All the confirmed acts set to perform at Sunderland's new Fire Station as the venue reaches it's opening day

Friday December 10 marks the official opening day of The Fire Station, Sunderland’s newest music and performing arts venue, and the venue already has a calendar full of top acts from across Sunderland and further afield.

But who has already been announced to play at the new venue ahead of the opening night?

Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening have the honour of playing the first official headline set at the new venue on December 10, with Tickell and her band being supported by The Lake Poets.

Known for playing the fiddle and Northumbrian smallpipes, Kathryn Tickell opens the venue with a local flavour as her and her backing band from Northumberland are backed by Wearside natives The Lake Poets in a support slot. The act are best known for writing the theme to Netflix’s Sunderland ‘Til I Die series.

The local flavour continues into the opening weekend with the Royal Northern Sinfonia playing at the new site on December 12. The group will perform a special Christmas concert before Sunderland prog-rock band Field Music host a celebratory grand opening on December 17.

The show will see the band combine with other North East acts including Frankie Francis, Barry Hyde and Faye Fantarrow to create a local spectacle.

The venue has also attracted touring artists with British soul icon Mica Paris also hitting the Fire Station stage in the venue’s opening days. On December 15 she is set to perform songs from Gospel, her first album in over a decade.

Newcastle based soul and funk band Smoove and Turrell are set to be the venue’s final gig of the year when they play the High Street West site on December 19. They will be joined by The Voices of Virtue Choir, Kay Greyson and Origin Dance Crew.

Heading into 2022, Emeli Sande is set to perform at the venue’s first night of the year on January 15. The University of Sunderland Chancellor is set to bring an emotional performance to a sold out crowd.

The confirmed performances for the Fire Station are as follows:

Teddy Thompson – January 20

Richard Dawson – January 22

The Shires – January 27

The Diana Ross Story – February 5

A Celebration of Amy Winehouse – February 10

Komo Taiko drumming group – February 16

A Doll’s House – February 17

The Transatlantic Ensemble perform Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours – February 18

The Monocle – February 19

Gregory Alan Isakov – March 3

The Music of the Moody Blues – March 4

This Is The Kit – March 10

BBC Radio 3 New Music Show – March 12

Orlando Weeks – March 13

The Wilson Family – March 18

China Crisis – March 19

Bill Laurence Trio – March 23

Gary Delaney – March 26

Rowan Rheingans – March 27

Speakeasy – April 8

Fisherman's Friends – April 9

Luther – April 10

Janey Godley – April 14

The Young’uns – April 16

The Hot Club of Cowtown – April 20

Sunset Sons – April 21

Beth Nielsen Chapman – April 22

Flook – 29 April

100% Soul – April 30

The Futureheads – June 11

Woman to Woman – October 21

Milton Jones – November 9