Sam Fender has announced that he will play Newcastle United’s St James’ Park in June next year. The North Shields Magpies fan said he would fulfil a “childhood dream” as he “always joked” about playing in the stadium.
The 28-year-old had teased fans about a “huge announcement”, with many speculating it would be a concert in Newcastle. The show will be on June 9, with tickets on sale from September 9.
Newcastle United said the gig would be one of “summer 2023’s hottest tickets”, and the multi-award-winning singer-songwriter was the “first Geordie musician to headline the iconic stadium”.
Fender said: “Ever since I started this band, I always used to joke with the boys that one day we might play St James’ Park in Newcastle.
“It’s a childhood dream come true, and we’re gonna play it. “This is literally [going to] be the biggest show we’ve ever done – our first stadium show, which is so weird.
“I can’t wait, it’s gonna be lush, and I hope to see you all there.”
He will be supported by Inhaler, led by the son of U2’s Bono and Holly Humberstone. Previous acts played at St James’ Park include Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.
Nearly 50,000 people attended Ed Sheeran’s concert there in 2018.
Fender has won two Brit Awards, the 2019 Critic’s Pick for Rising Star and 2022 for Best Rock/Alternative Singer, both of which turned into drafts at Low Lights Tavern in North Shields, where he worked and was discovered at the age of 18.
His two albums, 2019’s Hypersonic Missiles and 2021’s Seventeen Going Under, topped the UK charts, and he had supported The Killers and The Rolling Stones before headlining a sold-out crowd of 45,000 at London’s Finsbury Park in June of this year.
He has also raised tens of thousands of pounds for North East Homeless, a charity of which he is a patron.