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The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals

What's On

Our Sheffield culture calendar. Filled with picks of the city’s arts, culture and heritage events, both in-person and virtual. Plus reviews and festival guides.

The Sheffield Carols

Thu. 13 November 2025 — Thu. 1 January 2026

Every November and December, people gather in pubs across Sheffield and North Derbyshire to sing locally-written carols that have passed down through generations. Some of these songs are only sung in Sheffield. Some only in one pub.

Gao Hong & Kadialy Kouyate

Wed. 14 January 2026

Drama Studio

Experience the rare, captivating combination of two of world music’s most mesmerising instruments: the Chinese pipa and the West African kora.

Relaxed Concert: Mozart Quintets

Thu. 15 January 2026

Playhouse

For this ‘relaxed’ concert featuring two of Mozart’s best loved quintets, doors will be left open, lights raised, a break-out space provided, and there will be less emphasis on the audience being quiet.

Mozart Quintets

Thu. 15 January 2026

Playhouse

Three Mozart favourites come together in this celebration of one of the best-loved composers of all time.

Guitar Classics - Craig Ogden

Sat. 17 January 2026

Playhouse

Classic FM chart-topper, classical guitarist Craig Ogden comes to town.

Beethoven, Brahms & Britten - Li-Wei Quin & Jeremy Young (Cello & Piano)

Sat. 17 January 2026

Playhouse

A rare chance to hear the Chinese-Australian star cellist up close.

Jakub Klimiuk Quintet

Fri. 23 January 2026

Crookes Social Club, Mulehouse Road, S10 1TD

The London-based Polish guitarist and composer brings his quintet to Sheffield Jazz with a new set of material.

Footprints Jazz Festival

Sat. 31 January 2026

Peddler Warehouse, 92 Burton Road, S3 8BX

A huge lineup of northern artists, celebrating art, music and culture under one roof at SADACCA. Headlined by saxophonist, composer and band leader Jasmine Myra. Also featuring Mu Quintet, Fuji Speedway, Ashley Holmes, and more.

Fantasies for Flute & Harp - Catrin Finch & Juliette Bausor of Ensemble 360

Sat. 31 January 2026

Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, S1 2JD

The 'queen of harps' Catrin Finch joins Ensemble 360’s flautist Juliette Bausor for a glorious afternoon of duos.

Hidden Track

Multiple dates

The Beaten Track, 44–46 Campo Lane, S1 2DE

A free monthly contemporary classical music night. Half programmed performances, followed by a jam for both experienced and new improvisers alike.

Fretwork: Take Five

Tue. 3 February 2026

Playhouse

Celebrated as the world’s leading viol consort for almost 40 years.

Donovan Haffner Quartet

Fri. 6 February 2026

Crookes Social Club, Mulehouse Road, S10 1TD

Rising star saxophonist Donovan Haffner is one of 2025's breakthrough artists, having won Jazz Newcomer at the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Presented by Sheffield Jazz.

Romantic String Quartets - Consone Quartet

Tue. 10 February 2026

Playhouse

Music in the Round’s visiting quartet perform music by Clara Schumann, Mozart and Schubert.

Country Superstars

Thu. 12 February 2026

The Octagon Centre

A Dolly Parton and friends tribute show.

Bach for Organ - David Goode

Fri. 13 February 2026

Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, S1 2JD

David Goode performs some of Bach’s best-loved works for organ, showcasing the composer’s genius for pattern, number and symbolism.

Symmetries in Sound - Ensemble 360

Fri. 13 February 2026

Playhouse

A celebration of musical games and mirrors includes. Including Der Spiegel, a piece for two violinists looking at the same sheet of music – one the right way up, the other upside down.

Fractals & Fugues: Mathematics in Music

Sat. 14 February 2026

Channing Hall, 45 Surrey Street, S1 2LG

As part of Music in the Round’s Percussion, Pattern & Primes weekend, Professor Sarah Hart explores the intriguing connections between music and maths.

Playing Patterns: Percussion & Strings - Colin Currie & Ensemble 360

Sat. 14 February 2026

Playhouse

Virtuoso percussionist Colin Currie is joined by members of Ensemble 360 for a concert of life-affirming music for percussion and string quartet.

Hong Kong Plucked String Orchestra

Mon. 16 February 2026

Firth Hall

A rare opportunity to catch the powerful sound of Chinese plucked string instruments in Sheffield, played by a globetrotting ensemble.

Musica Antica Rotherhithe

Wed. 18 February 2026

Firth Hall

Immerse yourself in the Golden Age of Venetian Opera, rediscovered after 350 years – with period-accurate instruments.

Spiers and Boden

Thu. 19 February 2026

Firth Hall

One of the best loved duos on the English folk scene and founder members of folk phenomenon Bellowhead. Join the duo for a show and a workshop in harmony singing – for all experience levels.

