A city centre street art tour 🖼️
📖 Article published on Monday 11 August 2025.
Vibrant street art in Sheffield is putting the city on the international map.
As well as being voted one of the best UK cities for street art multiple times, works by renowned artists are being embraced by locals and visitors alike.
To mark the new mural Rivers and Hills, Sheffield’s biggest yet, Sheffield BID has created this new digital 'street art tour' of this urban gallery.
The three-mile trail takes in 12 must-see artworks and hidden gems, while suggesting places to eat, drink, shop and relax along the way.
Navigate the tour by reading along, or check out the dedicated Google Map here.
Now Then, Howard Street 🖼️
This is an ideal spot to start your Sheffield city centre street art tour.
It’s located close to train, tram and bus connections, and showcases a wonderfully northern greeting to boot.
The striking, colourful piece Now Then is by local graphic artist Rob Lee.
Bold and brilliant, it’s the ideal welcome to Sheffield and was made for the city-based magazine of the same name.
💡 While you’re there…
Pick up a latte or all-day brunch at How St cafe, located right next to the artwork, to fuel the rest of your tour.
Mural, George Street 🖼️
This symbolic mural was commissioned by Sheffield BID and Vine Hotels as the first step in rejuvenating historic George Street.
It takes inspiration from the floral architecture of surrounding buildings with the theme of growth, and was made by the creative design company Restless Forest.
💡 While you’re there…
Head to charming, centuries-old Chapel Walk for some retail therapy.
Independent gift shop Bird’s Yard is a must for locally made jewellery, candles and stationery.
Plot 22, Exchange Street 🖼️
Walking past DIY music venue and creative space Plot 22 is like visiting an on-street exhibition.
An intricate, surreal black-and-white artwork by illustrator Mila K covers the exterior of this underground events hub.
Directly opposite, you will find plenty more eye-catching pieces adorning the hoardings surrounding the regeneration of the Sheffield Castle site.
💡 While you’re there…
Take a stroll along Grey to Green located on Blonk Street, an award-winning urban planting scheme that hosts regular events parallel to the Sheffield Castle site.
Steelworker, Castle Street 🖼️
Street art is, by its very nature, often temporary.
But this extraordinary brick mosaic of a steelworker has been around for decades and is considered to be one of the first modern public artworks in Sheffield.
Created by artist Paul Waplington and commissioned by Sheffield Council, it uses a jaw-dropping 30,000 bricks to commemorate the city’s industrial heritage.
💡 While you’re there…
Check out Sheffield’s own Flatiron building.
The 18th-century pub The Three Tuns on Silver Head Street, a short walk away, has just been given a fresh start.
New owner Jim Butterell has brought in a programme of contemporary events with a modern feel, while retaining the traditional elements loved by pub regulars.
Sit in the triangular seating area to get a real feel for the quirky design.
The Snog, Fagan’s, off Broad Lane 🖼️
Time for a heart-warming moment. This classic mural by famous Sheffield artist Pete McKee has become a landmark in Sheffield (and the print version hangs in many local homes).
It features characters Frank and Joy, who were originally depicted for Pete’s Joy of Sheff exhibition in 2013, locked in a kiss.
Make Insta-worthy memories by puckering up for a photograph at the recently refreshed mural on the side of Fagan’s Irish pub.
💡 While you’re there…
Continue the theme with a romantic picnic at St George’s Square.
There are usually people watching opportunities to enjoy, thanks to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding university buildings.
You may even catch a glimpse of the peregrines which live in St George’s Church.
Female Warriors, Westhill Lane 🖼️
Much-loved Sheffield street artist Kid Acne created this homage to female warriors, one of many he has dotted around his adopted city.
It’s located on Westhill Lane just off Devonshire Street, an area of Sheffield with a rich selection of street art.
Andy Carter, dedicated founder of the Street Art Sheffield website, has two favourite artworks in this area.
Andy launched his personal project in 2014 and has now recorded more than 1,000 pieces of graffiti, street art and murals across the whole city.
He said: “As a street art fan, I am loving seeing so many new works appearing.
"One of the things that has changed since I started is the support for street art from areas where it didn’t exist before. These works are quite expensive to create, so it’s great that funding is being found and space is being donated for them.
“It can be very hard to get people through the doors of an art gallery. They can feel like exclusive places. Street art is just there for people to appreciate. It removes a lot of those barriers. It also transforms spaces which have been unloved by breathing new life into them, and giving people new reasons to visit.”
Andy also gives personal tours of Sheffield street art, which quickly sell out.
His favourite works in the city centre include ‘stunning’ globally ranked Reverie by Peachzz - more on which later - plus a piece by the legendary Phlegm near the Devonshire Cat pub (Eldon Street).
Software engineer Andy said: “The fact that you can see Reverie from so many different angles is great. I love Phlegm’s artwork, we’ve had several new pieces by him in recent years.
