Sunderland’s Streetbar forced to close after burst pipe causes flooding
Written by Finlay Horsfall on 30th January 2025
A Sunderland city centre bar has been closed for the past two weeks due to a burst mains water pipe which caused “horrific” flooding.
General manager Lee Smith said he was unsure when Streetbar would reopen because of the damage which has affected the business “massively.”

Credit: Streetbar Sunderland on Facebook.

Credit: Streetbar Sunderland on Facebook
He said: “It is really bad. It was a good three hours of a water mains pipe burst and it flooded the whole of the bottom floor, which then drained into the cellar.
“It ended up warping the floor which means the whole floor will need removing, as well as the bar.
“It was that powerful that the water lifted all the flagstones up, straight out of the concrete cement.
“It was horrific.
“Streetbar will be shut for quite a while. Luckily, we have another business over the road and we have moved a lot of the TVs over there so we can try and keep open.”
Mr Smith said Streetbar’s sister venue The Rabbit was unaffected and remains open as usual. But he was unable to say when Streetbar was expected to reopen.
“We are still in touch with Northumbrian Water, our insurers and our landlords to see what is going to happen,” he said.
Streetbar operates primarily as a sports bar for fans to have somewhere to enjoy watching live sports, as well as having a pool table and multiple darts boards.
The flooding has come at an unfortunate time for the business. It was hoped it would be open for when Sunderland played Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
However, the severity of the damage meant is has not been able to reopen since.
Mr Smith said the flooding had affected the business “massively” financially in a week where there was also mid-week Champions League football – which would have usually brought many customers into the pub.
A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “We are incredibly sorry Streetbar has been affected.
“Our insurance team have been assisting to help resolve any issues that have arisen.
“Our operational team repaired the burst the same day and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.”