Spark Entertainment
Matilda The Musical is set to hit the Empire stage for the second time from 11 – 28 February as it celebrates 15 years on the stage. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s beloved stage version of Roald Dahl’s children’s book, Matilda The Musical, with music and lyrics written by the brilliant Tim Minchin, will be returning […]
Richard O’Briens legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical The Rocky Horror Show visits the Sunderland Empire this week and is running from the 19th to 23rd January. The show was first seen on the London stage in 1973 and its fan base has grown massively since. It includes some iconic tracks including: Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, […]
Newcastle-based band, The Pale White, have just announced a UK-wide tour for 2026. The venues span from Edinburgh to London, ending with a final wrap-up in Newcastle. The alt-rock band, currently consisting of brothers Adam and Jack Hope, originated in Wallsend and has been actively gigging since 2016. They have been from success to success […]
Roker Records, located on Fulwell Rd in Sunderland, has been open for little over a month and has already become a hotspot for vinyl collectors in the North East. I spoke to shop owner Iain Wakefield about opening his own shop, and turning his longstanding love for vinyl records into business. Roker Records is open […]
Coming from a small family that’s on the older side, I have, in my adulthood, grown to love watching shows which are aimed at a younger audience. Before going to watch this display of Beauty and the Beast, I had yet to delve into the world of the Pantomime and it is safe to say […]
November 15 saw the return of the iconic Christmas markets in Newcastle Upon Tyne, with stalls spreading from Grey Street to Old Eldon Square, it brings together local artisans, festive flavours, and a cosy atmosphere. The market is performing extremely well, with Eldon Square reporting a 9% increase in footfall from the previous year – […]
Oxford University Press has named ‘rage bait’ as its 2025 Word of the Year – but what does Sunderland think? Hannah Rooney went to find out. This year’s Oxford Word of the Year – ‘rage bait’ – describes a tactic where internet users purposefully inspire anger in others, to drive their profile on social […]
Snowed In Sunlun is back, and this time it’s bigger than ever. Snowed In is a festive-themed charity gig, run by Sunderland University’s Northern Academy of Music Education (NAME) students. This year, they are expanding the initiative and putting on two shows, one at Pop Recs, Sunderland, on December 10th and the other at Vixen […]
Going Back Brockens is an exhibition, currently displayed at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, that revisits colliery sites, 40 years after the Miner’s Strike. Why is it important that these stories are told years after they happened? Narbi Price, the artist of the paintings within the exhibit, said: “We gain a richer understanding of what’s come before, what is happening now – […]
The festive period is well and truly upon us, and with that comes pantomime! This year sees Sleeping Beauty make an appearance at Sunderland Empire, with a cast that includes everyone from TV stars to the usual crowd favourites! When a beautiful Princess is cursed by the evil Carabosse on the eve of her 18th […]
