Wearside pulled off another major music coup yesterday, with the announcement that Grammy Award-winning rock band Foo Fighters will kick off the UK leg of their European ‘Sonic Highways’ tour at the Stadium of Light next summer.
Sunderland has not only landed the prestigious opening night of the tour, but will be the iconic band’s only stadium venue between London and Edinburgh.
Taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, 2015, the concert is set to be the biggest-ever rock show staged at the Stadium of Light, cementing its ever-growing reputation as one of global music’s most prestigious venues.
Speaking about last night’s announcement, the Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson, said: “This decision by the Foo-Fighters, one of the world’s leading rock bands, to begin their tour at the Stadium of Light shows what an important international music venue it has become.
“Sunderland has established itself as a city which stages some of the biggest and best cultural events in Europe, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to this latest musical attraction. The economic boost to our city and the entire region from events like this can’t be underestimated and we look forward to attracting even more international music stars to Sunderland.”
James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the NECC, echoed the city council’s sentiments, saying: “This is marvellous news for the city of Sunderland and the wider region. Concerts at the Stadium of Light provide a tremendous boost to the economy of the North East and provide significant benefits to a wide range of tourist and visitor-related sectors, including bars, restaurants, hotels and taxi companies.
“For Sunderland to have cemented itself so firmly on the music map is testament to the hard work of all of the agencies involved in the delivery and fulfilment of these major events and the willingness of everyone to make the North East region really stand out from the crowd.”
Sunderland AFC’s commercial director, Gary Hutchinson, added: “The summer concerts have become a focal point for the city and the wider region. It has taken a lot of hard work from all the agencies involved to establish Sunderland on the international concert promoter’s map, but we are seeing that hard work pay off in terms of the calibre of shows and artists we are attracting.
“The stadium itself is ideally placed, both in terms of its location and its design, to host spectacular music events such as this, but of course we won’t rest on our laurels and the hard work continues as we look bring more major music acts to the region in the coming months.”
The Stadium of Light has hosted 17 concerts in the last five years, featuring global artists such as Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Rhianna and Bon Jovi. Since the first concert staged in 2009, the shows have pumped almost £60 million into the North East economy and Wearside has benefitted from significant media exposure on a worldwide stage.
How to Buy
Tickets for the Foo Fighters at the Stadium of Light will go on sale at 10am on Friday 21 November from the Stadium of Light and ticket agents.
Stadium of Light sales information:
The Stadium of Light will offer General Admission (standing/Tier 1 unreserved seating) tickets only. All sales are subject to a £4 booking fee per ticket (unless payment is made in cash). Tickets cannot be purchased from SAFC by telephone or online and are available from the stadium’s ticket office to in-person purchasers only.
Ticket agents:
All tickets are subject to a booking fee.
Online at www.gigsand tours.com, telephone 0844 811 0051
Online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk, telephone 08448262826
Wheelchair and special needs patrons:
Tickets for wheelchair and special needs patrons are available by telephone from See Tickets, tel. 0871 230 3453
(calls cost 10p per min plus standard network charges).
Important information:
Young people aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult aged over 18 and no unaccompanied youngsters aged 14 or under will be permitted entry to the venue.
There is a limit of six tickets per purchaser in place.
Hospitality
Demand for this show is expected to be exceptionally high. Visit www.safcconcerts.com or call 0871 911 1555 or email [email protected] for details on our exciting new concert hospitality concept. Existing SAFC hospitality customers should contact the club immediately to reserve their package.