Sunderland's Lamplight Festival headlined by Kaiser Chiefs and Deacon Blue will take place this year

Sunderland City Council has confirmed that plans to host the inaugural Lamplight Festival, due to take place in Mowbray Park on August 7 and 8 this year, are proceeding as scheduled.

The council is working with Public Health and other partners to ensure that safety remains a priority and any possible Covid-19 restrictions still in place are adhered to.

Originally planned for 2020, it had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic.

All those who have tickets from last year will now get their chance to see headliners Kaiser Chiefs and Deacon Blue. Tickets are still on sale with organisers anticipating a sell-out event.

Cllr Linda Williams, Portfolio Holder for Vibrant City said: “We are thrilled to be in a position to press ahead with planning for the very first Lamplight Festival. Of course, we will continue to monitor the local and national situation closely and understand that any changes to regulations will have to be adhered to.

"A huge effort is going on behind the scenes and we are all confident that we can deliver a brilliant weekend of music in August. Music is such a huge part of the culture of our vibrant city and to be able to welcome back live music is truly exciting and something we are all looking forward.”

A number of other music festivals are also due to take place as planned this summer, including Rocking in the Free World in Herrington Country Park on September 18 and Kubix Festival at Herrington Country Park on July 2.

Saturday night headliners Kaiser Chief front man, Ricky Wilson added: “It’s excellent that Lamplight is preparing to go ahead, we’re so excited to be playing, see you this summer Sunderland!”

Ricky Ross from Deacon Blue added to the announcement: “We can’t wait to play live again so it’s fantastic news that Lamplight is planning on going ahead this year.”

For more information about Lamplight Festival and to buy tickets visit: https://lamplightfestival.co.uk

Be kept up to date with all the latest news including additional act announcements by following the Lamplight Festival social media pages at www.facebook.com/lamplightfestival and www.twitter.com/lamplight_fest

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.