City centre events 2023
A selection of events that will attract visitors to the city centre along with some of the key dates you will want to have in your diary for the rest of 2023.
💡 Page last updated on Monday 2 October 2023 💡
To see events by month, click the month you're interested in, otherwise just scroll down to see what's coming up.
📅 October
📅 November
📅 December
For details of events and shows held at some of the city centre's most popular venues, please visit the respective venue website:
📍 Sheffield Cathedral
📍 Sheffield City Hall
📍 Sheffield Museums
📍 Sheffield Theatres
Sheffield International Market: Autumn 2023 🥘
📅 Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 October
📍 Taking place in the Peace Gardens and along Pinstone and Surrey Street.
⏳ Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday open 10am - 7pm
⏳ Sunday open 10am - 5pm
Further details here: Sheffield International Market: Autumn 2023 (welcometosheffield.co.uk)
SensoriaPro 2023 🎨
Part of Sensoria Festival, events at venues across the city between Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 October: The full programme of events can be seen here: Home - Sensoria
📅 Friday 6 October
SensoriaPro is a 'unique, informal gathering of composers, filmmakers, music publishers, music supervisors, games developers and festivals' brought together all under one roof to discuss 'the latest innovations in music and the moving image'. A 'must-attend event' with a stunning lineup of speakers, direct access to international buyers and informal, friendly networking.
Further information here: SensoriaPro 2023 - Sensoria
Sheffield Hallam University - Undergraduate Open Day 🧑🎓
📅 Sunday 8 October
📍 Sheffield Hallam University
Further details, including timings, on the Sheffield Hallam University website: Undergraduate open days | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk).
Off the Shelf 📚
📅 Friday 13 to Thursday 19 October
Celebrating books, words and ideas.
Off the Shelf Festival of Words is one of the UK's largest literary festivals, bringing the best in local, national and international literary talent to Sheffield.
Visit the official website for further information: Off The Shelf.
Bangers and Cash Art Trail - in support of Roundabout 🎨
📅 Saturday 14 to Sunday 29 October
Following the completion of the Bangers and Cash rally (14 to 18 September), bonnet artwork from participating vehicles will be on display across a variety of city centre venues.
Further information on the official event website: Bangers & Cash - The UKs first Art Roadshow (bangersandcash.co.uk) and on the official facebook event page: Bangers and Cash Art Trail | Facebook.
Quayside Market #16 🥙
📅 Saturday 14 October 2023
📍 Victoria Quays
Back with another incredible lineup of 'award-winning street food, small business stalls, live music, bars and more!'
Further information here: Home | Quayside Market | Sheffield.
Pollen 🌻
📅 Sunday 15 October
📍 Grey to Green, Castlegate
Sheffield's very own 'Inner-City Flower Market', a monthly celebration of all things botanical.
Held in the wonderful surroundings of Grey to Green in Castlegate, Pollen brings the biggest selection of botanicals into the city centre.
Featuring a wide range of home and garden plants, fresh and dried florals, locally produced crafts, award-winning street food and much, much more. Guaranteed to be a fun-filled, family day out 🌼
Further information here: Pollen. Inner-City Flower Market — Grey To Green, Sheffield (pollenmarket.co.uk).
Celluloid Screams 👻
📅 Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 October
Celluloid Screams, Sheffield's Horror Film Festival returns to the Showroom Cinema for its 15th Anniversary Edition.
For further information visit: Home | Celluloid Screams or view the full 2023 Festival programme here: FESTIVAL 2023 | Celluloid Screams.
Festival passes and tickets available from: Celluloid Screams 2023 - Showroom Workstation - Sheffield.
University of Sheffield - Undergraduate Open Day 🧑🎓
📅 Saturday 21 October
📍 University of Sheffield
Further details, including timings, on the University of Sheffield website: Open days | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield.
Handmade for Christmas 🎁
📅 Saturday 21 October to Sunday 24 December
Held at the Millennium Gallery, Handmade for Christmas is Sheffield Museums’ annual selling showcase celebrating the breadth of British contemporary craft.
The show, which focuses on selling high quality craft and design by talented designer-makers.
Full details on the Sheffield Museums website: Handmade for Christmas - Sheffield Museums Trust
Out of this World 🪐
📅 Sunday 22 October
Back for its 9th year, Out of this World is a FREE family event celebrating all things 'otherworldly'!
Taking place across numerous locations in Sheffield city centre, Out of this World is for anyone who enjoys 'sci-fi, comic books, gaming, magic, illusion, Halloween and all things spooky'.
For further information visit: Out of this World 2023 (welcometosheffield.co.uk).
