matches are sold through the club website, where the access statement, family zone details (in the South East corner) and match-day travel advice are also published. Guided stadium tours run on selected non-match days and last a little over an hour, taking in the dressing room, the players' tunnel and the dugout; dates and booking are on safc.com. The club advises visitors driving to use the Park and Ride on Wessington Way, as parking restrictions apply on streets around the ground on match and event days.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Sunderland AFC (Stadium of Light).

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

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

The Futureheads, Field Music, Frankie & The Heartstrings and Kenickie, plus Pop Recs, The Bunker, Independent, the Fire Station and the Stadium of Light: a guide to live music in Sunderland.

The Bridges of Sunderland: Crossing the Wear

The Bridges of Sunderland: Crossing the Wear

A heritage guide to the bridges over the Wear in Sunderland, from the Wearmouth Bridge and the 1879 railway bridge to the Queen Alexandra Bridge, Northern Spire and Keel Crossing.

The Lambton Worm: Wearside's Dragon Legend

The Lambton Worm: Wearside's Dragon Legend

The Lambton Worm beyond the song: the two hills that claim the legend, the curse on the Lambton family, the 1867 song, Lambton Castle and where the worm turns up in books, film and football.

Coal Mining in Sunderland: Pits, Railways and the Miners' Legacy

Coal Mining in Sunderland: Pits, Railways and the Miners' Legacy

Sunderland's coal mining story, from the Hetton Colliery Railway and the deep Monkwearmouth pit to Ryhope, Silksworth, Herrington and the Washington F Pit, with the memorials you can visit today.

A History of Sunderland AFC

A History of Sunderland AFC

The story of Sunderland AFC from a teachers' club in 1879 to the Stadium of Light: six league titles, two FA Cups, Roker Park, the 1973 final and where to see the history today.

A History of Roker Park

A History of Roker Park

Sunderland AFC's home from 1898 to 1997: the Roker Roar, the Clock Stand, the 75,118 record crowd, the 1966 World Cup games and the housing estate that stands on the site now.

The Tyne-Wear Derby Explained

The Tyne-Wear Derby Explained

A guide to the Tyne-Wear derby between Sunderland and Newcastle United: where the rivalry comes from, the matches people still talk about and how to follow it today.

What Is a Mackem? The Word, the Accent and the Identity

What Is a Mackem? The Word, the Accent and the Identity

What Mackem means, where the word may come from, how the Sunderland accent and dialect differ from Geordie, and a short glossary of Wearside words.

Corporate Christmas Party Venues in Sunderland 2026

Corporate Christmas Party Venues in Sunderland 2026

Where to book a work Christmas party in Sunderland in 2026, from shared party nights at STACK Seaburn, the Grand Hotel and the Roker Hotel to exclusive hire.

Famous People from Sunderland: Inventors, Writers, Musicians and Footballers

Famous People from Sunderland: Inventors, Writers, Musicians and Footballers

From Joseph Swan and James Herriot to Dave Stewart, Kate Adie and Jordan Henderson, the people who grew up on Wearside and where to find their traces in the city today.

18 Interesting Facts About Sunderland

18 Interesting Facts About Sunderland

Eighteen checked facts about Sunderland, from Bede and a 7th-century glass workshop to the push-bar door, the Wearmouth Bridge, Roker lighthouse and the Stadium of Light.

Historic Trades of Sunderland: Ships, Coal, Glass, Pottery and Rope

Historic Trades of Sunderland: Ships, Coal, Glass, Pottery and Rope

The industries that built Sunderland, from salt pans and keelmen to shipyards, glassworks, lustreware potteries, the patent ropery, Vaux brewery and the last pit, with places to see their traces.

Sunderland on Screen: Film, TV and the Places Behind Them

Sunderland on Screen: Film, TV and the Places Behind Them

Sunderland 'Til I Die, Premier Passions, the Empire premiere, Penshaw on television and the new Crown Works Studios: the city's screen story and the places you can visit.

Photography Spots in Sunderland: Where to Go and When

Photography Spots in Sunderland: Where to Go and When

Where to take photographs in Sunderland, from Roker lighthouse at sunrise to Penshaw Monument at dusk, with notes on the best light, timing and access for each spot.

Lost Buildings of Sunderland: What Stood Here Before

Lost Buildings of Sunderland: What Stood Here Before

The Town Hall, Binns, Joplings, the Havelock cinema, Roker Park, Vaux and the old Central station: the Sunderland buildings that have gone, with dates and what stands on the sites now.

Football in Sunderland

Football in Sunderland

A guide to football in Sunderland: watching SAFC and Sunderland AFC Women, the city's non-league clubs, where to play five-a-side and walking football, and the Fans Museum.

Where to Park in Sunderland

Where to Park in Sunderland

Multi-storeys, surface car parks, the seafront and park and ride at St Peter's: a practical guide to where to park in Sunderland city centre and on the coast.

Getting Around Sunderland Without a Car

Getting Around Sunderland Without a Car

The Metro Green line, Park Lane Interchange, trains to Newcastle and London, buses, cycling routes and the Keel Crossing: how to get around Sunderland without a car.

Moving to Sunderland: A Practical Guide

Moving to Sunderland: A Practical Guide

Neighbourhoods, housing, council tax, schools, transport and the changing city centre: a practical guide for anyone moving to Sunderland or thinking about it.

Match Day at the Stadium of Light: A Visitor's Guide

Match Day at the Stadium of Light: A Visitor's Guide

How to get to the Stadium of Light, where to drink and eat nearby, stadium tours, the Fans Museum, family areas, accessibility and concerts.