Mackem Music Memories

Welcome to Mackem Music Memories!

Sunderland Music City are gathering the stories of Mackems on their most memorable musical moments, to then be displayed in an exhibition at Culture House Sunderland in the summer of 2027. The exhibition and research will then be digitised to professional archival standards and incorporated into the Sunderland Local Studies Collection, ensuring that the material becomes part of the city’s permanent historical record.

We will document the people, places, performances and traditions that have shaped Sunderland’s musical identity. From the earliest recorded choral traditions on Wearside to the grassroots venues, musicians and audiences that continue to define the city today.