Migration Matters Festival

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.

Come back soon for dates and details of Migration Matters 2026.

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Fri. 28 November 2025 — Sun. 1 November 2026

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APG Works

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Fri. 8 May 2026

FORGE Warehouse, 148 Effingham Road, S4 7YS

Join Andro & Eve and Ghetto Fabulous for a night of electrifying queer performance with drag, dance, pageantry and music.

Off the Shelf

Sheffield's festival of books, words and ideas, taking place each October. Come back soon for our highlights from the writer talks, workshops and events in the 2026 programme.

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