At Pop Recs, Richard Dawson brings his singular take on experimental folk to Sunderland. Known for his raw, intricate guitar work and unflinching storytelling, Dawson’s live shows are as intimate as they are unpredictable. He arrives fresh from touring The End of the Middle and curating his own festival at London’s Barbican. Outside, Sunderland artist Frank Styles works live across the evening, creating a new mural in real time – a rare chance to watch a large-scale piece take shape from start to finish.

Over at Wild Fire City, Worldwide FM DJ Santa Leticia delivers a deeply rooted, globally minded set. Drawing on sounds from Latin America, the Caribbean, Brazil and Africa, her mixes move through jazz, rare groove, funk and disco – shaped by a broadcasting and performance career that includes the BBC Proms and London Jazz Festival.

At Diego’s, Tees Valley-based theatre-maker, comedian and clown Scott Turnbull presents Surreally Good – a lo-fi, high-imagination show blending live drawing, storytelling, music and offbeat characters via an overhead projector. Often compared to the surreal humour of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, the show arrives in Sunderland after a standout run at the Edinburgh Fringe.

At Tribeca, photographer Andy Martin premieres Tins of Town, a new body of work created using the 19th-century wet collodion process. Each image is hand-made and one-of-a-kind, capturing portraits and landscapes from across Sunderland and the wider region with striking depth and texture.

Breeze Creatives present two contrasting exhibitions at Abject Gallery. This Time I Have a Reason brings together six emerging artists working across sculpture, performance, painting, film and sound – a snapshot of new contemporary practice in the North East. Downstairs, Worst Record Covers showcases artist Steve Goldman’s cult archive of brilliantly bad sleeve design, reimagined through live performance and playful reinterpretation across the evening.

At The Bridge Hotel Vaults, musician Sarah Hayes returns following a standout 2025 appearance, leading an open traditional folk session alongside a band of players on flute, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. It’s informal, welcoming, and open to anyone who wants to join in.

Theatre Space North East hosts Shakespeare Shakedown, a fast-paced monologue slam where performers remix and reinterpret classic texts in inventive ways. Later, Sunderland spoken word collective King Ink welcome special guest Mike Garry – the Manchester poet known for his powerful delivery and collaborations with John Cooper Clarke, with performances spanning from grassroots venues to Carnegie Hall.

Elsewhere, experimental music takes over a pop-up space at 31 Norfolk Street, as Boundaries Festival presents live sets from Yotuns and Feral Yon – artists working with abstract electronics, complex rhythms and digital sound manipulations to create immersive, genre-defying performances.

At The Frame, the Young Musicians Project curate an evening spotlighting Sunderland’s next wave of artists – a chance to catch emerging talent at an early stage. And inside Midnight Pizza Crü, chef Ryan McVay hosts a one-night-only pop-up restaurant, serving dishes inspired by his recent appearance on Great British Menu alongside selections from his signature menu at The Calabash Tree.

You can also get hands-on throughout the night: print your own Sunniside Nights tote or T-shirt at Port Independent, take part in ceramics workshops with Jeanet Ingwersen, join practical sessions at Sunshine Food Co-op, and explore late openings at 24NE and venues across the quarter.

All events are free (some ticketed).

Come for one thing, stay for everything.