Two-time BRIT Award winners Franz Ferdinand are returning to Wearside for
the first time in over a decade to kick off the Sunderland Year of Music 2025-
2026.
Presented by Sunderland Music City, the iconic indie rock icons will play The Fire
Station on Wednesday 25 th June 2025, just days before they perform at Glastonbury
Festival.
The announcement follows the news that Adele Sande (a.k.a Emeli Sandé) will open
the Sunderland Year of Music 2025-2026 on the 21st June. Frontman and guitarist Alex Kapranos is one of the most recognised faces in the music industry. He spent his several years of his life growing up in Sunderland before his family moved North of the border and the band have always had an affinity with Sunderland.
They last performed in Sunderland at the old Pop Recs site on Fawcett Street in
March 2014 to help support the then-new record shop and venue. But this will be their first ever full band appearance at The Fire Station, with tickets expected to be snapped up in a matter of hours when they go on sale on Friday at 10am.
Ever since their beginnings, throwing illegal parties in condemned Glasgow
buildings, Franz Ferdinand have been defined by a fresh, unfading, forward-facing
outlook.
Their debut album Franz Ferdinand won the 2004 Mercury Prize and earned a
Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album.
Their sixth studio album, The Human Fear, was just released in January 2025 and
courses with an energy that makes you feel very much alive. While writing these new songs Franz Ferdinand released Hits To The Head, a retrospective of the previous 18 years. It sharpened the band’s perspective, allowing them to understand the essence of what made them work.
Frankie Francis, Music Officer for Sunderland Music City, said: “Franz Ferdinand are
a genre-defining band. As soon as we achieved Music City status [lead singer] Alex Kapranos reached out to say they wanted to be involved. Alex has family roots in Sunderland and the band have supported projects in the city before, including their infamous pop up appearance at Pop Recs. We’re delighted that one of the best bands in the business recognise Sunderland for its Music City status and all the great music-loving people that live here.”
Tickets for Franz Ferdinand go on general sale at 10am on Friday.
Welcome to Sunderland Music City – Saturday 21 st June
Adele Sande (a.k.a Emeli Sandé) will return home to perform at The Fire Station on
Saturday 21st June, kicking off a week-long opening celebration of music dubbed
Welcome to Sunderland Music City.
Sande’s show at The Fire Station is one of many paid, free and pay what you feel
music events across over a dozen venues on Wearside on the 21st June.
The Sunderland Year of Music 2025-2026 is a year-long celebration of music in our
city following the news that Sunderland has been officially granted Music City status,
joining the Music Cities Network in January 2025.
Over 500 events will take place on Wearside from the 21st June 2025 to the 21 st
June 2026, with Sunderland Music City supporting both new and existing events.
The Holiday Inn Sunderland are the official accommodation partner for the Sunderland Year of Music.
The Sunderland Year of Music follows in the footsteps of Sunderland’s fellow Music
City, Aarhus, which ran its own Year of Music in 2022. The event was a resounding
success, serving to strengthen cohesion in the region’s music industry and creating a
framework for further development.