Sunday for Sammy set to reveal 'exciting news' about show's Newcastle return
Fans of Sunday for Sammy will be delighted to hear its organisers are on the brink of announcing 'exciting news' for the much-loved Newcastle fundraiser.
The biennial show - which last packed out the Utilita Arena for two sell-out performances in 2020, just before lockdown hit - is the focus of excitement about 'a highly anticipated' comeback. In February - to mark the 25-year anniversary of the first show - a special event will reveal exactly what fans can expect.
It is being planned on February 6 as part of a day of celebration with music, comedy and special guests. This will unveil more about the "highly-anticipated return" of Sunday for Sammy, dubbed the 'Geordie command performance', which is renowned for its line-up of local celebrities - always kept under wraps in order to surprise audiences - and its programme of live music and comedy sketches which help raise funds to support local performers in memory of late actor Sammy Johnson.
Lindisfarne favourite Ray Laidlaw, producer of the show, says of the upcoming big reveal: “On February 6, it will be 25 years since the first Sunday for Sammy show. That’s the day we plan to announce some exciting news.“
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A long-awaited announcement about Sunday for Sammy, which is always a sell-out, will be warmly welcomed by fans. There had been fears that it was over for good, following 2022's cancellation of the following year's planned arena show, which itself had been delayed due to ongoing concerns over Covid.
At the time, actor and show regular Tim Healy, who is chairman of the Sunday for Sammy Trust which distributes the charity funds raised by the show, explained the 'reluctant' decision, with the economic climate; rising costs of hosting the show and fears over whether audiences could afford tickets to blame for calling it off. It was however the hope that the event would be back when "the time is right" and now it seems that time may not be far off.
Organisers says they are set to "share exciting news around our 25th year and the highly anticipated return of the Sunday for Sammy show" in what promises to be quite a celebration. It signals good news too for local talents supported by the Sunday for Sammy Trust whose work has continued in the show's absence but whose coffers are boosted by the live performances and the sales afterwards of the DVDs.
Read a review here of the last Sunday for Sammy, in 2020.