Symphonic Dances for Two Pianos – Ivana Gavrić & Tim Horton

Thu. 26 February 2026

Playhouse

Presented by Music in the Round, Tim Horton and Ivana Gavrić return to the Crucible Playhouse for a concert of spellbinding and exhilarating music for two pianos.

Denys Baptiste Quartet

Fri. 27 February 2026

Crucible Theatre

Acclaimed saxophonist Denys Baptiste presents his new quartet, featuring rising star pianist Sultan Stevenson, playing an exciting mix of new compositions, standards and revisit compositions from his award-winning albums.

Sheffield Jazz: Denys Baptiste Quartet

Fri. 27 February 2026

Playhouse

Acclaimed saxophonist Denys Baptiste presents his new quartet, exploring an exciting mix of new compositions, standards and compositions from his award-winning albums.

Northern Live - Do I Love You

Fri. 27 February 2026

The Octagon Centre

Keeping the faith to the original sounds of the underground movement that started on the dance floors in the north and swept the nation.

Jasad: Music for Middle-Eastern Flute

Sat. 28 February 2026

Playhouse

Music in the Round presents percussionist and composer Faris Ishaq, who charts unexplored territories with one of the oldest types of flute still in use today, the Nay.

Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening

Sun. 1 March 2026

Firth Hall

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and champion of the Northumbrian pipes, Kathryn Tickell brings 'Ancient Northumbrian Futurism' to town.

An Audience with Mark and Lard

Tue. 3 March 2026

The Octagon Centre

The former Radio 1 icons come to town.

Dvořák Piano Quintet - Ensemble 360

Sat. 14 March 2026

Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, S1 2JD

Lyrically expressive Czech-folk-inspired music.

Daoirí Farrell

Sat. 14 March 2026

Firth Hall

Dublin singer and bouzouki player has been hailed by the greats of Irish folk music.

Sarah Watts and Kim Davenport

Fri. 20 March 2026

Firth Hall

Renowned clarinet and piano duo present rarely-heard music by Florence Price, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and other Black composers.

Kelham Jazz Festival

Sat. 21 March 2026

Save the date for "a celebration of music through movement and community." Coming to Sheffield in 2026. More details soon.

Happy Mondays

Sun. 22 March 2026

The Octagon Centre

A night of Madchester magic.

Beethoven, Bartók & Schumann - Fibonacci Quartet

Sat. 28 March 2026

Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, S1 2JD

Music in the Round welcome the Fibonacci Quartet who will play three contrasting pieces from the string quartet repertoire for their Sheffield debut.

Resistanz

Fri. 3 April 2026 — Sun. 5 April 2026

Corporation

A festival of industrial, electro and alternative music. Taking over Corporation – Sheffield's iconic home of rock – for Easter bank holiday weekend.

Sheffield Folk Sessions Festival

Fri. 3 April 2026 — Sun. 5 April 2026

Sheffield Folk Sessions Festival brings pubs around the Kelham Island area to life with a weekend of song. Expect singing sessions, instrumental sessions and workshops. All for free, with donations going to charity.

Neil Cowley Trio: Built on Bach

Wed. 22 April 2026

Firth Hall

An evening of jazz, using Bach’s work as a jumping off point.

Sounds of Now: Annea Lockwood - Prepared Piano

Fri. 24 April 2026

Firth Hall

In partnership with University of Sheffield Concerts, Music in the Round presents a rare opportunity to hear Xenia Pestova Bennett play the intricate and spellbinding piano works of Annea Lockwood.

The Rosadocs

Fri. 24 April 2026

The Octagon Centre

Sheffield’s rising indie five-piece The Rosadocs return home for a show at the Octagon as part of their first UK headline tour.

Xenia Pestova Bennett

Fri. 24 April 2026

Firth Hall

Pianist and composer Xenia Pestova Bennett has earned an international reputation as a leading proponent of uncompromising music.

Hudson Records Presents: Kris Drever

Sat. 25 April 2026

Firth Hall

A distinctive contemporary musician from Scotland, celebrated for his warm voice, expressive guitar playing and imaginative songwriting.

Louise Thomson & Anne-Marie O'Farrell: Stratos Harp Duo

Thu. 30 April 2026

Firth Hall

Two world leading harpists join their passions for the expansion of pedal harp repertoire for one innovative programme.

The Charlatans

Sat. 2 May 2026

The Octagon Centre

Back at the Octagon again, The Charlatans are on the road celebrating new album We Are Love.

Sheffield Chamber Music Festival Launch: Claire Booth (soprano) & Ensemble 360

Fri. 15 May 2026

Playhouse

Claire Booth kicks off the 2026 Sheffield Chamber Music Festival in style. Guest Curator Claire Booth opens with a one-woman opera retelling the story of ‘the last real Viking’, Harald Hardrada, by Judith Weir.

