Free music festival featuring Emeli Sandé planned in Sunderland to thank NHS and key workers

Plans are in place to stage the Rocking in the Free World festival in Herrington Country Park on May 22, 2021 – providing it’s safe for crowds to gather by this date.

The organisers are aiming to raise £20,000 via a CrowdFunder page so he can stage the free festival to say thank you to people who’ve worked hard at the frontline of the healthcare crisis who can apply for free tickets here.

So far they’ve announced that Sunderland-born multi-platinum-selling Emeli Sandé, whose hits include Clown and Next To Me, will perform as well as dance act Karen Harding whose hits include Say Something. Karen also has links to the city as she used to work in her parents’ takeaway business in Chester Road.

The Crowd Funding page reads: “Given the sacrifices being made and how hard the NHS are working along with other key workers to get us through this current situation I am planning to put on a festival/concert to thank them for all that they are doing and to give them the chance to be looked after by us even if it is for a few hours.

“The plan is for the event to be free of charge and for all guests to get at least a free drink (more if we raise enough) and for them to spend time socially with their work colleagues and to have a laugh and make some good memories.

“The size of the event will depend entirely on how much can be raised so the more that is given the more people can be invited and the bigger the event will be.”

Last year, singer songwriter Emeli was announced as Sunderland University’s new chancellor. Her parents Diane and Joel met whilst studying at the then polytechnic in the 1980s and Emeli was born in the city in 1987. She went on to have huge success in the music industry selling millions of records.

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