Stadium of Light Parking
Table of Contents
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Parking at the Stadium of Light
Welcome to ParkingScout, your comprehensive guide for finding the best parking spots near the UK’s most iconic sports venues, biggest cities and towns, busiest airports, and more. Today, our spotlight is pointing at Sunderland’s pride, the Stadium of Light (SoL). This remarkable stadium on the banks of the River Wear has a capacity of over 49,000, making it not just one of the biggest sporting arenas in the UK but a landmark of cultural significance as well. On match days, the area is abuzz with an electric atmosphere, making it hard to find convenient and affordable parking within walking distance of the stadium. Luckily for you, ParkingScout has done the most of the hard work for you by taking a detailed look at all the parking options available and consolidating them on one page. Happy parking!
Match Day Parking at the Stadium of Light
Like many other of the UK’s major stadiums, streetside parking on the streets in the immediate vicinity of the stadium isn’t an option on match day. The Sunderland City Council closes more than 60 streets to non-residents before, during, and immediately after the match, and anyone parking on the streetside is likely to receive a fine. While the exact list of streets that are closed isn’t published online, you can expect the entire Sheepfolds area, Hay Street, Millennium Way, and the A1290 and Keir Hardie Way north of the stadium to be closed.
Onsite parking at the SoL isn’t an option either, as they have a very limited number of spaces available and all their passes are already sold out. Those with disabilities are encouraged to visit the SoL’s accessibility page for more information on accommodations.
Off-site matchday parking options
With no onsite parking to speak of and road closures around the stadium, the only real viable parking option is to park offsite and then either walk to the stadium or take public transport. Stadium management suggests the latter option, as there are a number of parking options available that involve leaving your car in a secure spot, then taking either an express bus, rail transport, or your own two feet to the stadium. We’ve compiled the complete list of options for you, including costs (where available) and directions and time expectations to make it to the stadium in time for kick-off.
Free parking with train to the stadium
While this option isn’t the absolute best option for parking as close to the SoL as possible, it is one of the best when it comes to cutting down on parking costs and time spent stuck in traffic looking for closer parking. This option involves parking for free at East Boldon Station, then taking the green line (2 stops) to the Stadium of Light Station. Trains on the green line run every 12 minutes, and a ticket will cost anywhere between £2.75 and £4.85 per day, depending on the time of year and which zones you’re visiting. In the event that the station parking is full, you can find parking on nearby residential streets in East Boldon.
- East Boldon Station Car Park NE36 0AB – Free | 5 min train + 15 min walk
- Bede Terrace NE36 0DZ – Free | 3 min walk + 5 min train + 15 min walk
- Baldwin Avenue NE36 0EL – Free | 3 min walk + 5 min train + 15 min walk
- Cleadon Lane NE36 0AJ – Free | 3 min walk + 5 min train + 15 min walk
One station closer to the SoL, you’ll find Seaburn Metro. While you could attempt the same move from this metro, its onsite parking lot is much smaller and more likely to fill up before you get there.
- Seaburn Metro Car park SR6 9AA – Free | 3 min train + 15 min walk
- Coniston Avenue SR5 1RB – Free | 2 min walk + 3 min train + 15 min walk
- Dene Lane SR6 8EG – Free | 2 min walk + 3 min train + 15 min walk
Park and Ride with express bus
Sunderland Enterprise Park runs a matchday-only express bus to and from the stadium. This option is easily accessible from the A19 along Wessington Way (A1231), and is a good on to consider for anyone approaching the stadium from the west. On matchday, buses run every 5 minutes before the game (starting 90 minutes before kickoff) and regularly after the game until all the fans have been transported back to their vehicles.