Get Together

Sat. 16 May 2026

Kelham Island

A joyous one-day festival of independent music, taking over warehouses, breweries and bars of Kelham Island and Neepsend. Save the date and come back soon for details of the Get Together 2026 lineup and tickets.

Family Concert: Izzy Gizmo - Ensemble 360 & Lucy Drever

Sat. 16 May 2026

Crucible Theatre

A delightful family concert based on the best-selling children’s book by Pip Jones, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. Perfect for 3–7 year-olds.

Crosscurrents: Gwilym Simcock & Friends

Sat. 16 May 2026

Crucible Theatre

Jazz superstar Gwilym Simcock and his band of incredible jazz musicians, are joined by world-class classical artists for what promises to be a hugely entertaining evening.

Birdsong at Dawn - Ensemble 360

Sun. 17 May 2026

Sheffield General Cemetery

Pause, listen and be transported, as Sheffield Chamber Music Festival revive a beloved tradition with this dawn celebration of the music of the birds.

Birdsong at Breakfast - Ensemble 360

Sun. 17 May 2026

Sheffield General Cemetery

A dawn celebration of the music of the birds, in this beloved Sheffield Chamber Music Festival tradition.

Gwilym Simcock Trio

Sun. 17 May 2026

Firth Hall

Experience the masterful jazz pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock up close as he returns to his improvisational jazz roots.

Sunset - Ensemble 360

Sun. 17 May 2026

Sheffield General Cemetery

An intimate concert of quartets and quintets as darkness descends on a special musical day in Sheffield General Cemetery.

Exploring Cocteau's The Human Voice

Mon. 18 May 2026

Showroom

Ahead of the performance on Tuesday evening, a panel of music and film experts explore the Jean Cocteau masterpiece that gave rise to Poulenc’s adaptation, La Voix Humaine.

Feldman & Beckett: Words & Music - Claire Booth & Ensemble 360

Mon. 18 May 2026

Playhouse

Originally written as a radio play by Morton Feldman and Samuel Beckett, Words & Music presents a cryptic trialogue between the ailing master Croak and his two servants, Words (played by an actor) and Music (represented by the score).

Beethoven Septet - Ensemble 360

Tue. 19 May 2026

Playhouse

The hopeful, energetic and lyrical Spring Sonata is one of the most famous of all Beethoven’s works for violin, paired here with an intense and stormy early quartet.

La Voix Humaine - Claire Booth & Christopher Glynn

Tue. 19 May 2026

Playhouse

An immersive staging of Poulenc’s searing operatic melodrama.

The Art of Storytelling - Nicholas Jubber (author and storyteller)

Wed. 20 May 2026

Playhouse

Launching a day of music inspired by myths, legends and fairytales, author and storyteller Nicholas Jubber explores the enduring appeal of enchanting folk tales, often laced with a monstrous darkness.

Relaxed Concert: Peter and the Wolf

Wed. 20 May 2026

Playhouse

For this ‘relaxed’ concert of storytelling music, doors will be left open, lights raised, a break-out space provided, and there will be less emphasis on the audience being quiet during the performance.

Peter and the Wolf & Other Stories - Claire Booth & Ensemble 360

Wed. 20 May 2026

Playhouse

Prokofiev’s beloved symphonic tale delights audiences of all ages, with its story of the fearless Peter and his encounter with a ferocious wolf. Narrated by storyteller and author Nicholas Jubber.

Bird Tunes - Miranda Rutter, Sam Sweeney & Rob Harbron

Wed. 20 May 2026

Playhouse

Three of the finest folk musicians working today perform a new suite of tunes, crafted from fragments of birdsong recorded on woodland walks.

Speak of the North - Claire Booth, Tamsin Waley-Cohen & Christopher Glynn

Thu. 21 May 2026

St Peter's Church, 1 Jap Lane, Edensor, Bakewell, DE45 1PH

As part of the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival, Music in the Round presents a day of concerts interspersed with guided walks around the Chatsworth estate.

Beethoven & Friends – Consone Quartet

Thu. 21 May 2026

Playhouse

Music in the Round’s visiting Quartet presents music by Beethoven set amongst composers who influenced or were in close contact with the musical genius.

Kafka Fragments - Claire Booth (soprano) & Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin)

Thu. 21 May 2026

Playhouse

Music in the Round presents Kafka's Fragments: 40 short excerpts from Kafka’s writings, diaries, and letters – often heartfelt and confessional.

This Sceptered Isle: British Song – Claire Booth & Ensemble 360

Fri. 22 May 2026

Playhouse

Claire Booth performs a selection of her best-loved music, from Britten’s stirring reimagining of Purcell songs to Colin Matthews’ evocative seascapes.

