Spark News
Sunderland AFC have officially released all ticket information for the upcoming first Europa League away day in Portugal, taking on second division side Torreense. This is one of the most anticipated ticket releases in Sunderland’s history, yet information has been released very late and had fans scratching their heads worrying about travel plans. Sunderland normally […]
After seven years of gracing the BBC with sickening lip syncs and snatch games, Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK is now having to sashay away after being dropped from the BBC due to apparent budget cuts. The BBC has dropped Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK as part of cost-cutting measures to save £500 million. They […]
Sunderland scriptwriters will have the chance to put their work in the spotlight this week as Sunderland Scratch celebrates its tenth session at Port Independent. The regular event, held every couple of months, gives writers of all experience levels the opportunity to share their latest scripts and receive feedback from fellow writers and audience members. […]
SK Dance School of Performing Arts is a dance school based in Sunderland. They are celebrating 30 years since opening by hosting a show at the Sunderland Empire. Shameem Karim is the Owner of SK Dance, her daughter, Sophina Afzal is co principle and her other daughter, Yasmeen Afzal is Head of Faculty. When […]
Sunderland’s annual Big Student Shop is returning to The Bridges Shopping Centre, offering students an afternoon of exclusive discounts, freebies, entertainment and prizes. From 3.00 to 6.00pm on September 23, 2026, students will have access to exclusive discounts at participating stores within the bridges. With some discounts reaching up to 25% off, shoppers will surely […]
The British Rowing Club Championships took place at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham on July 17-19. With sunny weather and calm conditions, the three-day event hosted over 2,400 athletes from across the country and was the perfect end to the summer regatta season. Six athletes represented the University of Sunderland rowing […]
A brand new street art mural in Sunderland that aims to redevelop the area has been revealed. The Sunniside Project announced that the new mural that it has been planning for months has finally been completed. The mural was painted in collaboration with two Bristol-based artists, Hannah Worsley and Dave Bain. Both Dave (@davebainuk) and […]
Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC have incurred 107.2% increased costs for policing the Wear-Tyne Derby from Northumbria Police since its return in 2024. New data uncovered after a Freedom of Information request by Spark reveals the cost invoiced to clubs for the policing of the Wear-Tyne derby, since its return after an eight-year hiatus, has […]
New data reveals that South Tyneside has the lowest average weekly wage in the North East and it is increasing at a rate slower than many other localities in the region. The area’s gross weekly median pay (GWMP), the statistic used to measure weekly pay, is £537 and has increased by 38.4% in the past […]
A recent study from UK Anti-Doping has discovered that the number of anti-doping tests performed on para-athletes has dipped following the 2024 Paralympics. The study found that the number of tests conducted on para-athletes dropped from 267 in 2024 to 222 in 2025. This compares to 8,414 tests completed across all sports in 2025, almost […]
