Beyoncé fans told to plan ahead for Sunderland gig

Beyoncé performed before a crowd of 55,000 delighted fans in Edinburgh on Saturday who danced and sang along the rain

Thousands of Beyoncé fans are being asked to plan their journey ahead of the concert in Sunderland.

The superstar has already performed in Cardiff and Edinburgh as part of her Renaissance world tour which will move on to Paris and London after the Wearside gig.

More than 48,000 fans are expected at the Stadium of Light concert.

Sunderland City Council says it wants "everyone to enjoy themselves" but advises people leave "plenty of time".

The Renaissance world tour is Beyoncé's first in seven years

It will be the second time Beyoncé has performed in the city; her last visit was in 2016 when she launched her Formation tour at the same venue.

John Price, Sunderland City Council's cabinet member for vibrant city, said: "We're delighted Beyoncé has chosen Sunderland as one of only four UK dates on her Renaissance Tour and we're looking forward to welcoming concert goers from across the UK as well as the city and wider region.

"We want everyone to enjoy themselves so our advice to concert goers is to plan your journey in advance and give yourself plenty of time to get there."

Drivers have been warned roads surrounding the football stadium will be closed to all traffic with the nearest drop off area at Dame Dorothy Street.

Trains heading to Sunderland are expected to be "exceptionally busy" after 16:00

Additional Metro trains will be running later into the evening with travellers urged to use the St Peter's or Stadium of Light stops.

Nexus, which runs the service, has advised passengers to avoid travelling on trains towards Sunderland between 16:00 and 22:00 if possible, unless they are heading to the concert.

Customer service teams and crowd control measures will be in place at stations afterwards to help people get home safely.