Songs Without Words: Mendelssohn, Brahms & Rachmaninov - Ensemble 360

Fri. 22 May 2026

Playhouse

Mendelssohn’s exquisite Songs Without Words – richly lyrical and profoundly heartfelt miniatures – are performed alongside glittering masterpieces of the Romantic era that showcase the vocal influence on instrumental music.

Sheffield Chamber Music Festival

Fri. 15 May 2026 — Sat. 23 May 2026

Playhouse

Nine days of intimate and inviting classical music performances for all ages. The 2026 event includes a performance of collaborative work by Morton Feldman and Samuel Beckett, an opera for children, a day of music and walking in the Peaks, and more.

Henny Penny: A Children's Opera

Sat. 23 May 2026

Playhouse

A children's opera telling the folk tale of a young chicken who believes the sky is falling when an acorn lands on its head. Composed by Julian Phillips and performed live for the very first time, with a choir of Sheffield primary children.

Four Last Songs – Ensemble 360

Sat. 23 May 2026

Playhouse

Strauss’s Four Last Songs are among the most touchingly beautiful and richly expressive pieces in the classical repertoire.

Love to be… Inner City Festival

Sun. 24 May 2026

SteelYard Kelham, The Yard, Bardwell Road, Neepsend, S3 8AS

An all-day fest from Sheffield’s legendary house music brand.
Taking over a container park with house music icons, local talent, street food and more. Headliners: Roger Sanchez, David Penn, Low Steppa, The Shapeshifters, Trimtone and Carly Wilford.

Kelham Pride

Sat. 20 June 2026

Kelham Island

A parade and street party, celebrating and bringing together the local LGBTQ+ community and their allies. With live musicians, DJs, drag queens, comedians, family-friendly activities, fringe events, and more. Stay tuned for Kelham Pride 2026 details.

Powerlines

Sat. 18 July 2026

Crookes Social Club, Mulehouse Road, S10 1TD

An independent metal festival by the fans, for the fans – back for a second year. Showcasing a lineup of local homegrown artists and national acts, open to all ages and types of metalheads. Lineup to be announced.

Bassfest Summer Festival

Sat. 18 July 2026 — Sun. 19 July 2026

Don Valley Bowl, S9 2DF

Dedicated to drum and bass, house, bassline, and beyond.

Tramlines

Fri. 24 July 2026 — Sun. 26 July 2026

Hillsborough Park

A three-day summertime celebration of music. Come back soon for details of Tramlines 2026 – earlybird tickets on sale now.

The Fringe at Tramlines

Fri. 24 July 2026 — Sun. 26 July 2026

Devonshire Green, 158 Devonshire Street, S1 4GT

Home to the official Tramlines Fringe, the Devonshire Green stage showcases an array of local talent over the festival weekend, all for free. On top of that, expect official and unofficial fringe events to pop up in bars and venues all over the city.

Desi Fest Sheffield Mela

Sun. 2 August 2026

Firth Park, S5 6HE

A festival promoting diversity, unity and community spirit, shining a spotlight on cultural traditions of the South Asian community. With live music and dance, activities for young people, exhibitions and demos, fun fair rides, stalls and more.

Graves Park Food Festival

Sat. 29 August 2026 — Mon. 31 August 2026

Graves Park, Hemsworth Road, S8 8LJ

A family-friendly celebration of international food, independent drink, live music, arts and charity – all taking place in the biggest park in Sheffield. Expect stalls, bars, chef demos, children's entertainment and lots more.

Destination

Sat. 12 September 2026

FORGE Warehouse, 148 Effingham Road, S4 7YS

"Forged in fire, set in steel." An all-dayer dedicated to rock and metal. Formerly Rockin the Bowl, this festival is back for 2026 under the new name: Destination.

Float Along Festival

Sat. 26 September 2026

Float Along music festival returns to Sheffield city centre to do it all again for the fifth year running. Come back soon for lineup and venue details for 2026.

No Bounds

Fri. 9 October 2026 — Sun. 11 October 2026

A weekend of bleeps, beats and sweaty grins – bringing together music, visual art and technology. Come back soon for details of No Bounds 2026 – earlybird tickets on sale now.

Festival of the Mind

A biennial festival of new ideas. Bringing together the city's creative community and its academic minds through exhibitions, talks, screenings, performances and more. Stay tuned for dates and details for the next Festival of the Mind in autumn 2026.

Sensoria

Thu. 22 October 2026 — Sun. 25 October 2026

Sheffield's festival of film and music. Expect a truly unique mix of performance, live film scores, screenings, exhibitions, and music industry activity. Come back soon for details of the Sensoria 2026 lineup.

Classical Weekend

Fri. 12 March 2027 — Sun. 14 March 2027

Classical Weekend returns in 2027. The biennial festival is one big celebration of classical music – in all manner of forms, in all kinds of places.