Beyoncé bound for Sunderland after announcing Stadium of Light concert

The popstar is set to light up the North East in the summer following the announcement of her hotly-anticipated concert dates after she appeared as part of the Super Bowl 50 celebrations, alongside Coldplay and Bruno Mars.

She will play the Sunderland’s Stadium of Light in what will be the prestigious opening night of the European leg of the Formation World Tour, on Tuesday, June 28.

The show will be the iconic singer's first-ever stadium performance in the North East, with Sunderland selected as one of only five UK venues to host the global superstar and one of only two stadium venues in England, the other being Wembley.

The Crazy in Love star is heralded as one of the biggest and best entertainers in the world and one of the most successful female artists of all time.

She has sold over 118 million records as a solo artist and a further 60 million with her former band, Destiny’s Child.

The Formation World Tour is Beyoncé’s first solo tour since her ambitious Mrs Carter Show World Tour in 2013.

The sold-out tour spanning two years and five continents thrilled nearly two million fans and was hailed by critics worldwide.

During the summer of 2014, Beyoncé and Jay Z launched the six-week On The Run Tour, playing major stadiums in the US.

They ended the tour in Paris, France in September 2014 with two additional dates that were filmed for an HBO Special that was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Speaking about the concert, Sunderland AFC’s commercial director, Gary Hutchinson, said: “This concert represents a huge win not only for the Stadium of Light but the North East region too. Given Beyoncé’s iconic status in today’s music scene, this is without doubt the biggest concert announcement we have ever made.

“In a career spanning almost 20 years, she has consistently produced global hits and is one of the greatest artistes in recent history.

"To have her perform here in Sunderland, in her prime, will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for North East music fans and we can’t wait to welcome her to the city and the stadium.”

Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, February 16, and will be available from the Stadium of Light ticket office and approved ticket agents.

Tickets will be priced from just £40, but with unprecedented demand expected, fans are advised to secure their seat what will be the hottest show of the summer as soon as possible.

HOW TO BUY

Stadium of Light sales information:

The Stadium of Light will offer General Admission (standing/Tier 1 unreserved seating) tickets only to personal callers, priced at £70 and a limited number of Gold Circle tickets at £105. All sales are subject to a £4 booking fee per ticket (unless payment is made in cash).

Tickets cannot be purchased from the Stadium of Light box office by telephone or online.

Tickets are available from the stadium’s box office to in-person purchasers only.

Ticket agents:

General admission tickets (standing/Tier 1 unreserved seating) £70. Tier 2 reserved seats £70 and £105 and Tier 3 reserved seats £40/ £60/£70. All tickets are subject to a booking fee. Golden Circle tickets are priced at £105.

Online at www.livenation.com.

Online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or 0844 8440444

The full European tour dates are:

Tuesday, June 28, Sunderland, UK Stadium of Light

Thursday, June 30, Cardiff, UK Millennium Stadium

Saturday, July 2, London, UK Wembley Stadium

Tuesday, July 5, Manchester, UK Emirates Old Trafford

Thursday. July 7, Glasgow, UK Hampden Park

Saturday. July 9, Dublin, IE Croke Park

Tuesday. July 12, Dusseldorf, DE Esprit Arena

Thursday, July 14, Zurich, CH Letzigrund

Saturday, July 16, Amsterdam, NE Arena

Monday, July, 18 Milan, IT Stadio San Siro

Thursday, July 21, Paris, FR Stade de France

Sunday, July 24, Copenhagen, DK Parken

Tuesday, July 26, Stockholm, SE Friends Arena

Friday. July 29, Frankfurt, DE Commerzbank Arena

Sunday, July 31 Brussels, BE Roi Boudoin.