Artist formerly known as Emeli Sandé on returning to Sunderland and its vibrant future

Now performing under her real name of Adele Sandé for the first time in 18 years, the global star was back in her birth city of Sunderland for a special performance to mark the launch of a Year of Music in the city.

The gig also came as Music City was awarded a significant amount of Arts Council England funding, with more on the grant to be announced soon.

“It’s really fantastic to hear that Sunderland’s bid for investment from Arts Council England was successful and that it’s going to be funding a lot of music around the city,” Sandé said.

“It’s going to be even more vibrant, even more full of creativity and talent. This investment is going to be funding so many different genres of music, from punk to jazz, to dance music, and it’s going be delivered by working practitioners in the city already.

“So it’s going to bring new work to Sunderland and it’s just positive all around.”

Sandé, who was born in Sunderland, but moved to Scotland with her family when she was four, has long championed music education and community talent.

“It feels like a homecoming” she said. “When we came into the building, there was a [Sunderland] musician called Will Swindle. He was playing Blackbird, which was really, really beautiful, and a really high level of talent, which you could tell straight away.

“And even when we came to the hotel last night, there was music going on and it just feels like Sunderland genuinely is a very creative, talented musical city.”

Michelle Daurat, lead on Sunderland Music City, said it was “another amazing moment for Sunderland’s music scene”.

“Arts Council England’s investment will help us provide a platform for the grassroots talent that Adele speaks so passionately about.”

The funding will support live performances, community projects, artist development and music education — laying the foundation for a musical legacy that aims to reach every corner of the city and beyond.

“Sunderland Music City has always been about building a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative music ecosystem that reflects the real sound of Sunderland – from its rich heritage to its amazing future as a leading Music City in the UK,” Daurat added.

Over 6,000 music lovers filled the city on the opening day of Sunderland Year of Music, with more than a dozen venues and spaces for music – including The Fire Station, The Independent, Pop Recs, Live Lounge, The Peacock, The Dun Cow, The Engine Room, The Saltgrass, The King’s Arms, Mexico 70, Gatsby and Washington Holy Trinity Church – buzzing with live performances, DJ sets and paywhatyoufeel gigs across every genre.

The Sunderland Year of Music builds on Sunderland’s official designation as a global Music City, achieved in January 2025, recognising years of grassroots development and cultural success and ambition.

The formal recognition by the Music Cities Network places Sunderland among a global powerhouse of cities like Berlin, Manchester and Sydney, committed to harnessing music as a tool for social and economic transformation, and marks a bold new chapter in the city’s creative future.

More details on Arts Council England’s funded events programme will be announced in the coming weeks.