Barnes Park

Barnes Park is a large Victorian-era public park in the southwest of Sunderland and is one of the city's principal outdoor event locations. The park stretches for almost two miles and provides a combination of landscaped open space, recreational facilities and heritage features. Sunderland City Council describes it as the largest of the city's urban parks and actively promotes it as a location for organised events. The park contains extensive lawns and walking areas together with play areas, bowling greens, sensory gardens, tennis courts and a café. One of its notable heritage features is a Victorian-style bandstand, while the park also contains a historic cannon near the West End bowling greens. These features provide different visual and functional settings for outdoor activities. Barnes Park can accommodate a variety of organised outdoor activities, including community events, family events, performances, festivals, sporting activities, markets and other temporary events. A recent 2026 Barnes Park community event included sports and games, live performances, arts and crafts, information stalls and a funfair, demonstrating the flexibility of the site.