Stadium of Light gets ready to be rocked by Beyonce

Preparations are in full swing for next week's Beyonce concert, one of the biggest to be held at the Stadium of Light.

More than 50,000 fans are expected to flock to the home of the Black Cats on June 28 to see the Crazy in Love singer open the European leg of her Formation world tour.

The concert involves the biggest production ever seen at the Stadium of Light, which means the Wearside audience can expect a spectacular show from their music idol. Over 100 trucks will be bringing in the vast amount of equipment needed for the extravaganza and the stage build will take almost a week to complete.

The concert promoter and hundreds of set-up crew moved on-site over the weekend to begin the huge task of preparing the stadium. The vast infrastructure required to host the show is being installed and crowd barriers, handrails, LED boards and advertising hoardings have already been removed from around the playing field and a special surface is being laid which covers the entire pitch.

An external courtyard area, designed to house pre-show entertainment, food courts and bars, is also set to be constructed, giving concert-goers an ideal area to meet pre-show.

Sunderland AFC’s commercial director, Gary Hutchinson said: “Preparing the stadium for a concert is a huge task and our team is working hard to ensure that we will be in a fantastic shape for the show. There is a tremendous amount of planning goes into a major event such as this, from safety, facilities, catering and of course with our partners across the region such as the city council, police and transport agencies and we are all looking forward to what is set to be a spectacular show.”

LATEST NEWS & INFORMATION

Concert-goers should check www.safcconcerts.com for all the latest news and information about the show. This site is updated daily and includes FAQ’s, travel information and important safety advice.

After final tweaks to production plans and sightlines, there are a limited number of general admission tickets available for the concert at the Stadium of Light and fans are being urged to purchase now or face missing out on the gig. To purchase tickets please visit http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Beyonce-tickets/artist/894191

Young people aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult aged over 18 and unaccompanied youngsters aged 14 or under will not be permitted entry to the venue.

HOSPITALITY

Demand for this show has been exceptionally high, with only a very limited number of hospitality packages now remaining. Interested parties are advised to book without delay, by calling 0871 911 1555 or [email protected]. Patrons who have already purchased hospitality will receive their tickets and pack in the coming days.

HILTON GARDEN INN

The Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland, conveniently adjacent to the Stadium of Light, offers a destination restaurant, the Karbon Grill – Kitchen and Bar, which will be open on the day of the show, with a range of fantastic value-for-money packages available for concert-goers (tickets not included):

The Karbon Bar Package, from 2pm until late.

This package, priced at £20, includes a complimentary cocktail on arrival, fork buffet and access the Karbon Bar pre and post-concert. A cash bar will be available, along with post-concert hot snacks to purchase.

The Karbon Grill Package, 3pm until late.

Guests can enjoy a sumptuous three-course grill buffet in the Karbon Grill restaurant pre-event, and post-event access to the Karbon Bar, with the option to purchase drinks and hot snacks. £25 per guest.

The Karbon Grill restaurant and bar is also open between 12noon and 2pm for normal lunch and bar service, pre-booking is strongly recommended.

All packages must be booked in advance and numbers are now limited. For Karbon Grill bookings call 0191 349 8500 and for Karbon Bar bookings 0191 500 9494. Patrons are advised that full payment in advance is required for all bookings. Further details can be found at [email protected].

Hotel rooms are now sold out for the night of the show.