Sheffield Hallam University - Undergraduate Open Day 🧑🎓
📅 Saturday 28 October
📍 Sheffield Hallam University
Further details, including timings, on the Sheffield Hallam University website: Undergraduate open days | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk).
Frank & Joy 🎨
📅 Saturday 4th to Sunday 19th November
Frank & Joy, the new exhibition from Pete McKee, celebrates 'one couple’s love for each other and the connection to their local'
For furher information visit: Frank & Joy (frankandjoy.co.uk)
Sheffield Christmas Markets 🎄
📅 Friday 17th November to Sunday 24th December
The Christmas Markets return for 2023!
Open 10am until 6pm Sunday to Thursday and 10am until 8pm on Friday and Saturday.
Further information available soon from: Sheffield Christmas Markets
Sheffield Cathedral Illuminated: Starlight ✨
📅 Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th December
Starlight will guide you on a journey following the three wise men.
Contemporary light and sound artwork will bring to life stained-glass windows and beautiful paintings, taking you to the heart of the Nativity story.
For furher information visit: Sheffield Cathedral Illuminated: Starlight — Sheffield Cathedral
Completed events in 2023
Sheffield Showcase 🎨
📅 Friday 1 to Sunday 3 September
Returning for its third annual event in 2023, Sheffield Showcase is a 'collaborative event from over a dozen arts and culture groups based in the city' showcasing 'the variety of cultural activity that takes place in the city'. Sheffield Showcase features 'film screenings, music performances, art exhibits, family-friendly workshops, and more'.
Venues in Sheffield city centre that are hosting events as part of the Sheffield Showcase include: The Leadmill, the National Videogame Museum, Orchard Square, Sheffield Central Library (featuring the Classical Sheffield pop-up concerts) and Sidney & Matilda.
Find further information on the Our Favourite Places website: Sheffield Showcase → Our Favourite Places – Sheffield Culture Guide (ourfaveplaces.co.uk).
Castlegate Festival 🏰
📅 Friday 8 to Sunday 17 September
The seventh edition of the Castlegate Festival, a 'celebration of the oldest part of the city of Sheffield', featuring heritage, arts and music at the Grey to Green project, Pollen and Quayside Markets.
The 2023 Festival programme also includes:
-
Sheffield Heritage Open Days, Thursday 14 and Sunday 17 September:
-
Thursday 14 September, 6pm-7:30pm: Tales of City Centre Music Halls
-
Sunday 17 September, 2:30pm-4:30pm: A look at Castlegate in Sheffield – A Guided Tour by the Victorian Society
-
-
Yorkshire Artspace’s annual Open Studios, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November 2023
-
Food, Films and Art at Kommune
-
Castlegate Cinema - Monday 11 to Sunday 17 September
-
Art Market - Sunday 10 September
-
Further information here: Castlegate Festival | Sheffield City Council together with the
Castlegate Festival is funded by Sheffield City Council, Sheffield BID and the City Ward Councillors through Central Local Assembly Committee (LAC).
Sheffield Heritage Open Days ⚔️
📅 Friday 8 to Sunday 17 September
10 days of 'Sheffield history, architecture and culture'.
The annual Heritage Open Days Festival is coordinated by Sheffield Civic Trust.
There are over 40 events being held in the city centre over the 10 days of this year's Sheffield Heritage Open Days, including:
- Cutlers' Hall - Saturday 9 September
- A Short History of Professional Theatre in Sheffield - Tuesday 12 September
- A look at Castlegate in Sheffield - a guided walk by The Victorian Society - Sunday 17 September
Further information on all this year's events can be found here: Sheffield Heritage Open Days (sheffieldhods.com) and a copy of the 2023 Sheffield Heritage Open Days programme is available here: (PDF format)
Sheffield Walking Festival 🥾
📅 Friday 8 to Sunday 17 September
Sheffield Walking Festival presents a wide range of enjoyable walks for a range of abilities, with plenty to see and discover along the way. The festival celebrates all sides of Sheffield with routes of varying lengths and themes.
