Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, we’re bringing a GIANT helping of festive fun to Christmas 2024, with the magical Jack and the Beanstalk!

Join Wearside panto favourites, the fabulous Miss Rory as Dame Rorina Trott and hilarious funny man Tom Whalley as Silly Simon on a madcap adventure for all the family.

MANIA is now accepted as the world’s number one touring ABBA tribute production. Featuring a special concert presentation, which celebrates the music of ABBA in a respectful and enjoyable way, reviving special memories of when ABBA ruled the airwaves.

The ELO Experience have been bringing the music of Jeff Lynne and The Electric Light orchestra to the live stage since 2006.

The legacy left by Jeff Lynne & The Electric Light Orchestra barely needs any introduction - suffice to say that between 1972 and 1986 they achieved more combined UK and US Top 40 hits than any other band on the planet! 10538 Overture, Evil Woman, Living Thing, Diary of Horace Wimp, Don't Bring me Down and of course Mr Blue Sky went on to become the soundtrack of our lives.

Starring X-Factor winner Joe McElderry as the roof-raising Pharaoh, the smash-hit London Palladium production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat comes to Sunderland this January!

Gosh almighty! Grab a posse because the whip crackin' musical comedy classic Calamity Jane is a rollin' on over the plains to a theatre near you. Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this plumb fancy new production stars the multi-award-winning West End actor and singer Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella, Les Misérables) and begins its UK and Ireland tour at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in January 2025.

For the first time ever, all of Dolly Parton's biggest hits can be experienced together in a rollicking and joyous new musical comedy.

Prepare for a spellbinding 90-minute spectacle that infuses iconic Rock & Metal anthems with a hauntingly beautiful energy.

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, this international hit tribute show tells the story of the origins and meteoric rise of Simon & Garfunkel blended together seamlessly with a full live band performing all the hits including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound and many more.

Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice returns in 2025 with his tour ‘The Last Dance’.
The 2021 Strictly champion and BAFTA winner will be taking to the stage once again with his company of world class performers.

Starring Kevin Ball, Michael Gray, Julio Arca along with Peter Reid, come and listen to stories and anecdotes from their glittering careers and their rise to fame in the sporting world. From memorable matches to behind-the-scenes stories, fall outs, managers they’ve played under and everything you would expect to hear from four stars of the football world.

The producers of Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music and Sing-a-Long-a GREASE bring you their latest interactive film. The brand new singalonga screening of the classic film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Lee Memphis King, Europe’s most successful Elvis Presley tribute artist, recreates the essence of the King with consummate ease and an almost unbelievable combination of stunningly accurate vocals and incredible passion in every performance.

You will be going loco down in Acapulco as we take you back down memory lane with all the Motown classics from artists such as, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, and many, many more.

Emma Kenny returns with an enthralling new show that plunges into the depths of love twisted into terror. After her triumphant The Serial Killer Next Door tour, Emma captivates yet again, solidifying her status as one of the UK's foremost crime presenters. This time, she invites you to delve into the dark world of Killer Couples.

Join the sensational Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as they perform the iconic film soundtracks by John Williams.

Step into the magical world of Cinderella, where Fairy Godmothers triumph over cruel stepmothers, pumpkins turn into sparkling carriages and a jewelled slipper changes one young woman’s life forever. This timeless story of love, courage and kindness reminds us all to have faith in our wildest dreams; one day they might just come true.

Based on a true story, it tells of the passionate loves and life of the consumptive courtesan, Violetta. There are many echoes of Verdi’s own life in Traviata and he threw himself into the music. The highlights include the Brindisi, the best known drinking song in opera, the duet Un Di Felice and Violetta’s haunting aria Addio Del Passato.

This magnificent production boasts sumptuous sets and costumes.

Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results. Highlights include the melodic Humming Chorus, the moving aria One Fine Day and the unforgettable Love Duet.

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

So it’s time to prepare yourselves for two amazing shows, Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians, with Horrible Histories live on stage! Using actors and eye-popping 3D special effects, these astounding shows are guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips!

West End mega-hit TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, comes to Sunderland Empire as part of its first ever UK & Ireland tour.

From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her triumphant transformation into a multi award-winning global superstar, Tina Turner didn’t just break the rules, she rewrote them, winning 12 Grammy Awards and selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer in music history.

Winner of 19 major awards and hailed as the theatrical event of its generation, An Inspector Calls has thrilled more than 5 million theatregoers worldwide.

JB Priestley's brilliantly constructed masterpiece powerfully dramatises the dangers of casual capitalism's cruelty, complacency and hypocrisy. Stephen Daldry's epic production highlights the play's enduring relevance.

