All Event Listings
So much happens in Sheffield every week! This is our comprehensive event listing page for every single event that gets submitted to our website, from small workshops and community events to international sporting fixtures and citywide festivals.
So if you're looking for something specific, please use the filter tags and date search below, to narrow the event listings for what you'd really like to see/find. Alternatively, visit our What's On page for seasonal highlights and roundups of the bigger events happening in Sheffield.
All Events in Sheffield
HomeGrown Festival Stocksbridge
A two week festival of the arts in Stocksbridge, north Sheffield
Sensoria 2024
A celebration of a city and its music, film, art and electronica, Sensoria festival's 17th edition will once again bring live events and exhibitions to iconic venues across Sheffield, 3 - 6 October.
Black History Month 2024 Film Festival
In celebration of Black History Month 2024, Showroom Cinema celebrates the strength, creativity, and resilience of the Black and POC community.
The Unfinished Harauld Hughes: Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade is a BAFTA-winning actor, director and writer. The gifted filmmaker chances upon a copy of The Two-Hander Trilogy by Harauld Hughes in a second-hand bookshop.
Off The Shelf Festival of Words 2024
Sheffield's annual festival celebrating books, words and ideas, is one of the UK’s largest literary festivals. Taking place 7 October - 3 November, the festival will be bringing some of the biggest names in literary talent, media and the arts to South Yorkshire.
Asako Yuzuki – Butter
Butter is the cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook turned serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Morgan Talty – Fire Exit
Join Morgan Talty as he talks about his debut novel, Fire Exit – a deeply layered story of family and bloodlines, culture and inheritance and what, if anything, we owe one another. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Slambarz Reloaded
Slambarz is back and reloading for what promises to be their biggest show to date!
Flourish Festival
A World Mental Health Day Celebration Gig.
Haywire: A Political History of Britain since 2000 – Andrew Hindmoor
Haywire is the first history to tell the story of Britain and its political fortunes since the start of the Millennium. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum – Daniel Tammet
Nine Minds delves into the unique lived experience of nine neurodivergent people from around the globe. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Novel Slam
Novel Slam is the legendary event where aspiring novelists pitch their novels to a supportive audience and trusty judges. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
The Impossibility of Words: A Linguist’s Cure for Writer’s Block
What makes words impossible? To the blocked writer, words can be an elusive currency, stubbornly refusing to flow. For linguists, words present a different challenge—how to define them. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Trailblazer: The First Feminist to Change Our World
This illustrated talk by historian Jane Robinson celebrates the charismatic founder of the first university college for women, the first women’s suffrage society and the campaign to allow women to keep their own property after marriage. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
No Bounds 2024
No Bounds is thrilled to announce their 7th edition this year to be held across 11 venues in the heart of Sheffield & Rotherham, 11 - 13 October.
A Mudlarking Year – Lara Maiklem
For over two decades, Lara Maiklem has scoured the banks of the Thames to find objects – lost or discarded – that tell the greatest stories. She became a bestselling author with her debut Mudlarking. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Belle
Part 2 of a film double bill and showing as part of Black History Month 2024 - Intergenerational Fusion: Empowering Black Minds.
Black Women Writers – Dorothy Koomson and Kit de Waal
Bestselling authors Dorothy Koomson and Kit de Waal discuss their paths to publication, what it was like being Black women writers when they began their careers, what it’s like now, and advice for new writers.
Dead Cat Bounce performance
An experimental opera imagining parallel realities of environmental and financial catastrophes across time and space by Gary Zhexi Zhang and Waste Paper Opera.
Developing as a Poet: Poetry Workshop With Joey Connolly
How can poets move from the notebook to the printed page? The gap can seem daunting, but there are established routes and elements of craft, editing and motivation to help get there.
Introduction to Translating Poetry - Mymona Bibi and Ibrahim Hirsi
How would you translate a poem? Join translator Ibrahim Hirsi and poet-translator Mymona Bibi for a unique poetry translation workshop that faces this impossible question.