City centre walks include:
-
Sheffield Old Town - Echoes of the Past (Friday 8 September) 🥾
Starts at Sheffield Cathedral - learn more about Sheffield’s fascinating industrial heritage. -
Sheffield: A Civilised Place (Saturday 9 September) SOLD OUT
Starts at Sheffield Cathedral - an easy-going two-mile city centre discovery trail exploring how engineering has developed the city of Sheffield. -
Sheffield Home of Football Walking Tour (Sunday 10 September) SOLD OUT
Starts at the Crucible Theatre - explore some of the highlights of Sheffield’s unique football heritage on this guided tour, including the world’s two oldest clubs, Sheffield FC (1857) and Hallam FC (1860); the founding of SWFC and SUFC, Bramall Lane and Yorkshire Cricket Club. -
In search of the hidden Porter Brook (Monday 11 September) SOLD OUT
Starts at Sheffield Train Station - follow the emerging Porter Brook Trail from the hidden confluence with the River Sheaf on Platform 5 of the Sheffield Station. -
A short history of professional theatre in Sheffield (Tuesday 12 September) SOLD OUT
Starts at the Lyceum Theatre - a city centre walk, visiting the sites of Sheffield's theatrical history, including surviving venues, as well as the buildings of former theatres and concert halls. -
Sheffield Old Town - Echoes of the Past (Thursday 12 September) SOLD OUT
Starts at Sheffield Cathedral. This historic walk will take you down to the Sheffield Canal (Victoria Quays), along the River Don and onto West Bar before returning via Paradise Square. -
Tales of city centre Music Halls (Thursday 14 September) 🥾
Starts at the Lyceum Theatre - a walk round the West Bar area - the Shaftesbury Avenue of Sheffield, visiting the sites of long-gone Music Halls, circuses and singing rooms (pubs). -
Sheffield's Waterfront: past, present and future (Saturday 16 September - 12pm) 🥾
Starts at Victoria Quays. A tour of Castlegate’s canal basin - once the city’s bustling centre of work and play. - Sheffield Castle: site history and the future (Sunday 17 September - 12pm) 🥾
- Starts at the Castlegate Sheaf & Porter Trust stall at Pollen market. As work starts on recovering the hidden Sheaf and castle remains, this tour around the site focuses on the rich, hidden and quirky history of Sheffield’s Old Town.
-
Sheffield Castle: site history and the future (Sunday 17 September - 3pm) 🥾
Starts at the Castlegate Sheaf & Porter Trust stall at Pollen market. As work starts on recovering the hidden Sheaf and castle remains, this tour around the site focuses on the rich, hidden and quirky history of Sheffield’s Old Town.
Further information here: Sheffield Walking Festival (welcometosheffield.co.uk)
Wish You Were Here 📸
📅 Friday 8 to Friday 22 September
The Archer Project is proud to present 'Wish You Were Here', a photography exhibition exploring the 'unseen realities of rough sleeping'.
The exhibition is a powerful narrative of the lives and experiences of individuals who have found themselves homeless or vulnerably housed. People who have experienced rough sleeping have collaborated with The Archer Project, to share their stories through this remarkable collection of photographs and personal accounts.
Further information on the exhibition here: Wish You Were Here - Exhibition | Cathedral Archer Project
University of Sheffield - Undergraduate Open Day 🧑🎓
📅 Saturday 9 September
📍 University of Sheffield
Further details, including timings, on the University of Sheffield website: Open days | Undergraduate study | The University of Sheffield.
Quayside Market #15 🥙
📅 Saturday 9 September 2023
📍 Victoria Quays
Back with another incredible lineup of 'award-winning street food, small business stalls, live music, bars and more!'
Further information here: Home | Quayside Market | Sheffield.
Quayside Market is part of the Castlegate Festival 2023.
Craft & Flea 🧵
📅 Saturday 16 September
📍 Sheffield Cathedral
Filling Sheffield Cathedral inside and out with the best of the city's local produce and makers.
Pollen 🌻
📅 Sunday 17 September
📍 Grey to Green, Castlegate
Sheffield's very own 'Inner-City Flower Market', a monthly celebration of all things botanical.
Held in the wonderful surroundings of Grey to Green in Castlegate, Pollen brings the biggest selection of botanicals into the city centre.
Featuring a wide range of home and garden plants, fresh and dried florals, locally produced crafts, award-winning street food and much, much more. Guaranteed to be a fun-filled, family day out 🌼
Further information here: Pollen. Inner-City Flower Market — Grey To Green, Sheffield (pollenmarket.co.uk).
Pollen is part of the Castlegate Festival 2023.
Float Along Festival 2023 🌊
📅 Saturday 23 September
Making a welcome return, the Float Along Festival returns this September to deliver a diverse mix of post-punk, psychedelic rock, indie and alternative music.
The festival will once again be hosted across a number of city centre venues including: Corporation, The Leadmill and Sidney & Matilda.
Further information on the official event website: Float Along 🌊
Sheffield 10k 🎽
📅 Sunday 24 September
Starting and ending on Arundel Gate, the Run for All Sheffield 10k returns this September. Thousands of runners took part in 2022, joined by their friends and family, and it’s guaranteed to be bigger and better in 2023.
Further information can be found on the official event website: Sheffield 10K - 24th Sept 2023 | Run For All | Run For All, including a list of roads impacted by the event. You can also see an interactive map showing all roads impacted by the event on Google Maps.
