We’ve rounded up some of the best ones.
1. Beautiful: The Carole King musical, Sunderland Empire, March 17-21
Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation, with countless classics such as You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend, So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up on the Roof, and Locomotion. Photo: Submitted
2. James Arthur, Utilita Arena, March 13
North East singer songwriter James Arthur will be performing his home region, at Utilita Arena, on March 13. He was recently awarded a disc for reaching a billion streams on Spotify with his No.1 global hit Say You Won't Let Go. Only 18 records have achieved a billion streams on Spotify in history, and James is one of 10 artists globally to do this including Drake, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber. In total James has now sold over 25 million records globally. His duet with Anne-Marie Rewrite The Stars from The Greatest Showman Reimagined has been streamed an amazing 251 million times, whilst his 2018 song Empty Space has already hit over 100 million streams. Photo: submitted
3. The Script, Utilita Arena, March 14
The Script with special guest Becky Hill play Utilita Arena on March 14. After 6 billion streams, 30 million single sales, 10.8 million album sales, over 12 million monthly Spotify listeners and 1.8 million ticket sales, Irish alt-pop trio The Script released new album Sunsets & Full Moons at the end of last year. Speaking about the album, singer Danny O’Donoghue said: “I think it’s the most poignant record we’ve ever made. Our music was always about being together with the audience, and writing about your own feelings, and sharing them." Photo: Submitted
4. Swan Lake, Sunderland Empire, March 12-14
Ballet’s greatest love story returns in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s lavish production of Swan Lake, performed at Sunderland Empire from March 12-14. This romantic fable of ill-fated passion, powerfully illuminated by Tchaikovsky’s legendary score played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, has bewitched audiences for generations. Filled with exquisite ensembles, lyrical pas de deux and bravura solos, this Swan Lake is atmospheric, romantic and beautiful. Photo: Submitted