Food line-up announced for Let's Caper festival takeover at Sunderland's City Hall

Popular mini-festival Let's Caper is set to bring the party to City Hall with a night of music, food, comedy, a night market and more.

Last month, the event, which has already proved a hit at The Baltic in Gateshead and Grainger Market in Newcastle, announced it will be celebrating creativity in Sunderland with an event at City Hall on Friday, April 5.

Set up to showcase a range of local creative and cultural talent, each Caper programme includes local food and bars, five bands, four comedians, dance lessons, DJs, live art, and an artisan night market: all in one night and all under one roof.  

As well as a music line-up headlined by the Futureheads, the team has now announced which food traders the Sunderland audience can tuck into.

The Calabash Tree, who are soon to open a restaurant at Sheepfolds Stables, will be serving a taste of Trinidad & Tobago including jerk chicken, hand-pulled beef brisket and more.

The Funky Indian Wali will also host a pop-up serving Indian tapas and street food.

Meanwhile, two- times-Steph’s-Packed-Lunch-guests, Saving Nemo, will be serving vegan fish and chips.

And with Mackie’s Corner bakers, The Sweet Petite on site too, there’ll be no shortage of treats on offer for those with a sweet tooth.

Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID which is sponsoring the Caper, said: “Hot on the heels of Sunderland Restaurant Week, this is another demonstration of the quality and range of restaurants we now have in the city.

"Such an important part of attracting people into the centre, we’re delighted to be able to work with event organisers like this to showcase these fantastic businesses and everything else Sunderland has to offer.”

Drinks-wise, visitors will be able to enjoy Double Maxim, brewed at Rainton Meadows, and bubble dry-ice cocktails from Flavour Blaster.

Bob Senior of Flavour Blaster said: “Our drinks, as well as being delicious, are full of theatre and made for captivating Instagram moments. And I’m proud to say that all our machines, sold in over 150 countries around the world, are engineered, manufactured and built by hand in Sunderland.”

The Futureheads will headline the event playing in a transformed-for-the-night Council Chamber. They will be supported by up-and-coming Sunderland singer songwriters Lottie Willis, Isabel Maria, Lily Mac, and Sara Leilah, who will each be playing a set.

The evening will also see Pop Recs perform an all vinyl DJ set in the atrium.

Meanwhile, comedy sets will take place upstairs hosted by Alfie Joey, with Steffen Peddie and Sunderland’s own Nick Cranston and Alex Redman keeping the laughs coming across the evening.

The room will then transform into a silent disco.

Tickets are £20 in advance from https://thecaper.co.uk/