For public transport information, including affected services, visit: Disruptions and service updates - Travel South Yorkshire.
Run for All have also produced this very handy race guide: sheffield_race-guide-10k.pdf (runforall.com).
Orchard Square Makers Market 🧵
📅 Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September
This popular Market will 'showcase a new line-up of creative talent and products from across the region, to include artwork, clothing, jewellery, accessories and plants. Participating stall holders include:
- BySash – resin and jesmonite items plus personalised items
- Dawn Ireland – textile art
- Designs by Fern – handmade polymer clay earrings and accessories
- Earth Paper Fibre (Saturday only) – handmade porcelain jewellery and products plus greeting cards
- Fields Flowers Plants – plants and flowers
- Fran Rawlings Art – artwork
- HollyBrightArt – impressionistic artist
- Lily Rose & Me (Friday only) – children’s clothing
- Marys House Designs – art, cards and gifts
- MickRick (Saturday only) – artwork
- Miroo – jewellery
- Olive & Honey Bakery – specialists in baked confectionary and savoury products
- Pot Luck – pot maker
- Tillie Rose Studio – design and prints.
Keep a look out for more details on Orchard Square's social media channels: Orchard Square (@OrchardSquare) / X (twitter.com) and Orchard Square, Sheffield (@orchardsquare) • Instagram photos and videos.
Yorkshire Integration Festival 🤝
📅 Saturday 30 September
📍 Peace Gardens and Winter Garden
This free, family-friendly event is a celebration of the positive impact made by migrants and refugees in Yorkshire and Humber, showcasing the diverse range of cultures and customs that make our region a special place to live.
For further information visit: Yorkshire Integration Festival 2023 | Migration Yorkshire
Sheffield by the Seaside ⛱️
📅 Daily until Tuesday 29 August
📍 Peace Gardens
It's time to grab your buckets and spades as a bit of the seaside returns to the Peace Gardens just in time for summer 🌞
Open daily between 10am and 6pm, Sheffield by the Seaside brings a mix of fairground rides, games, a giant sandpit, special character visits (every Wednesday) and lots. lots more!
Further information on the Welcome to Sheffield website: Sheffield by the Seaside (welcometosheffield.co.uk)
SoundBite Market 🥘
📅 Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August
📍 Sheffield Train Station
A new event for 2023, a celebration of Sheffield’s food and music - showcasing incredible independent vendors and artists' on the concourse of the train station 🚂
Two days of 'award winning street food, local beers, family friendly entertainment and live performances from some of the city’s finest talent'.
Further information on the event's official Facebook page.
Quayside Market #14 🥙
📅 Saturday 12 August 2023
📍 Victoria Quays
Back with another incredible lineup of 'award-winning street food, small business stalls, live music, bars and more!'
Further information here: Home | Quayside Market | Sheffield.
Pollen 🌻
📅 Sunday 20 August
📍 Grey to Green, Castlegate
Sheffield's very own 'Inner-City Flower Market', a monthly celebration of all things botanical.
Held in the wonderful surroundings of Grey to Green in Castlegate, Pollen brings the biggest selection of botanicals into the city centre.
Featuring a wide range of home and garden plants, fresh and dried florals, locally produced crafts, award-winning street food and much, much more. Guaranteed to be a fun-filled, family day out 🌼
Further information here: Pollen. Inner-City Flower Market — Grey To Green, Sheffield (pollenmarket.co.uk).
Steel City Galaxies 🗺️
📅 Monday 21 August to Sunday 3 September
A free family-friendly Adventure Trail guiding players across Sheffield city centre to venture 'where no Sheffielder has gone before' 🚀
You will need:
- A six-sided dice (also called a 'd6'). Alternatively, a free dice-rolling app will also work 🎲
-
You may want to have a pen and paper to hand to write down descriptions of any aliens you meet on the way ✍️
-
Be able to traverse across Sheffield City Centre. The trail is approximately 2.5 miles long 🗺️
To begin your voyage head over to Patriot Games on Mary Street, anytime from Saturday 21 August until Sunday 3 September.
Further information here: Steel City Galaxies — Sheffield Games Collective
The Sheffield Games Collective is 'a collection of businesses, organisations and individuals all based in Sheffield who share a common purpose: to make Sheffield a destination city for gaming'.
Craft, Vintage and Makers Market 🧵
📅 Saturday 26 August
📍 Sheffield Cathedral
Little Hummingbird Events gather a 'mix of vintage, craft and artisan makers from Sheffield for a free market suitable for all the family'.
Further information here: Little Hummingbird Vintage and Makers Market — Sheffield Cathedral.