Sunderland Empire
Vesta Tilley laid the foundation stone of what is now the Sunderland Empire on 29 September 1906 and took to the stage on 1 July 1907 to officially declare the theatre open.
Masterminded by two of the contemporary heads of British theatre, Edward Moss and Oswald Stoll, the Sunderland Empire theatre has undergone many changes since it opened but remains the North East’s premier entertainment venue.
Sunderland Empire exclusives
Birmingham Royal Ballet - Cinderella
Dance > Ballet
Fri 14 Mar - Sat 15 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Birmingham Royal Ballet - Class on Stage
Events > Creative Learning
Sat 15 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £2.25 transaction fee
Ellen Kent: La Traviata
Opera
Mon 17 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £25+ £3.95 transaction fee
Ellen Kent: Madama Butterfly
Opera
Tue 18 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £25+ £3.95 transaction fee
Horrible Histories - Terrible Tudors
Family
Thu 20 Mar - Sat 22 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Horrible Histories - Awful Egyptians
Family
Thu 20 Mar - Sat 22 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Public Venue Tour
Events > Creative Learning
Sat 22 Mar - Sat 24 May 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £8.50
Broadway Babies Music and Movement
Events > Creative Learning
Tue 25 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £19.50
Dance Fit
Events > Creative Learning
Wed 26 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15
TINA - The Tina Turner Musical
Musicals
Wed 26 Mar - Sat 5 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Thursday Movers
Events > Creative Learning
Thu 27 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £18
Friday Movers
Events > Creative Learning
Fri 28 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £18
Community Chorus
Events > Creative Learning
Fri 28 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £18
Connect Theatre Company
Events > Creative Learning
Mon 31 Mar 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £80
Bright Minds Youth Theatre
Events > Creative Learning
Mon 7 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £30
An Inspector Calls
Plays
Tue 8 Apr - Sat 12 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Sunderland Empire Academy of Performing Arts
Events > Creative Learning
Sun 13 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £87.50
Seven Drunken Nights - The Story of the Dubliners
Concert > Tribute
Sun 13 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £28+ £3.95 transaction fee
Theatre Industry Preparation Week (13+)
Events > Creative Learning
Mon 14 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £150
Hairspray The Musical
Musicals
Mon 14 Apr - Sat 19 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £13+ £3.95 transaction fee
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Musicals
Tue 22 Apr - Sun 27 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Northern Live - Do I Love You
Concert
Mon 28 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15.25+ £3.95 transaction fee
The Prat Pack 2025 UK Tour
Events > Variety
Tue 29 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £35.18+ £3.95 transaction fee
Once More... From the Top!
Dance
Wed 30 Apr 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £23.93+ £2.25 transaction fee
Tim Rice - My Life in Musicals - I Know Him so Well
Events > Variety
Thu 1 May 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £29.50+ £3.95 transaction fee
The Sunderland Story
Plays
Thu 15 May - Sat 31 May 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Scandal at the Stage Door: A 1920s Murder Mystery Evening
Sold Out
Events > Creative Learning
Fri 6 Jun 2025
Sunderland Empire
Sunderland Schools Dance Festival 2025
Events > Creative Learning
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £12.50+ £2.25 transaction fee
Dance Schools of Sunderland Festival 2025
Events > Creative Learning
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £12.50+ £2.25 transaction fee
Katherine Ryan: Battleaxe
Comedy
Sat 14 Jun 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £32.96+ £3.95 transaction fee
Hamilton
Musicals
Tue 17 Jun - Sat 26 Jul 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.80 transaction fee
Derren Brown: Only Human
Events > Variety
Tue 29 Jul - Sat 2 Aug 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £22.50+ £3.95 transaction fee
Chicago
Musicals
Mon 4 Aug - Sat 9 Aug 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Creative Learning Presents: Summer School 2025
Events > Creative Learning
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £120
Bat Out Of Hell
Musicals
Mon 18 Aug - Sat 23 Aug 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Strange but True Crime with Jennifer Rees
Events > Variety
Sun 7 Sep 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £24.50+ £3.95 transaction fee
2:22 A Ghost Story
Plays
Mon 8 Sep - Sat 13 Sep 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody
Musicals
Tue 23 Sep - Sat 27 Sep 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Mary Poppins
Musicals
Wed 1 Oct - Sat 25 Oct 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Queen of the Night - A Tribute to Whitney Houston
Concert > Tribute
Sun 9 Nov 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £27.23+ £3.95 transaction fee
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Family
Tue 11 Nov - Sat 15 Nov 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Fiddler on the Roof
Musicals
Tue 25 Nov - Sat 29 Nov 2025
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Sleeping Beauty (Pantomime)
Pantomime
Fri 12 Dec 2025 - Sun 4 Jan 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Sleeping Beauty (Pantomime) - Relaxed Performance
Pantomime
Fri 2 Jan 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
The Night Sky Show
Events > Variety
Sat 10 Jan 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £25+ £3.95 transaction fee
Fawlty Towers - The Play
Plays > Comedy
Tue 3 Feb - Sat 7 Feb 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £20+ £3.95 transaction fee
Matilda The Musical
Musicals
Wed 11 Feb - Sat 28 Feb 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
The Bodyguard
Musicals
Mon 27 Apr - Sat 2 May 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £15+ £3.95 transaction fee
Lord of the Dance: 30th Anniversary
Dance
Wed 9 Sep - Sat 12 Sep 2026
Sunderland Empire
From £16.62+ £3.95 transaction fee