Direct from the West End and riding high on the success of world tours, Seven Drunken Nights - The Story of the Dubliners brings the ultimate feel-good Irish show to a theatre near you.

The musical phenomenon Hairspray returns! After breaking box office records and delighting audiences in the West End, Broadway and on the big screen since 1988, this smash hit musical-comedy is heading back out on tour around the UK and Ireland.

The most fantasmagorical musical of all time flies into Sunderland Empire for one week only!

A brand-new production of this much-loved family favourite, directed by Thom Southerland (Titanic, Parade), choreographed by Karen Bruce (BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, The Bodyguard) and designed by Morgan Large (Newsies, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat), is flying into a venue near you!

Keeping the faith to the original sounds of the underground movement that started on the dance floors in the North and eventually swept the nation including an 11-piece band with 4 lead vocalists performing over 30 original hits, expect to hear: Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor, R Dean Taylor - There’s A Ghost In My House, Frank Wilson - Do I love You - Indeed I Do, Gloria Jones - Tainted Love, Al Wilson - The Snake, Yvonne Baker - You Didn’t Say A Word, Jimmy Radcliffe - Long After Tonight Is Over, Garnet Mimms - Looking For You, Dean Parrish - I’m On My Way and many, many more.

Due to popular demand, following his sell-out tour, Sir Tim Rice, the multi-award-winning, internationally renowned lyricist, will return to theatre stages with his extraordinary live musical theatre event - My Life In Musicals – I Know Him So Well.

Having played to standing ovations in 2023, Sunderland AFC and Alterean Media are delighted to announce the return of The Sunderland Story! This brilliant, feel-good story about family, friends, and a lifelong love of the red and white stripes of a beloved football club, is to be told once again with some insightful updates to the club and the city’s ever-evolving rich history.

Star of UKTV’s hugely popular new series Parental Guidance as well as Comedy Central’s upcoming Out of Order with Rosie Jones and Judi Love, TV’s beloved Katherine Ryan makes a hugely welcome return to the stage with her brand-new live show, Battleaxe, which will embark on a major UK and European tour in 2024.

Hamilton the musical is a multi award-winning masterpiece by Lin-Manuel Miranda, coming soon to the UK for a country-wide tour! This is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway - the story of America then, as told by America now.

Prepare to be astonished! The multi award-winning master of mind control and psychological illusion, Derren Brown, returns with his brand new live show, ONLY HUMAN.

CHICAGO, the "sexiest musical ever" (Metro) is back! “Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery…all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts” So begins the international multi-award-winning musical, CHICAGO.

Inspired by the spectacular arena tour of Australia and New Zealand, this reimagined show promises to be a thrilling experience, featuring our dynamic eight-piece rock band live on stage. Sprawling multi-level platforms will transport you through the diverse worlds of Bat Out of Hell, from Raven’s bedroom to the depths of the Lost’s underground domains.

Following seven West End seasons, a record-breaking UK and Ireland tour and twelve productions across the globe, the stage phenomenon 2:22 A Ghost Story now returns to Sunderland Empire.

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, the hit New York and Las Vegas sensation, is a sidesplitting musical comedy packed with iconic moments from all ten seasons of the beloved television series. Featuring an entirely original musical score, the show follows the escapades of the world's most famous group of twenty-somethings.

Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the World’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is even more magical than ever before featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.

After selling 100,000 tickets last year, including a UK arena tour and sold-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium and other UK venues, Queen Of The Night – A Tribute to Whitney Houston returns to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025.

Watch the nation’s favourite novel The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe come to life on stage in this spectacular production which is guaranteed to delight all ages.

Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they meet new friends, face dangerous foes and learn the lessons of courage, sacrifice, and the power of love.

The spellbinding Sleeping Beauty promises a laugh-a-minute extravaganza with stunning sets, top musical hits, fantastic costumes, and exciting special effects to keep audiences both young and old entertained!

The ‘Greatest British Sitcom of All Time’ (Radio Times) is back - this time on stage! Nearly 50 years since it first graced our TV screens, Fawlty Towers is now a brand-new stage play adapted by comedy legend John Cleese and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger.

Matilda The Musical,?the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl, is heading back out on tour across the UK and Ireland from October 2025.

Lord of the Dance, the global phenomenon that redefined Irish dance, is set to return to the United Kingdom in 2026 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary with an extraordinary new tour. This milestone event promises to be a grand celebration of the production’s legacy, captivating over 60 million fans in 60 countries since its debut in 1996.