Beyoncé to play Sunderland Stadium of Light concert in 2023 as part of Renaissance world tour

The multi-million record-selling singer and songwriter announced on her website she will be returning to the home of the Black Cats on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

It's one of only four UK dates on the tour, with the star also playing Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ticketing will begin on Monday, February 6, 2023, starting with an exclusive presale to BeyHive members.

The global superstar, 41, returned to the stage in January with a show in Dubai, which made headlines around the world.

There’s been rumours for weeks of a tour after the star released new album Renaissance last summer, featuring tracks including Break My Soul and Cuff It, her first solo studio album since Lemonade in 2016.

The 2023 tour, produced by Parkwood Entertainment, and promoted by Live Nation, kicks off on May 10, 2023, at Friends Arena in Stockholm, SE, making stops throughout Europe in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Paris, London, Marseille, Amsterdam, Warsaw and more.

The tour then continues across North America with shows in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston and more.

It’s been seven years since the star last performed in Sunderland, when she proved a sell-out success with the Wearside leg of her Formation World Tour on June 28, 2016, putting on an energetic show for more than 50,000 fans.

It’s set to be a summer of powerful performances with Pink also set to perform two dates on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, 2023 as part of her Summer Carnival tour. There’s not believed to be any further concert announcements for the Stadium of Light this year.

Each gig ploughs millions into the local economy, with pubs, hotels, guest houses and more enjoying a big surge in sales and bookings.

This year, the infrastructure to support so many visitors to the city will be even greater with new places such as the £18million Holiday Inn opening its doors, as well as number of bars and restaurants set to open in 2023.

Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland BID, said: “Any announcement of international performers coming to Sunderland is great news for the city and for the local economy.

“We are very much now recognised by music promoters as a top class venue and we can see that by the calibre of acts that have come here in recent years.

“The fact that by next summer we will have more hotels, more restaurants and generally more attractions in Sunderland means that we can encourage those attending the concerts to stay longer – and, just as importantly, to return.”

After a three year break, gigs returned to the home of the Black Cats last summer and proved a big hit, with Ed Sheeran performing two nights to a record-breaking crowd of 120,000 people.

He was followed later on in June by Elton John who performed his one and only Sunderland date to a sell-out crowd, the first fully-seated gig at the stadium, as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

They join some of the biggest names in music who’ve all played the Stadium of Light over the years, including Oasis, Take That, Rihanna, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, One Direction, Foo Fighters and many more.

Beyonce fans in Sunderland have been reacting to the news of the singer’s return on the Echo’s Facebook page.

Amy Louise said: “Highly recommend anyone to see her live, she’s incredible. Saw her last tour at the stadium and was blown away.”

Tiffany Cherrett said: “She was amazing the last time she came xxx”