A festival named after a track by Sheffield synth pioneers Cabaret Voltaire? You know you’re onto a winner with Sensoria right away.
Sensoria is Sheffield's festival of film and music. Since it started out in 2008, Sensoria has projected films in places we’d never have thought would make for cinemas – The Big Blue at Hathersage lido, Threads on the hill above Sheffield station, Metropolis with a live soundtrack by Factory Floor in a steel mill turned museum. It's staged bands and installations in buildings we'd thought were beyond use. And Sensoria isn’t just skilled at location scouting; it's hosted some of the most memorable music of recent years in Sheffield, bringing to town the likes of Laurie Anderson, Bo Ningen, Michael Rother, John Grant and more.
Sensoria 2025 programme highlights:
Polyhymns: Peak Tracks
2–4 October 11am–3:45pm and 5 October 11am–12:30pm, Millennium Gallery
Free entry – find out more
An installation taking you on the 41-minute journey from Sheffield to Chinley, with a real-time soundscape celebrating the Hope Valley train line. Each stop is represented by a combination of improvised music, field recordings and oral history clips from people who have lived and worked along the line. Created by Polyhymns, a psychedelic folk and electronic duo from Sheffield.
Nsebe by SCAPA
3 October 11am–3:30pm and 4 October 11am–12:30pm, SADACCA
Free entry – find out more
An installation of music and visuals made with some of Accra’s most talented artists. Created by SCAPA, a Ghanaian-British musician, Nsebe is the inception of an exciting new Afro-Electro genre. With live performances from members of the Nsebe collective and projected visuals on 2 October at 7pm (£5 – book now).
WarpVision
03 October, The University of Sheffield Drama Studio, 8:30pm
£10 – book now
An audio-visual journey through the archives of Warp Records. Originally founded in Sheffield, Warp Records has been a groundbreaking label for electronic music. Home to artists including Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Oneohtrix Point Never, Squarepusher, Broadcast, Battles, and many more. A rare chance to experience trailblazing audio-visual works on a big screen made by directors from Jarvis Cocker and Chris Cunningham to John Michael Boling.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith + Kar Pouzi
4 October, 7:30pm, The University of Sheffield Drama Studio
£12–16 – book now
Electronic artist Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith transforms synth-driven soundscapes into immersive, otherworldly experiences. Known for her ability to weave organic textures with futuristic electronic elements, Kaitlyn creates music that feels both ethereal and deeply human – blurring lines between ambient, experimental and dance music. With support from Kar Pouzi, who melds baritone saxophone, electronics and voice into heavy, fractured beats, ecstatic drones and incessant repetitions.
Emergence Collective
5 October, 3pm, Millennium Gallery
£10 – book now
A 10-piece iteration of minimalist ensemble Emergence Collective will perform live as part of Sensoria's duo of events marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway. They'll respond in real time to Benji Wilson’s continuous footage of the Hope Valley train line, in celebration of this iconic route.
See the full Sensoria 2025 programme.
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