This website uses cookies. Read more about our cookie/privacy policy.

Accept and Close

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

Migration Matters Festival

Fri. 20 June 2025 — Sat. 28 June 2025

Migration Matters 2024, photo by Smart Banda

In 2007 Sheffield became the UK’s first City of Sanctuary – a place that welcomes asylum-seekers and refugees, that offers a hand to people in need of safety. Held around Refugee Week each June, Migration Matters Festival is a celebration of diversity and the positive impact migration and refugees have in Sheffield.

The festival launched in 2016, the year of the Brexit referendum and Syrian refugee crisis. Each year the Migration Matters programme brings communities together over fantastic, globe-spanning variety of theatre, music, dance, workshops, exhibitions, and more.

The lineup for the tenth Migration Matters Festival in 2025 includes:

  • Electronic legends Asian Dub Foundation
  • Mercury Prize-nominated singer songwriter Nadine Shah
  • British-Moroccan comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri
  • A closing party with mesmerising Tanzanian musical dynasty The Zawose Queens

See our top picks from the 2025 programme.

See the full programme for more.

Festival passes are on sale now at a sliding scale of ticket prices, giving you access to any and all of the events.

You might also like...

Pint of Science Festival

Mon. 19 May 2025 — Wed. 21 May 2025

Three nights of science fun. Academics bring their research out of the lab for a series of talks, demos and experiments in pubs, bars and creative spaces. Info for 2025 coming soon.

Tyler Mellins

An artist inspired by all things paranormal, magical and occult, whose work is "equal parts serious and camp."

Chloë Brown

An artist-filmmaker investigating the histories of post-industrial cities and amplifying voices that have traditionally been silenced.

Soft Ground

A temporary space for creativity and community on The Moor. A place to meet, learn and socialise through workshops, events and exhibitions.