What's on in Sheffield, you ask?
From gritty and intimate grassroots music venues to world-class street art and a thriving festival scene, Sheffield is home to more than 2,000 cultural and creative businesses as well as 16,000 cultural and creative freelancers.
But what does this look like, and what do they do? Well, watch this video for a snapshot of what the city has to offer...
We recently launched the above website, which is dedicated to supporting artists, cultural orgs and anyone else who wants to get involved in the sector.
Be sure to check it out by clicking the big red button!
 Kaleidoscope of Butterflies at Wentworth Woodhouse, Credit Jo Veal
The Sheffield Culture Bulletin
It's time to plan your February fix of arts and culture.
Remember you can submit your events and opportunities to our channels, and check out the previous bulletin to find out about artist commissions, vacancies, training and much more.
This is our first 'cultural events only' update, so let's get into it.
Performing arts
Making Our Own Table: African Theatre and Performance in the UK, 2nd February 2025 - A powerful symposium that brings together leading creatives and cultural thinkers from across the UK and the global African diaspora.
Crown of Blood - Utopia Theatre, 2nd - 7th February 2025 - A captivating retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth set during the civil wars of 19th-century Yorubaland.
War of the Worlds, 4th February 2026 - Step into the heart of one of the most iconic sci-fi stories ever written...
Caste Away: From Tradition to Heresy, 10th February 2026 - A powerful solo Bharatanatyam work exploring five shades of womanhood — divine, comic, lover, survivor, and the disruptor.
Not Truly Dead, 11th Feburary 2026 - Three tales of the restless dead, by the master of the English ghost story, M.R. James.
Open Mic Slots at A Reyt Queer Do!, 12th February 2026 - If you are a LGBTQ+ performer based in the North of England and want to showcase a new act in front of a friendly audience, then apply for one of these open mic slots!
Sheffield Lunar New Year, 21st - 22nd February 2026 - The Peace Gardens will host a spectacular programme of cultural performance, street food and community celebration.
Music
Sauti and Spice, 31st January 2026 (monthly event!) - Sauti & Spice is a monthly African and African Diaspora music, dance, and food experience featuring live band performances, games, and great food.
Sharrow Festival Fundraiser at Hagglers Corner, 31st January 2026 - This fundraiser celebrates local DJs and multicultural sounds while helping secure the future of Sharrow Festival 2026.
Hidden Track: A Contemporary Classical Music Night, 2nd February 2026 - A monthly series dedicated to promoting and showcasing contemporary classical music in the heart of Sheffield.
Music City at the Delicious Clam, 6th February 2026 - Next up in the Irish punk-fired rock scene...
Denys Baptiste Quartet, 27th February 2026 - Acclaimed saxophonist Denys Baptiste presents his new quartet.
DUB SHACK // Mighty Oak Sound System, 28th February 2026 - An all night roots reggae session at Dryad Works.
Sheffield International Concert Season 2026 - From Czech Janáček to the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, the City Hall welcomes a new season of classical music concerts.
Visual art
ArtWorks Together International Festival, January - May 2026 - 70 world-leading artists from South Yorkshire to South Asia, North Yorkshire to North America and beyond, highlighting the breadth and depth of artistic practice by artists who have a learning disability and autistic artists.
Untold Stories at Wentworth Woodhouse, January - June 2026 - A community heritage project to explore stories of work and life in deindustrialised northern England.
Rotherham Winter Light Festival, 14th - 15th February 2026 - Rotherham Loves Music is a free, family-friendly light and sound festival. It features brand-new light projections accompanied by soundtracks.
'Plantation' Exhibition Opening, 19th February 2026 - The exhibition explores land use, ownership and environmental collapse through the experiences of agricultural workers in Scotland and Pakistan
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 25, February - May 2026 - Coming to Sheffield direct from the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition brings together traditional and contemporary approaches to portraiture.
 Lunar New Year 2025, Credit Yu Wang
Interesting talks
Holocaust and Identity: the Refugee and the Survivor, 28th January 2026 - To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, author Michael Lewis shares his family's story of both fleeing, and surviving, the Holocaust.
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover, 29th January 2026 - This project was developed with over 40 refugees and asylum seekers attending the English classes at City of Sanctuary Sheffield.
Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened, 11th February 2026 - An intimate history of LGBTQ+ life over four decades, discovered in a stash of forgotten, handwritten notes.
The Matter of Migration: a nomadic podcast installation - Discover new perspectives on migration at an arts project beginning a symbolic journey across Sheffield communities.
Creative workshops and other fun events
Movement Classes, every Thursday! - A Queer-led mix of contemporary dance, floor work, yoga and improvisation. An inclusive space to find the joy in movement.
Decibels: Learn to DJ, produce and record every Thursday - Spring Tank and Hybrid3 have launched a new free project aimed at young people, giving them the opportunity to develop skills in DJing, music production, and vocal recording.
Delicious Words: Introduction to Food Writing, 31st January 2026 - Explore how to begin writing about food and recipes that are special to you or your culture.
Creative Nature Workshops, 29th January, 5th & 12th February 2026 - Photography, weaving and stitching celebrating the beauty of Gleadless Valley.
ArtWorks Together Family Workshops, February 2026 - Bring the family for free art activities this half term at Cambridge Street Collective food hall and take away a piece of art made in response to ArtWorks International Exhibition.
