Black Market karaoke in Stockton’s ‘significant’ expansion

Black Market, an independent late-night hotspot in Stockton, is launching a new lounge space on Friday, November 28, 2025.

The venue, which has attracted thousands of visitors since opening in December 2023, offers a mix of live music, “real” drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Operated by the team behind Stockton’s KU nightclub, The Social Room, and the founders of The Gathering Sounds music festival, the venue’s expansion includes booth seating, a small cocktail bar, and a compact stage for intimate events.

The venue’s new manager, Shane Headlam, said: “The new room is really exciting.

“It’s given us the opportunity to add some comforts that we just didn’t have the room for previously.

“The goal, they say, is to enhance the experience without diluting the identity that customers love.”

Designed with the support of Pulp Design Studios, the expansion maintains the venue’s gritty character, adding a stylish, industrial-inspired touch.

Mr Headlam added: “It’s been great to be a part of so far – we’re busier than ever and everyone’s looking forward to the new room.

“There’s good times ahead for sure.”

This expansion follows the successful introduction of private karaoke rooms in October 2024, which Black Market says have been fully booked almost every weekend, and plans are in place to open a beer garden in 2026.

They have space for groups of two to twenty people and have more than 18,000 songs available.

Mr Headlam said: “Everybody’s been loving the karaoke rooms so far.

“It’s that something different that we felt Stockton was really in need of.”