Muslims Don’t Matter – Sayeeda Warsi
Three grandfathers killed on the streets of England in three separate incidents by three different men. Each victim targeted simply for being Muslim. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Not Just for the Boys Why We Need More Women in Science – Professor Athene Donald
Times have changed since women were barred from laboratories and unable to take science degrees. But have they changed enough for women in science? Despite making great strides, especially in biomedical sciences, numbers of women studying physics and engineering remain small and the caricature of the scientist as a man in a white coat dominates.
Playing Away
Part 1 of a film double bill and showing as part of Black History Month 2024 - Intergenerational Fusion: Empowering Black Minds.
Radical Hibernation: A Nature Writing Workshop
Join nature writer and founder of Peaks of Colour Evie Muir for an autumnal nature writing workshop asking what do our collective bodies need as the seasons change? This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Stowaway: The Disreputable Exploits of the Rat
A cultural and social history of the rat, examining how one creature achieved total world domination and has inspired such love and loathing, fear and fascination. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability - Led by Donkeys
In 2019 four friends started pasting up guerrilla billboards of the leading Brexiters’ historic tweets. With its social media following exploding, Led By Donkeys became a phenomenon. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Backbone of the Nation – Robert Gildea
In this powerful history of the Great Strike of 1984-85, Robert Gildea interviewed miners and their families, including those in Yorkshire, uncovering stories of survival, solidarity and redemption. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Born on Sunday Silent – Désirée Reynolds and Maisha Wester - And screening of film directed by Eelyn Lee
Born on Sunday Silent is a new Black British Gothic Horror short film based on the true story of Kai Akosua Mansah who is buried in Sheffield General Cemetery.
Code-Dependent : Living in the Shadow of AI – Madhumita Murgia
AI is already changing what it means to be human in ways small and large. In Code-Dependent , (shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction), Madhumita Murgia shows how automated systems are reshaping lives worldwide. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Infinite Life – Jules Howard
If you think of an egg, what do you see in your mind’s eye? A chicken egg, hard-boiled? A slimy mass of frogspawn? A human egg cell or the majestic marble-blue eggs of the blackbird? This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Lord of the Flies Graphic Novel
Published in 1954, William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies has been at the heart of British literature ever since. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Words Rewritten: Variations of Pride and Prejudice across Media and Languages
This hands-on workshop invites you to discover how Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been consistently adapted and reworked to remain culturally significant.
Mind: You’re Language
Mind: You’re Language explores the language of mental health and how this has changed from the establishment of Sheffield’s Middlewood Hospital in 1872 to the current day. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Munichs – David Peace
From the author of The Damned Utd an extraordinary novel about Britain, sport and our collective past. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Poetry Showcase Suzannah Evans, Steve Ely and Alan Payne
Three acclaimed poets based in Yorkshire read from their new collections.
The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside? - Guy Shrubsole
Just 1% of the population own half of England. Of this tiny landowning elite a small number of landowners have laid waste to some of our treasured landscapes, leaving forests bare, rivers polluted and moorlands burned.
The Wheel is Spinning but the Hamster is Dead - Adam Sharp
Join wordsmith Adam Sharp for a show blending stand-up and excerpts from latest book as he journeys around the world in idioms, proverbs and general nonsense.
Hidden Figures – Stalls and Music Energisers
Drop your pens, switch off your phones and call into the Winter Garden to immerse yourself in energising music. Each day will feature live performers and recorded music from Gospel and Ska to Reggae and Jazz to leave everyone feeling energised.
The Real McCoy Exhibition (An Introduction to Black Inventors)
Did you know that the three light traffic signal and the spark plug were created by Black inventors? Probably not!
From Nigeria to Sheffield – Films by Joshua Adejuyigbe
Join Off the Shelf for a screening of short films directed by Joshua Adejuyigbe. Joshua is the founder of HireyNet Studios, a film production company established in 2021 to nurture creative talent in Nigeria.
