Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) and The Stadium of Light

Alexander Iles

Visit now

Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) and The Stadium of Light

Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, SR5 1SU
03719111973
  • Monday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Tuesday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Wednesday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Thursday9:00am - 5:00pm
  • Friday9:00am - 5:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Sunderland Association Football Club
Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) & The Stadium of Light
Book now

Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC), known by their nickname the “Black Cats”, or by the regional nickname for Sunderland, the “Mackem’s”, are the football club for the city of Sunderland. Founded in 1879 the club started as a group of teachers who played football before expanding to people from all professions. The team have played in their red and white strips since the club was founded and are recognised for the red and white strips with black shorts wherever they play. The team for a long time played from their old grounds at Roker Park, but moved in 1997 to the Stadium of Light and then expanded it to its current 49,000 seat size. The current stadium is built on top of the Monkwearmouth colliery pit, being another great example of using the old industrial site to redevelop the city. While many know the club for its rivalry with the “Magpies” (Newcastle United) whom they have had a derby game against since 1898, the club have unfortunately gone through hard times of late. They have, however, had amazing past glories, having won the premier league six times and been runners up five times. The clubs encouraging call for the players, “Ha’way the lads”, which contrasts with Newcastle’s “Howay”, a regional difference in accent, but boils down to the same encouragement of “COME ON”, can be heard coming from the diehard fans on any match-day.

The Stadium of Light size and ease of access on the metro and city centre connections mean it is used regularly for concerts, having hosted Beyoncé, the Spice Girls and Bruce Springsteen in its history. This brings huge crowds of people as the pitch itself is transformed and people gather from across the British Isles to enjoy shows performed by world famous names. No matter what draws you to the Stadium of Light, from football through to concerts, it’s a fantastic venue that is a true treasure within Sunderland.

What's on near Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) and The Stadium of Light

A Lotherton Summer Holiday image of a child reaching for bunting
Until
Activity
A Lotherton Summer Holiday

Enjoy all things summer at Lotherton this school holiday. With six weeks of summer fun, including a whole host of children’s entertainment, sand pit, tractor trailer rides*, crafts, activities and

From £0.00
Saltaire Brewery - 58
Until
TourSaltaire
Saltaire Brewery Tour

The guided tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the brewhouse and state-of-the-art packaging plant, giving visitors a full sense of what “real Yorkshire beer” means today.

From £15.00

Where to go near Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) and The Stadium of Light

Sunderland
Music venue
The Fire Station

The Fire Station in Sunderland now has a state-of-the-art auditorium, bringing a whole new wave of live music, theatre and comedy to the city.

Angelo's Ristorante
Sunderland
Restaurant
Angelo’s Ristorante

Angelo’s Ristorante is an authentic Italian restaurant in Sunniside, Sunderland. Sitting within in a Grade II listed building, the restaurant enjoys surroundings that have been carefully restored using the original features of the building, including a rare glass staircase from the 19th century.

St. Peter's Church
Sunderland
Place of worship
St. Peter’s Church

St. Peter’s Church is a Grade I listed building on the campus of Sunderland University, founded originally by Benedict Biscop.

Port Independent
Sunderland
Shop
Port Independent

Port Independent is an independent clothing retailer selling high-end fashion and quirky, carefully curated pieces.

Aphrodite
Sunderland
Shop
Aphrodite

In 1994 Aphrodite was established by two brothers, Andrew and Duncan McKenzie, who had a passion for bringing good menswear to people in their city. Since then, they have been providing designer clothing from a range of high-quality brands that have large scale appeal to those who love fashion such as Stone Island, Canada Goose, DSquared2, Kenzo & Balmain – though that list is not exhaustive as they have clothing from every brand from A-Z.

The National Glass Centre
Sunderland
Tourist Attraction
The National Glass Centre

The National Glass Centre tells how glass, a delicate and light material, came to be such a large part of Sunderland’s stature and history.

Reynolds Outdoor Centre
Sunderland
Shop
Reynolds Outdoor Centre

Reynolds Outdoor Centre has provided outdoor wear, military surplus and camping gear since 1860. In the North East of England there is a fantastic array of wilderness to explore, from hills and mountains through to beautiful valleys and seaside walks.

D'Acqua
Sunderland
Restaurant
D’Acqua

A stone’s throw from Sunderland museum and winter gardens, is D’Acqua – an exceptional eating experience in the heart of the city. In a Grade II listed building that used to house the Sunderland and South Tyneside water board, you will be able to enjoy the ambience that resonates out of these fantastic bricks and mortar – French oak floors and handmade bricks at that.

Mowbray Park
Sunderland
Park
Mowbray Park

In the heart of Sunderland is Mowbray Park – one of the oldest parks in the North East of England. This beautiful park is wonderfully Victorian, being carefully designed to allow for a pleasant walk and fresh air in the centre of the city, while showing you plans from across the world.

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North.
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.