Here’s just some of the cultural highlights of a busy year after the city got back to business following the pandemic.
5. Opening of Hills Arts Centre, April
It was the start of a new story for the old Hills Bookshop as it officially opened its doors as Hills Arts Centre in April. The 6,000sq ft site was completely reconfigured to create individual studios and work spaces, resulting in a new creative hub which houses 17 businesses and arts practitioners, including Grinder coffee shop, beauty studio, tattooist, glass artist, photographer, jewellery maker, candle maker, milliner and many more. Photo: Stu Norton
6. Ed Sheeran, June
Ed Sheeran broke records when he brought his Mathematics tour to the Stadium of Light for two nights in June, performing to 120,000 fans, making them the most-attended gigs ever in the North East at 60,000 people a night.
Pictured are fans, brother and sister Hattie, 8 and Alfie Spedding, 11. Photo: Stu Norton
7. Elton John, June
Elton John performed for the first and only time of his long career at the Stadium of Light in June as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, performing a set of singalongs including I Guess Why They Call It The Blues, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Candle in the Wind, Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, I'm Still Standing, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Your Song and more. Photo: national world
8. New restaurant openings
A number of new restaurants opened in the city this year, including My Delhi in Borough Road, Knowledge in the East End, Social and Kitchen in Pallion, Midnight Pizza Cru at Pop Recs and The Copt Hill in Houghton. There's plenty more to come in 2023, with lots of anticipation around The Botanist and other bars on the ground floor of the new Holiday Inn in Keel Square Photo: national world