Music in Sheffield

A Grade II listed building opened in 1932, Sheffield City Hall was redeveloped in 2005 and is now one of Yorkshire’s leading events and entertainment hubs.

Be it big-name comedians, ballroom dancing, touring orchestras or live bands, there’s something on at Sheffield City Hall every weekend, and more often than not, every night of the week. The venue does particularly well with heritage acts like Chris Rea, Bananarama and Status Quo, while TV comics like Ross Noble, David Baddiel and Russell Brand have all sold out shows in recent times.

Located in the heart of the city centre, City Hall has excellent transport links. There is no on-site parking, but there are plenty of nearby multi-storey car parks – follow signs for City Hall Parking, or head for Rockingham Street Q Park where you can park for the discounted rate if you book online or collect a parking voucher from the Box Office. There is a Supertram park and ride scheme which runs every 10 minutes between 6pm and 11.30pm, and City Hall is a 10-minute walk from the train station and main Supertram interchange. City Hall has its own tram stop on both the Yellow and Blue routes. Our Angel Street hotel is perfectly placed for your City Hall adventures, located just 10 minutes’ walk away.

As you’d expect from a city centre attraction, there’s no shortage of restaurants and bars within stumbling distance of City Hall. Prime among them is The Botanist, a cocktail bar with a live pianist, dedicated gin bar and some excellent food (try the pork belly kebab). With a mix of tapas dishes and live jazz on the weekends, Trippets Lounge Bar is just around the corner from City Hall and offers an excellent tasting plate menu and another impressive selection of gins. For something quicker – and cheaper – try Humpit, a simple hummus and falafel joint that’s healthy, quick and easy on the pocket.

There are plenty of chain bars and pubs within walking distance of City Hall including several Wetherspoons, but if you’re after something a bit more bespoke, try the Frog and Parrot, a quirky pub offering a good selection of beers, impressive burgers and an eclectic music policy. The other side of the block from City Hall, The Bessemer is a modern, spacious pub again offering an impressive mix of beer, wine and cocktails and a mixed up music policy that will please most. You can’t fail with an All Bar One, and with the Leopold Street branch just 100m from City Hall, it’d be rude not to pop in for a post-show pint or pre-gig burger.  

With over a dozen theatres spread across the city, Sheffield takes its stagecraft very seriously.

Just half a mile from our Angel Street hotel is the UK’s second largest theatre network. Here you’ll find Sheffield Theatres, a three-stage complex that includes The Crucible Theatre, the world-famous arena that hosts the World Snooker Championship every year alongside shows from comics, pantomimes and touring productions.

Reopened after a £12 million renovation in 1991, the stunning 1,068-seat Lyceum Theatre also falls under the Sheffield Theatres umbrella and has embraced a diverse range of programming, including ballet, opera, musicals and West End hits. A traditional arch theatre designed by WGR Sprague, it’s hosted stage versions of The Kite Runner, Legally Blonde, and My Fair Lady.

One of the smallest theatres with only 84 seats, the Lantern Theatre is also the oldest, having opened in 1893. It now houses small and mid-scale theatre, music and comedy, and has strong links with the local community and young performers.

Built in 1934 and originally designed as a lecture hall, Sheffield Library Theatre has developed into a theatre all-rounder, hosting everything from classical music, rock concerts, magic shows, stand-up comedy, pantomime, folk music and more.

Built on the site of The Roxy, itself a famous venue that hosted Kylie and The Human League in its heyday, the O2 Academy burst into life in 2008 and has welcomed The Prodigy, Elbow, The Black Keys and N*E*R*D through its doors since then. Similarly to the rest of the O2 Academy chains, its focus is on indie, alternative, dance music and pop acts, and comes with high-quality sound and lighting. The 2,350 capacity venue also hosts regular club nights, including guest shows from trance night Gatecrasher and drum and bass night Detonate. Based in the city centre, the O2 Academy is just a short walk from our City Centre Angel Street hotel.

The city’s longest-running live music club, The Leadmill is a certified Sheffield institution. Nearly 40 years old, it’s hosted a who’s who of the rock and pop world with acts as varied as Coldplay, Oasis, The Strokes, and Kings of Leon gracing its stage. Voted as the UK’s best music venue by music magazine NME, it’s now a multi-faceted club that has diversified its booking policy in line with increased competition, with stand-up comedy, tribute bands and themed club nights joining its programme. Despite that, The Leadmill is still the place to see up-and-coming acts before they make it into the bigger venues. And we’re perfectly placed to let you take in all the action, with our City Centre St Mary’s Gate hotel just a 10-minute walk from the venue, or 15 minutes if you’re still playing air guitar after the gig.