Laura Wittner – Translation of the Route
Translation of the Route is the first collection by award-winning Argentine poet Laura Wittner to be available in English translation. In poems that are precise, frank and finely tuned, Wittner explores the specificities of daily life.
Reminiscing – Our Journey in Education and the NHS – Laura Serrant & Maxine Blake
Join Off the Shelf for an evening with two inspirational women who will talk about their extensive work in teaching and the NHS.
Talking West African Cooking with Stella Kisob Knowles
Cooks are born, Chefs are made and Stella Kisob Knowles is a great cook. Stella specialises in cooking with traditional Cameroon spices, flavours and ingredients.
The Art of Recycling: Teatime at Peggy’s – Clare Jenkins
Clare Jenkins, journalist and frequent visitor to India, discusses the challenges of revisiting and revising material for a different medium.
The Start of Something – Holly Williams and The Orange Room – Rosie Price
A lover. A bartender. A husband. An artist. A student. A poet. A sex worker. A welder. A drag queen. A mother. As the sun sets over the city streets, ten ordinary lives collide with extraordinary consequences.
We are the Monument: Decolonising Public Spaces
We are the Monument is an exhibition at the Graves Art Gallery. In this event artist Yuen Fong Ling and graphic designer Jon Cannon will discuss the visual impact and use of text in public monuments to decolonise public spaces.
Steel City Beer and Cider Festival 2024
The annual beer and cider festival hosted by the Campaign for Real Ale in Sheffield, offers a massive selection of the best beer, cider and perry, plus live music and street food. They'll be back at Kelham Island Museum again 16 - 19 October.
Audience Becomes Author: Narrative and Agency in Games and Interactive Stories
What if we could persuade Romeo not to take the poison? Or what if he ended up underneath the wrong window in the first place? How can we write compelling stories when the reader can affect the outcome?
Ethel – Helen Mort
Pioneer, activist, environmentalist, poet. Ethel Haythornthwaite is virtually unknown, even in her hometown of Sheffield – the UK’s outdoor city. Yet her tireless campaigning led to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
Frank & Red – Matt Coyne In Conversation with Hannah Sackville-Bryant
Frank and Red are a mess. Frank is a reclusive, grumpy old curmudgeon whose only company is the ‘ghost’ of his dead wife. Red is six, smart, never stops talking. He is struggling with the separation of his mum and dad, a new school and a bully. Their unlikely friendship will change both of their lives forever.
The Bookshop, the Draper, The Candlestick Maker – Annie Gray
Historian Annie Gray walks us through the ages from the dawn of the medieval high street to today. Bustling with vivid historical detail Annie’s new book explores everything from apothecaries to penny bazaars, bringing to life the sights, smells and sounds of the past.
Where We Come From: Aniefiok Ekpoudom
Vivid and compassionate, Where We Come From offers a rich chronicle of rap, identity, place and, above all, the social and human condition in modern Britain.
A Life in Music – McNige
Historian Annie Gray walks us through the ages from the dawn of the medieval high street to today. Bustling with vivid historical detail Annie’s new book explores everything from apothecaries to penny bazaars, bringing to life the sights, smells and sounds of the past.
Bigger on the Inside – Kate Fox
Kate Fox once thought receiving a positive diagnosis for autism had as much chance of happening as a female Doctor Who. This funny and smart stand-up spoken word show looks at neurodiversity through the theme of Doctor Who.
Conor Rogers - In conversation with Sian Brown
Conor Rogers is a multi award-winning Sheffield-based artist and the creator of Off the Shelf’s brochure cover. He has exhibited work nationally and internationally most recently for the National Portrait Gallery. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
From Nigeria to Sheffield – Films by Joshua Adejuyigbe
Join us for a screening of short films directed by Joshua Adejuyigbe. Joshua is the founder of HireyNet Studios, a film production company established in 2021 to nurture creative talent in Nigeria.