- Sunderland Enterprise Park SR5 2TH – Price n/a | 5 minute bus ride
Park and Walk
Another way of avoiding the traffic near the stadium and saving a pound or two on parking is to look for one of the many affordable parking spots just south of the river, then take a 15- to 30-minute walk to the Stadium of Light. There are a number of affordable and secure parking options available just south of the A1018 bridge. These include:
- St Mary’s Car Park SR1 3AH – £1.50 per hour | 15 minute walk
- West Wear Street SR1 1XD – £1.00 per hour | 15 minute walk
- Sunniside Multi Storey Car Park SR1 1UL – – £1.30 per hour | 16 minute walk
- Charles Street Car Park SR1 1XB – £1.00 per hour | 16 minute walk
- High Street West Car Park SR1 1UN – 90p per hour | 15 minute walk
While the streets in the immediate vicinity of the SoL are closed to non-residents, those a little bit further away aren’t. If you’re willing to take a 20-minute or so walk, you could park for free. Always make sure that you’re not blocking traffic or inconveniencing anyone when you’re parking on the street.
- Morgan Street SR5 2HR – Free | 22 minute walk
- Goschen Street SR5 2JP – Free | 25 minute walk
- The King’s Road SR5 2JF – Free | 25 minute walk
One final option is to park at one of the car parks near the beach to the east. With the beach being no more than a 30-minute (1.3-mile walk) away, this option not only saves you time and money but presents an excellent opportunity to explore the beach after the match.
- Marine Walk Car Park SR6 0PR – £3.00 per day | 30 minute walk
Harbour View Car Park SR5 0RG – £3.00 per day | 30 minute walk
Parking app options on match-day
All things considered, finding convenient and affordable parking options near the Stadium of Light on matchday isn’t all that difficult. Sure, you might have to take a 15- to 30-minute walk, but overall, there are plenty of affordable options, unlike some other stadiums in the UK and especially in London.
That being said, looking for parking options on driveway rental apps has become increasingly popular over the last few years. In essence, these apps allow private garage or driveway owners to rent them out on an hourly basis for some extra income. While this option is extremely popular where parking is scarce or expensive, it’s growing everywhere.
Since the property owners get to set their own prices, you’ll typically find both extremely affordable and absurd prices. We cannot overstate how important it is to book your spot well in advance. After many weeks of testing, ParkingScout has determined that looking for private parking two to three weeks before matchday is the best policy. Good spots go fast!
We compared two of the biggest players in the game, JustPark and Your Parking Space for parking options on match day with a two-week lead time, starting one hour before kick-off and lasting a total of four hours. You can see the results below.
JustPark
Despite checking with two weeks to go to matchday, JustPark only had seven available options. This is significantly fewer than near other stadiums and is probably due to the affordability and convenience of the existing parking. The options on JustPark ranged between £5.10 and £11.20 for four hours, which is very much in line with what the council-run car parks are charging. No real savings to be had here, but it could save you a few minutes of walking.
Your Parking Space
Surprisingly, the options on Your Parking Space were slightly cheaper than on JustPark; however, with few options available and the majority of options being further away and necessitating the use of public transport, in our opinion, there really isn’t much of use here either. Sure, if you’re willing to walk about an hour in each direction (or swim across the river), you could find parking for as little as £3 for 4 hours, but other than that, you’re better off looking at council-run car parks.
About the Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light, the celebrated home of Sunderland A.F.C., is a distinguished and renowned sports and event venue in the UK. Situated in Sunderland, close to the River Wear, this grand stadium has a seating capacity of 49,000, making it a prominent feature in the UK’s roster of large stadiums as the ninth largest. Its distinctive architecture, including the notable North Stand, renders the Stadium of Light an instantly recognisable landmark, offering spectacular views from every vantage point.
Apart from hosting the exhilarating home games of Sunderland A.F.C., the Stadium of Light serves as a multipurpose venue, hosting various international sports events. It’s a ground not only for football but also for other sports and events, including rugby and concerts by some of the biggest names in entertainment: Coldplay, Rihanna, Spice Girls, and Ed Sheeran. Interestingly, the June 2022 Ed Sheeran concert drew in 60,000 visitors, a record for the stadium of light.
Remember to check out our free companion map linked at the top of this article to help you plan the most affordable and convenient parking the next time you watch Sunderland A.F.C. in action.
