City Centre Guide
Half-term is #HappeningInSunderland from 19 to 25 February!
With the kids off school, it can be a chore to find plenty of things to keep them occupied...
We have pulled together this guide for you, jam-packed with city-centre activities and events which are fun for the whole family.
Sunderland BID
Chinese New Year
Sunday, 18 February.
Lion and dragon dances, the release of Chinese firecrackers and a whole host of musical performances as well as a martial arts displays, and lots more.
Find out more HERE
Sunderland Empire Theatre
Disney's Aladdin
Ends Sunday, 10 March
Don't miss out on Disney's enchanting Aladdin musical, an extraordinary theatrical phenomenon that has already captivated the hearts of over 14 million people globally.
Read more HERE
The Bridges Shopping Centre
Snap a Selfie
Look out for our flower-heart bench in the shopping centre and snap a selfie! Tag us using @sunderlandexperience and #sunderlandexperience
EXPO Sunderland
Come & Play
Free
20, 21 and 22 February, 11 AM to 5 PM
For Under 17's in Feb half-term to experience cool new technologies, try out fun games and see innovative ideas from different businesses showing us what they do. You can watch or have a go at photography, science, art, gaming, music, electric driving, food, fashion and a glimpse at future inventions and how they might change our lives.
Pre-booking essential
Harry's Game Shack
From 8 PM on Friday, 23 February to 8AM on Saturday, 24 February.
12-hour game-a-thon sleepover! Spend 12 hours locked in Harry’s Game Shack.
Sunniside Food Market
Saturday, 24 February, 10 AM - 4 PM.
This pop-up community market supports new and emerging food and drinks businesses across the North East.
From brewers, bakers and cheesemongers to world-class street food vendors - our northeast food and drink traders are delighted to be bringing themselves to our doorstep.
Geek Retreat
Available every day - FREE to play board games, playpen and arcade games!
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Chinese Zodiac Animal Trail
Ends on Friday, 24 February.
£1 per Trail
Discover the meanings behind the Chinese New Year animals as you explore the Museum and Winter Garden and claim a themed sticker when you hand in your completed trail.
Trails are £1 each and available to buy from the Museum Shop.
Free Bright Lights: Young Wildlife Photographer Exhibition
Ends on Saturday, 1 June.
See photographs of local wildlife taken by young people living across Wearside. The competition was for young people aged 11 – 19 years and closed on Tuesday 16 January 2024.
Free Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition
Ends on Saturday, 1 June.
See the world through a new lens. Explore the planet’s habitats, from sprawling urban metropolises to the deep polar seas, and meet the creatures that rely on these places.
Bright Lights Festival Fringe: Young People’s Cyanotype Workshop
Monday, 19 February, 1 PM - 3 PM
£5 per child, accompanying adults go free
Pre-booking required for child places
Love photography? Love wildlife? Bring your passions together in this fun workshop with artist Lijie Zhang to create cyanotype photography inspired by ocean landscapes and creatures from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
Bright Lights Festival Fringe: Digital Nature Photography Walk
Tuesday, 20 February, 11 AM - 2 PM
£5 per child, accompanying adults go free
Pre-booking essential
Join photographer Jo Howell to pick up some top digital photography tips then head out into Mowbray Park for a photography walk to capture plant, wildlife and landscape images.
A selection of photographs taken on the day will be shown in the Art Lounge on Level 2 from early March. The suggested age for the session is 8 – 12 years old (adults are welcome to accompany their children).
Bright Lights Festival Fringe: Wild Prints
Thursday, 22 February, 11 AM - 12:30 PM
£2 per child, accompanying adults go free
Pre-booking essential
Make your own relief printed pictures inspired by animals and landscapes in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. The suggested age for the session is 8 – 12 years old (adults are welcome to accompany their children).
Under the Sea
Friday, 23 February, at 11 AM and 1:30 PM
Free
Help to decorate a spectacular underwater collage filled with turtles, jellyfish, seals and whales as we take inspiration from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Learn how to reduce plastic waste in the oceans.
Aurora the Polar Bear’s Adventure
Ends Tuesday, 7 May, 10 AM to 4 PM
£1 per Trail
Meet Aurora and her polar bear friends as you explore the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and the Museum’s own wildlife collections! Learn fascinating facts about polar bears and other endangered animals and what we can do to help protect them.