Sunderland is a Music City – What Does This Mean for Culture?
Written by Joseph Lynch on 21st October 2025
Music industry leaders have spoken of their hopes for the future, after Sunderland was named as a global Music City.
Earlier this year, Sunderland was given the title – one of the few cities in the UK to be recognised as such, and has set itself up for lots of enticing future events that it has never seen before. The city now ranks alongside other leading international music destinations including Berlin, Sydney and Reykjavik.
Michael McKnight, owner of the Pop Recs music venue and arts cafe, said: “Hopefully there will be more live music, more people buying tickets for gigs. It will help put Sunderland on the musical map.” He added that: “seeing more original music is what we need”.
PopRecs Sonny’s Kitchen and Cafe
Credit: Lewis Newton
Home to exciting artistic landmarks such as the National Glass Centre and the Winter Gardens, Sunderland has always been viewed as a major city of creativity, but not always musically so.
A spokesperson for the record store Hot Rats said: “It will be have a positive impact. Maybe it will lead to more young people exploring different genres of music.”
A range of events have already been lined up in the city to celebrate the accolade. For more information, visit the website here.