Polylingual Open Mic - Hosted by Danaé Wellington
Come along for a unique, friendly open mic that celebrates the UK’s rich linguistic diversity. Hosted by Sheffield’s Poet Laureate Danaé Wellington.
The Principle of Moments – Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson and The Map That Led to You – Ella McLeod
Genre-defying SFF: Two Authors Breaking the Mould of Fantasy Fiction - Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson (The Principle of Moments) and Ella McLeod (The Map that Led to You).
Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN still leads the world in the search to uncover what the universe is made of, how it was formed, and what fate may lie in store for it. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Little Englanders: Britain in the Edwardian Era – Alwyn Turner
In this illustrated talk, Alwyn Turner reconsiders the Edwardian era as a time of profound social change with the rise of women’s suffrage and the labour movement, unrest in Ireland and the Boer republics, scandals in parliament and culture wars at home. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
On Writing and Perspective – Sarah Marsh and Viktoria Lloyd Barlow In conversation with Rachel Genn
Authors Sarah Marsh and Viktoria Lloyd Barlow talk about being deaf and neurodivergent writers respectively, their approach to bringing their own life experiences into their work, why it’s important to them and their advice to future writers.
The Last King of Scotland (Ugandan Independence Celebration)
Showing as part of Black History Month 2024 - Intergenerational Fusion: Empowering Black Minds.
The Yorkshire Chocolate Festival
Live music, workshops and more than 60 stalls featuring all things chocolate will once again make the event a chocolate lover’s paradise, bringing together some of the county’s best bakers, crafters, chocolatiers and makers!
Weathering – Ruth Allen
An evocative exploration of the lessons the earth can teach us about grounding, resilience and recovery, from a geologist turned pioneering psychotherapist. Rocks and mountains have withstood aeons of life on our planet.
Women in Victorian Society - Anne Louise Booth
A compelling and illuminating portrait of the life of women in Victorian society. Women in 19th century Britain may appear governed by a patriarchal model that reserved power and privilege for men, but they challenged not only the ideas of ‘separate spheres of society’, but the influence of Queen Victoria herself.
Writing Memoir Workshop With Miranda Doyle
You know you have a great life story, but how to tell it? Unlike writers of fiction starting with a blank canvas, for those writing life art may feel more like sculpture. This workshop will explore how to carve form and story from a chaotic, unwieldy lived life.
A Bookshop of One’s Own – Jane Cholmeley
Silver Moon was a bookshop with the mission to promote the work of female writers and create a much-needed safe space for any woman. Founded in 1980s London against a backdrop of homophobia and misogyny, it was a testament to the power of community, growing into Europe’s biggest women’s bookshop.
I’m Not Your Mother – Helen Rice and Uncommon Labels – Fiona Hutchings
Step or ‘blended’ families are the fastest-growing family type in the UK, with an estimated one in three families now fitting this description. Yet throughout history and across cultures, from fairy tales to Fleabag, the stepmother is rarely portrayed positively.
Rory Waterman & Hive New Poets Prize Winners
Over the last 8 years, Hive Young Writers Network has nurtured many fine emerging South Yorkshire poets including an incredible 8 winners of the International New Poets Prize for writers aged 17 to 24.
The Spoiled Heart – Sunjeev Sahota
From the twice Booker-nominated author of The Year of the Runaways and China Room Sunjeev Sahota’s new book The Spoiled Heart is a magnificent and multi-layered account of love, community and politics.
Weirdo – Sara Pascoe
Sara Pascoe’s acclaimed debut novel, Weirdo, follows feverishly anxious Sophie as she tries to suppress her inner monologue, act like a normal person and get the guy she wants.
Writing Tight and Writing True in Poetry
Join prize winning poet Rory Waterman to explore how to write short poems that get stuck in people’s heads and how to approach or create the emotional ‘truth’ of a poem. Expect a relaxed and supportive day of discussing and responding to an exciting range of poems and writing exercises.
