Sunderland's Stadium of Light 'set up for major events benefiting city'

Sunderland City Council chiefs praised the stadium as a venue for hosting major concerts and outlined how the site is also well placed for helping to host international sporting tournaments.

It comes after it was confirmed in September that Sunderland and the Stadium of Light were part of the initial bidding process to be named as a host should a joint bid to host EURO 2028 by England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland be successful.

A meeting of the City Council economic prosperity scrutiny committee heard from officers how the Stadium of Light is well set to host such big events which can benefit Sunderland.

Stephen Savage, assistant director of regulatory services, said: “That stadium is set up to bid for major sporting events in as much that the area around it is paramount, because everybody now wants an outer perimeter.

“One of the reasons this stadium is so good for concerts is the access and egress is wide and high and it doesn’t take so many days to load in and load out.”

As part of a presentation looking at future events for Sunderland, he highlighted how the city is “ready to bid for things like” hosting games during the women’s Rugby World Cup when it comes to England in 2025.

Mr Savage added: “Any major sporting event now bidding, even up to 2028 you’re on the line for whether it’s European Championships, EUROs football.

“That’s important that you have a profile event to look forward to and you get two or three years out of the build.

“We work with Sunderland Football Club all the time, they give us advance notice of concerts and we help to animate the city centre and elsewhere to keep people here, keep them in the city.”

Conservative Councillor Michael Dixon reflected on Sunderland being part of a previous failed bid by England to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022, and asked if anything had been learnt.

He said: “Ironically we didn’t have the facilities then that we do now, we couldn’t actually offer what we can offer now.”

Mr Savage noted arrangements have changed since for the better for area’s bidding to take part in hosting major sporting events.

He added: “In the World Cup, if you have something like that, it’s a brave decision for a major football city not to bid.

“It’s a massive decision, shall we say, for Sunderland not to do it.”