The Mackem Market

The Mackem Market is back at Sunderland Train Station this Friday 13 November, the final date of its run. It's a weekly pop-up run by event planner Gemma Niles, and this Friday is the last chance to catch it before it wraps up.

Around 30 local traders fill the space, so there's plenty to look through: homemade cakes, cards, toys and jewellery, all from people across the area. It's not just about the stalls, though. Niles brings in buskers to play live music while local artists paint live in the middle of it all, so you can watch a piece come together while you're browsing. It's a proper local affair, with the music and the art happening around you rather than on a separate stage.

The market sits inside the station's glass-fronted entrance, looking out onto Market Square in the city centre. It's a spot that's seen a lot of change lately: the station went through a £27 million redevelopment that started in 2022 and finished in December 2023, adding a new waiting area, retail space, public toilets, a ticket office and a southern entrance. The project was delivered by Sunderland City Council with support from Network Rail, Nexus, Grand Central and Northern. Local reaction to the new concourse has been split, with council leaders calling it 'stunning and ambitious' and critics describing it as cold and underwhelming.

The Mackem Market has been running every Friday since 30 October, from 10am to 2pm, so this is the last one of the series. If you've been meaning to drop by, Friday 13 November is your final go.