An Evening with Johnny Nelson in conversation with David Campbell
Hear a true Sheffield sporting legend talk about his fascinating and inspirational life and career.
Dylan Thomas and Popular Culture
Although it is seventy years since Under Milk Wood made its first appearance¸ the work of Dylan Thomas remains culturally significant.
Empires of Gold: The Rise and Legacy of Africa’s Empires – Simon Jones
Simon, born and raised in Sheffield, has lived here for over 40 years. His father arrived from the Caribbean in 1955 as part of the Windrush Generation. Simon is passionate about African history, ancestry, and family heritage.
Shoulder to Shoulder – Jake Hall
This is a love letter to the pioneers of solidarity and coalition. A new global look at those bold moments where marginalised voices came together to say ‘enough is enough’. Through astounding research and fascinating storytelling, Shoulder to Shoulder, transports us through time and into the world of these trailblazers.
Woman Up: The Progress and Potential of Women’s Football
From well attended matches in the late nineteenth century to an outright ban from 1921, women’s football in England has had a bumpy ride. Now the profile of the game and its stars has never been higher.
You Are Here – David Nicholls
You Are Here is the story of two lonely people finding love walking across the Lakes, Dales and North Yorkshire Moors, told with the characteristic warmth, wit and insight from this master craftsman of writing.
Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood – Hettie Judah
Acts of Creation delves into the joys and heartaches, mess, myths and mishaps of motherhood from ancient goddess artefacts to contemporary interpretations of pregnancy in the present.
Coal – Sarah Wimbush, Ian Parks, Ann Sansom, Peter Sansom
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, The Poetry Business worked with poet Sarah Wimbush, author of STRIKE and the National Coal Mining Museum for England.
Curtain Call to Murder – Julian Clary
Join Julian Clary as he talks about his latest book, Curtain Call to Murder, a hilarious, fiendishly plotted murder mystery.
Newborn: Running Away, Breaking with the Past, Building a New Family – Kerry Hudson
Award winning writer Kerry Hudson navigates trying to build a nourishing, safe and loving family – without a blueprint to work from. She asks what next, after a childhood like hers?
Somali Poetry Showcase
Catastrophe/Galiilyo by Weedhsame is a poem of anguish about the displacement of the Somali people, western Europe’s response to the refugee crisis and a message of hope to refugees.
The Art of Writing Women’s History in Fiction
Women in history were often sidelined, forgotten, hidden. So how do we tell their stories with accuracy, bringing them to life in an engaging way for readers today?
Jackie Kay – May Day
One of our best-loved poets and former Makar of Scotland, Jackie Kay reads from new collection May Day.
Melancholy Undercover: The Book of ABBA
In the history of pop culture and music there has never been a group like ABBA. Since interviewing the four members of ABBA in 2013 – at a time when the band had not been interviewed for 30 years – a relationship was sparked and music journalist Jan Gradvall was granted unique access for the next decade.
Sleeping Dogs – Russ Thomas and The Grief Doctor – Jack Anderson
Sleeping Dogs is the latest in the DS Adam Tyler series from bestselling author Russ Thomas. An anonymous tip about the disappearance of a woman sets in motion a dangerous chain of events that has Tyler fighting for his life.
Sounds Around Write with Jay Mitra and Silé Sibanda
Sounds About Write’s open mic with guest performers. Silé Sibanda is a locally based spoken word performer, poet, BBC Radio presenter and creative producer for Storytrails – the untold stories of Sheffield people.
Celluloid Screams 2024
Sheffield's annual Horror Film Festival, celebrating the best in classic and contemporary horror cinema! Celluloid Screams will host another weekend of big screen scares at the Showroom Cinema 24 - 27 October.
Harold Wilson – Alan Johnson
Join former politician and bestselling author Alan Johnson to take an in depth, new look at the life and premierships of Harold Wilson. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Heart, Be At Peace – Donal Ryan and Whale Fall – Elizabeth O’Connor
Donal Ryan is an award winning author from County Tipperary. Set in rural Ireland, Heart, Be At Peace is told in twenty-one voices. With Donal’s trademark understanding of what it is to be human this is a stunning lyrical novel from a consistently brilliant Irish writer.