UK Ghost Story Festival, 6th - 8th February 2026 - An exciting range of genre talent for a blend of writing workshops, talks and interviews exploring the spooky and the supernatural!
... and more!
Endless Love Creative UK Makers Market, 7th February 2026 - A celebration of independent art, craft and design, featuring botanicals, ceramics, clothing, homeware, jewelry, knitwear, stationary, textiles and print.
Andro & Eve's Drag King Workshop Weekend, 7th - 8th February - These workshops will guide you through the art of mansformation, supporting you to find your voice and aesthetic, and exploring movement and performance skills.
Sensoria Festival feedback sessions, 10th - 11th February 2026 - Whether you've attended before or not, this is a chance to feedback on their ideas for the festival. Please contact them with the subject 'Sensoria Panel'.
Jigsaw Linocut Valentine's Workshop, 14th February 2026 - A one day workshop at Carousel Print Studio, Suitable for complete beginners or for those who have done linocut printing before and would like to try something new.
February Half-Term at the National Videogame Museum, 14th - 22nd February 2026 - In the heart of Sheffield lies the UK’s only museum dedicated to videogames, where the past, present, and future of gaming come alive.
Come and Sing with the Philharmonic Chorus, 21st March 2026 - Visitors are invited to join Sheffield's Philharmonic Chorus in a day’s workshop featuring Vivaldi’s marvellous Gloria and Haydn’s equally wonderful Te Deum.
Sewing Classes in Sheffield City Centre, March 2026 - Looking to learn a new craft? Ed’s Workshop in Sheffield City Centre offers friendly, small-group sewing classes for beginners and beyond.
 ArtWorks Together Festival 2026, Credit Adam Gallworthy
Sharing your event
Make use of local marketing tools to get your event out there! Check out the 'Promoting your work' section on our website for support.
You can also mail in your images to be platformed on our channels to show off your event or creative work.
What else is on?
The above isn't even a fraction of what is happening right now in Sheffield.
You can check out Welcome to Sheffield for comprehensive events listings, as well as Our Favourite Places who have just released a fantastic Sheffield Festivals Guide.
A new website for arts and culture
Incase you missed it... Introducing our new website for sector support. The site will platform resources for artists, local cultural networks, our team's events and much more. Check out some useful pages below:
- Cultural events support at Sheffield City Council
- Support for artists and freelancers
- Support for cultural organisations
 Crown of Blood rehearsals at Utopia Theatre, Credit Anthony Robling
Culture Sheffield events
Below we've given a quick rundown of what's coming up at Culture Sheffield. All our events are absolutely free! If you want more details about our current opportunities and training then head over to our website.
Join us at The National Video Game Museum this spring to meet other creatives, freelancers and culture sector workers.
There’ll be plenty of open networking time, plus a space for call-outs where you can share opportunities, events and ideas with the room.
If you've never been before then you can check out what we got up to last time. More details about performances/activities TBC!
Free workshops for creative freelancers
Building Sustainable Creative Careers Tickets, 3rd February 2026 - How do you build a practice that nourishes you personally, professionally and financially? Come and explore resilience and wellbeing in the creative industries.
From Idea to Event, 25th February 2026 - Great events don't just happen. This workshop gives you the inside track on turning creative ideas into smooth, professional events.
Creative Connections: Networking for Creative Freelancers, 18th March 2026 - Come meet other freelancers in Sheffield. You’ll learn simple ways to connect with others start conversations without feeling awkward or 'salesy'. The session is introvert-friendly and neurodivergent-aware, with no forced small talk.
Our other events
Disability Awareness Training, 20th February 2026 - We are partnering with Quiplash to deliver a beginner-friendly session on disability politics, disability justice and ways to create meaningful access.
Creative Futures Leadership Development Day, 26th February 2026 - Are you a mid-career leader in Sheffield’s creative and cultural sector? Come sharpen your leadership skills, expand your network and plan your next steps.
Culture, Climate & the Power of Imagination, 27th February 2026 - A creative workshop exploring how culture and imagination can inspire hopeful, optimistic responses to the climate emergency.
Alcohol and Drug Awareness Training for Music Venues, 12th March 2026 - Basic drug and alcohol awareness, best practice around spiking and spiking prevention and safeword schemes.
Other opportunities
There's loads more training and networking available right now across South Yorkshire, as well as some great artist commissions and creative job vacancies.
Check out our previous 'opportunities only' bulletin which was stacked with some incredible chances for professional development, and we'll catch you in February for more of the same!
Call-outs and local news
Do you have a call-out or a story that doesn't quite fit under 'event', 'vacancy' or 'commission'? Maybe you're looking for studio space, advertising your creative services, looking for crowdfunding support, or simply celebrating your work.
Send it in and we'll feature it!
Nominate Sheffield's Intangible Cultural Heritage... - From sword-dancing to Hendos, we are calling on Sheffielders to put local traditions on the national map. Submit your nomination to UNESCO via the above link.
AND Festival returns for 2026 - AND Festival, the UK’s only nomadic festival of art, technology and digital culture, returns for its landmark 10th edition in Barnsley in September.
From Sheffield to the BAFTAs - DocFest absolutely delighted to celebrate five outstanding films that have now been recognised on the BAFTA Documentary longlist.
ArtWorks Together Festival - They're underway! Check out their series of exhibitions, events and artworks showcasing adult artists who have a learning disability, are autistic or both. Find out more on their website.
 Hidden Track at the Beaten Track, Campo Lane
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