Pink Power! Review of Pink as she brings Summer Carnival tour to Sunderland's Stadium of Light

It’s been 13 years since the star last performed to a packed house at the Stadium of Light and she returned to the home of the Black Cats with a bang for her Summer Carnival 2023 tour.

The 43-year-old hitmaker made a dazzling descent to the stage from between a huge pair of lips, flanked by giant silver palm trees, clad in a bejewelled bodysuit whilst bouncing and flipping through the air on ropes. Now, THAT’S how you do an entrance.

Rather fittingly, her opening number of the anthemic Get the Party Started was a mash up with Mackem legend Dave Stewart’s Sweet Dreams from his Eurythmics days – it set the energy for a high octane two-hour spectacle.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride as the star performs tracks from her latest, and ninth studio album, Trustfall, including the dancey, yet emotional, title track, during which dancers fall high from podiums onto trampolines, and infectious singalong Never Gonna Not Dance Again and Turbulence for which she took to the skies again in a balletic performance.

You can also raise your glass to plenty of bangers through the decades such as Who Knew, Just Like a Pill, Please Don’t Leave Me, Just Like Fire and Fuckin’ Perfect.

The genre-spanning popstar has nerves of steel (and a mega health and safety assessment, presumably) as she puts on an Olympic level display of athleticism in her performance.

There’s moments of poignancy too, such as when she brings her daughter Willow, 12, on stage for Cover Me in Sunshine in a touching mother / daughter moment. Pink’s not like a regular mom, she’s a cool mom.

And lots of audience interaction that can often be missing from stars of this level as she read out banners in the crowds and picked up gifts thrown on stage, from soft toy frogs to Maltesers.

In keeping with the carnival theme, there’s lots of kitsch fun in the show with dancers twirling on flamingo scooters, dressed as giant neon lips for Blow Me One Last Kiss where confetti bursts from their mouths and a huge melted ice cream on stage, albeit a studded one, this is pop rocker Pink after all.

When it comes to putting on a show, there’s not much Pink can’t do: high-energy acrobatics, powerhouse vocals, a palpable emotional connection with the crowd, beautiful musicianship on a baby pink piano – heck, she can even sing whilst hanging upside down. This isn’t just girl power, it's Pink power.

“Bigger, better, faster” is Pink's motto and she certainly gives her fans their money’s worth. The tour, which heads to Birmingham, London and around Europe after the Wearside dates, is a real circus spectacular and Pink is the ultimate ringmaster.

Great support as well from Gayle, a lively set from KidCutUp and great audience interaction and craic from The Script on what must be an emotional time for them performing after the death of guitarist Mark Sheehan to whom they paid tribute.

There's also a real authenticity to Pink, aka Alecia Moore, who seems to have a genuine connection and gratitude for her fans and all those whose hard work goes into putting on a fantasy feat of this scale.

Speaking on her Instagram, she said: “Two nights in Bolton and now two nights in the Stadium of Light in beautiful sunny Sunderland. I read today that I was the first female to headline here in 2010 and now the first female to headline two nights in a row. Gratitude is all around.”

Pink’s dates cap off this summer’s Stadium of Light concerts with Beyoncé wowing 48,000 fans in May. There’s been some other big global names mooted for next year, so watch this space.

In the meantime, heading down to the home of the Black Cats on Sunday for the second night? No doubt you’ll be tickled Pink.