Spice Girls at the Stadium of Light: Getting there by car, bus and Metro

Today's the day more than 50,000 music fans have been waiting for and it's now just hours until the Spice Girls will take to the Sunderland stage.
Geri Horner and Melanie Chisholm of the Spice Girls in concert at Croke Park in Dublin. Picture by Andrew Timms/PA WireGeri Horner and Melanie Chisholm of the Spice Girls in concert at Croke Park in Dublin. Picture by Andrew Timms/PA Wire
Geri Horner and Melanie Chisholm of the Spice Girls in concert at Croke Park in Dublin. Picture by Andrew Timms/PA Wire

The girl group will perform at the Stadium of Light on tonight as part of their mammoth Spice World UK tour, which kicked off earlier this month.

As the thousands are set to flock to Sunderland from early this afternoon, fans already know what they can and can't bring to the stadium, have a good idea about what songs the band will be performing and even the best place to part and get ready for the gig.

The Spice Girls are at the Stadium of Light tonightThe Spice Girls are at the Stadium of Light tonight
The Spice Girls are at the Stadium of Light tonight
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And many will already know how they're getting to and from the gig among the masses of Spice Girl fans who will be descending on Sunderland.

But for those last-minute planners, here's a travel guide to make sure your journey goes as smoothly as possible.

Travelling by car:

The best routes into the city for motorists will be well signposted with temporary traffic signs, with drivers advised to switch off sat navs and follow signs.

Travelling from the south: Motorists are advised to take the A1018 and A690 exits from the A19 and drop people off in the city centre, with the Stadium of Light just a five minute walk away. Travelling from the north and west: Vehicles are advised to use Sunderland Enterprise Park - accessible via the A1231 Wessington Way, which is also the event's main Park and Walk site. Where to park: There are 3,500 spaces available at Sunderland City Council on/off-street car parking and privately run car park parks within walking distance of the city centre and the Stadium of Light including St Mary’s (open until Midnight) and Sunniside (open 24 hours) secure car parks.

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Prices for St Mary's are £1.50 per hour (8am - 6pm) and 90p per hour thereafter, and for Sunniside are £1.30 per hour (8am - 6pm) and 90p per hour thereafter. The concert is expected to end by 10.30pm. For more car parks click here.

In addition to city centre parking; SAFC are operating FREE Park and Walk from both (North) Sunderland Enterprise Park and (South) Deptford Terrace, both of which are around 30 minutes’ walk away from the Stadium of Light. Drivers should follow temporary yellow signs for Park & Walk. Exiting from these after the concert is expected to be quicker than if parking nearer the Stadium of Light.

Be aware: Public parking will not be available on the stadium complex and roads immediately surrounding the Stadium of Light will be closed to traffic all day and therefore vehicle pick up and drop off on or near the site will not be permitted.

Residential streets in the vicinity of the Stadium of Light are also subject to Residents' Parking Permit restrictions.

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All buses will run on their usual routes before the concert and will continue to stop on Kier Hardie Way or at the Wheatsheaf in Sunderland.

Customers wishing to use the bus can purchase a Spice Girls DaySaver ticket. They will cost £6 per person and will only be available on the Go North East app from Monday, May 20.

The ticket will give you unlimited access to all North East buses on the day of the concert.

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From Newcastle: Non-step X56 services will run between Newcastle Central Station to the Stadium of Light both in the run-up to the concert and for the journey home, with frequent services to and from the North Bridge Street stop.

2/ Grangetown, Hollycarrside, Tunstall Village & Silksworth/ Buses will leave from opposite Sunderland Winter Gardens at 10.44pm, 11.14pm and 11.44pm

2/ Hastings Hill, Penshaw, Shiney Row & Washington/ Buses will leave from Sunderland Winter Gardens at 10.25pm and 11.25pm

9/ East Boldon, Jarrow & Hebburn/ Buses will leave from North Bridge Street (close to the Stadium of Light) at 10.15pm and 10.45pm for all stops to Hebburn and 11.15pm for all stops to Jarrow

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9/ Ryhope, New Seaham & Murton/ Buses will leave from the Wheatsheaf at 10.04pm and 11.04pm

20/ East Herrington, Houghton, The Raintons & Durham/ Extra buses will leave from the Wheatsheaf stop, close to the Stadium of Light, with a bus also for all stops to Durham

20/ Cleadon, Harton Nook & South Shields/ Buses will leave from North Bridge Street (close to the Stadium of Light) at 10.07pm, 10.37pm and 11.07pm for all stops to South Shields

35A/ Castletown, Boldon Asda, Heworth/ Buses will leave from North Bridge Street (close to the Stadium of Light) at 10.21pm and 10.51pm for all stops to Heworth and at 11.21pm for all stops to Boldon Cineworld

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35A/ Silksworth, Newbottle, Houghton, Hetton & Low Moorsley/ Buses will leave from the Wheatsheaf stop (close to the Stadium of Light) at 10.16pm and 10.46pm for all stops to Low Moorsley and 11.16pm for all stops to Houghton

39/ Chester Road, The Broadway & Pennywell Shops/ Buses will leave from outside Sunderland Winter Gardens at 10.45pm and 11.15pm

39/ Ryhope, Tunstall Village, Doxford Park Shops & Moorside/ Buses will leave from opposite Sunderland Winter Gardens at 10.24pm, 10.54pm and 11.24pm

56/ North Hylton Road, Concord, Wrekenton, Gateshead & Newcastle/ Extra buses will leave from the North Bridge Street stop, close to the Stadium of Light

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60/ Ryhope & Seaham Parkside/ Buses will leave Park Lane Interchange at 10.27pm, 10.57pm and 11.27pm for all stops to Seaham Parkside

78/78A/ Shiney Row, Great Lumley, Chester-le-Street & Stanley/ Buses will leave Park Lane Interchange at 10.10pm for all stops to Consett and 11.10pm for all stops to Chester-le-Street

Travelling by Metro:

There will be extended Metro services system-wide for an hour after the concert, with additional services also running before the concert, providing a higher frequency of trains throughout a busy evening for the region.

Which station to use:

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Customers should use either Stadium of Light or St Peter’s Metro stations before and after the concert as both of these stations are within a 10-minute walk of the Stadium of Light.

Concert-goers with purple, red or yellow colour-coded tickets should use Stadium of Light Metro station.

Those with platinum, blue or green colour-coded tickets should use St Peter’s Metro station.

After the concert ends the Metro stations will be busy. Queuing systems will be in place for safety reasons at Stadium of Light and St Peter’s.

Those using the Metro are being urged to listen out for station announcements and guidance as staff get customers onto trains safely and as quickly as possible.