Ten Times Calmer – Dr Kirren Schnack
Dr Kirren has extensive professional experience as a Clinical Psychologist and more than half a million followers on TikTok. Her book Ten Times Calmer is packed full of practical advice and support for dealing with everyday stressors and long-term anxieties
Tomi Oyemakinde, Benjamin Dean and Helen Comerford In conversation with Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
Thrillers, Mystery, and Romance: Three rising stars of Young Adult fiction talk about their work with author Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson.
Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places – Paul Collier
Left behind places are found in prosperous countries – from South Yorkshire, integral to the industrial revolution and now England’s poorest county, to Barranquilla in Columbia. This event is part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words.
Pity – Andrew McMillan In Conversation with Auriel Majumdar
The acclaimed debut novel from award-winning poet Andrew McMillan exploring community, masculinity and post-industrialisation in Northern England. The town was once a hub of industry. A place where men toiled underground in darkness, picking and shovelling in the dust and the sleck.
Speed Date a Publisher
Book a 15-minute informal chat with an industry professional from Headline Publishing Group, a division of Hachette UK and pick their brains about the publishing industry.
The Life Cycle of a Book
Thinking of working in publishing? Want to know how a book gets published? Then come to Headline’s panel event! Representatives from editorial, production, publicity and marketing teams will show the life cycle of a book – from how a book gets acquired, to what an editor does and how to create a successful PR campaign.
Why We Came – Reverend Claris and Community Elders
Over 75 years ago the Empire Windrush brought people seeking new opportunities from the Caribbean to the UK. These passengers answered the call to fill post-war labour shortages in the UK and helped forge Britain’s future.
Writing on the Wall – Graffiti, Rebellion and the Making of Eighteenth-Century Britain
What if walls could talk? Writing on the Wall is told through the marks its citizens left behind revealing lost voices from the highest to the lowest in society – political prisoners, sex workers, homesick sailors, Romantic poets and the artisans of the industrial revolution.
Writing the World Around You – Fiction Writing With Preti Taneja
Nothing is uninteresting to writers. The most mundane object or banal day can be made into exciting material. Using a mix of exercises, individual participation, group work and feedback the session will help you find your voice, unlock writing motivations and untangle knots in your stories.
Out of this World 2024
Taking place across numerous outdoor locations in Sheffield City Centre on Sunday 27 October, this FREE to attend event is for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, comic books, gaming, magic, illusion, Halloween and all things spooky.
Young Writers’ Open Mic
If you write poems, tell stories, compose lyrics, spit bars, or have anything to say out loud to a supportive audience, this is an evening to celebrate your words in a warm, inclusive atmosphere.
Illuminate The Gardens 2024
Illuminate the Gardens is a fireworks and lighting extravaganza that takes place over several nights at Sheffield's stunning Botanical Gardens, around the weekend of Bonfire Night. This years event will be 1- 3 November.
Black History for Every Day of the Year – David Olusoga and Yinka Olusoga In conversation with Professor Hugo Dobson
A unique and vital celebration of Black history, sweeping across the world from ancient times to the modern day with David Olusoga and Yinka Olusoga.
Home & Away: Somali Poetry from Britain and Somaliland
Poetry has been a vital way of preserving Somali history, culture and identity. But a new generation of Somali diaspora poets is choosing to write in the languages of where they live.
Japan Fest
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Japan at Japan Fest, hosted by Otaku World! Join them on November 16th for a full day of Japanese-inspired activities and experiences.
Tramlines 2025
Sheffield’s biggest party! Tramlines returns to Hillsborough Park 25 - 27 July for their 17th edition.
Powerlines Festival 2025
Powerlines festival is one of the UK’s newest Independent Metal festivals, an exciting addition to the Yorkshire the heavy metal calendar.
