Royal Northern Sinfonia

One of the North East’s popular music festivals has unveiled its biggest line up yet as it joins forces with the Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018.

As start host port for the international sailing event, the city will welcome 55 sailing vessels and their crews along with an estimated 1.5m visitors, for four days of theatre, circus, music and dance, from 11th to 14th July.

Summer Street Festival is a free annual event founded by The Futureheads guitarist and vocalist Ross Millard, and this year will be moving from its usual Southwick home to Seaburn Recreation Park to be part of the sailing event.

The music festival will be staged on 14th July alongside the previously announced Tall Ships Races.

Summer Streets Festival line-up

On Saturday 14th July, stars such as Little Comets and the Royal Northern Sinfonia will be among a packed line up performing across three stages.

Also taking to the main stage will be up and coming band The Pale White along with festival favourites Smoove & Turrell.

There will also be sets from punk rock band Martha, from Durham and folk band The Cornshed Sisters, alongside shows from bands as far afield as Norway and New Orleans.                                                                                                         

The all-female Shake Em Up jazz band will bring traditional Louisiana style jazz to the main stage, while Norwegian indie band Beezewax will perform tracks from their most recent EP, Out of the Window.

Swedish YouTube hit, Gunhild Carling – famous for playing three trumpets at the same time – will be making an appearance with her band too, bringing some jazz standards along with some unlikely pop classics.

For younger festival goers there will be a vast range of craft and activity sessions along with singing, song writing, glockenspiel and recorder workshops, while for older visitors, the acclaimed Wylam Brewery from Newcastle, will be running a bar throughout the event and there will be food concessions.

Group information

Groups are welcome at the festival event. Coaches will be directed to park at the nearby Stadium of Light, home to Sunderland AFC, with drop offs closer to the main event sites to minimise walking distances.                                                                                                                             

For more information, visit www.tallshipssunderland.com