“The one near the Devonshire Cat tells a story, and it is so tucked away so people miss it.”
Follow Street Art Sheffield on Instagram or BlueSky for more details of the tours.
💡 While you’re there…
Browse vinyl at Bear Tree Records or pick up a one-off dress at the vintage store Vulgar. Both are based at The Forum on Devonshire Street.
True North Mural, next to The Forum, Eldon Street 🖼️
Rob Lee also created this rainbow-esque artwork to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sheffield bar operator True North.
It’s a great one to admire from The Forum’s extensive beer garden.
💡 While you’re there…
Put your feet up in the city centre park Devonshire Green. There’s even more street art inside the much-loved skate park.
Mural, Headford Street 🖼️
Sheffield street artist Phlegm is a giant on the scene, and his monochrome giant murals are incredibly popular.
This particular work on the side of the Eye Witness Works building is a legacy to his hit exhibition, Mausoleum of the Giants, which took place there in 2019.
It covers the whole side of the building, which is now accommodation. Local business owners say it regularly draws in new visitors to the area.
💡 While you’re there…
Head to The Moor for some retail therapy: with big brands like Skechers, Primark and JD Sports, plus local traders galore in the Moor Market.
🆕 Mural, Holy Green 🖼️
The paint has barely dried on this colourful, brand new work by Florence Blanchard in creative partnership with the Friends of Sheffield City Centre.
Funded by Sheffield Council and adjacent department store Atkinson’s, supported by Amey, it’s a welcome addition to the cut-through from The Moor to Charter Row.
Ben Kerry, store manager at Atkinson’s, said: “We’d love this area to be involved when there are Christmas or farmers’ markets, but it has been a bit of a dead space.
“There has been a lot of traffic down there, people posing for photographs next to the artwork in progress, so we hope it will become a destination.
“Street art makes the area feel more vibrant and uplifts places which can otherwise just be a cut-through.”
Multiple artists tendered for the work on Holy Green, but French artist and scientist Florence was successful.
She is known for her flowing, abstract, colourful landscapes.
The new 150-square metre mural draws inspiration from the rich history of Holy Green, once the site of an educational academy run by John Hessay Abraham, a fellow of the Royal Society, and later a girls’ school.
Florence’s design blends references to this heritage with vibrant, abstract forms that nod to both science and imagination.
Four large planters echoing the artwork’s colours have also been installed and the work was completed just this month.
Ben added: “Some of the works tendered included nods to us or Sheffield, but we weren’t looking for that.
“We wanted it to be something to give back to the city.”
💡 While you’re there…
Have a look around the independent Atkinson’s, Sheffield’s most historic department store at the age of 150.
It’s home to many top fashion labels - hello Barbour and Joules - plus an extensive children’s section and stocks the spicy Sheffield sauce Henderson’s Relish.
🆕 Rivers and Hills, Wellington Street 🖼️
Sheffield is a city famously built on rivers and hills, and this record-breaking new mural celebrates that unique topography.
The 483.69 square metres, highly complex artwork will animate the side of an NCP car park, presenting artists Rob Lee and INSA with an incredible technical challenge.
The artwork has been made possible by the donations, support and contributions from Marketing Sheffield, Sheffield BID, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, My Business Coach, Henry Boot, the SPA, Taylor Emmet Solicitors, colloco, HLM Architects, Bond Bryan, Turner & Townsend, nineteen47, Counter Context, ARUP, The Lime Trees and Reach Timelapse.
Diane Jarvis, head of operations at Sheffield BID, said: “We’re proud to be involved with this wonderful new and exciting artwork for Sheffield city centre.
“Sheffield BID has worked with numerous artists on some incredible works that revitalise our city centre, including colourful new walls in Castlegate by Grace Jandrell (below) and George Street by Restless Forest.
“These projects celebrate creative expression and contribute to a vibrant, welcoming environment for everyone who visits, lives, or works in the city centre.”
💡 While you’re there…
Pick up an authentically soft Hong Kong bun with your choice of flavour at Popin’s Bakery on Rockingham Street.
Prepare to drool over their display of gorgeous cakes!
To bring Rivers and Hills to life, don't forget to download the Gif-iti app from Google Play or the App Store.
Reverie, Cubo, Carver Street 🖼️
Named the second-best street art in the world by Street Art Cities in 2024, Reverie by Peachzz is also the city’s tallest piece at 25.5 metres high.
It’s inspired by Sheffield’s canal system and waterway wildlife, featuring a striking kingfisher and a heron overlooking popular Pounds Park.
The piece was commissioned as part of the Festival of the Outdoors. It is a fitting centrepiece for the surrounding Heart of the City development that is bringing new retail and leisure to the Cambridge Street area.
💡 While you’re there…
Enjoy a front-row view of Rivers and Hills, Reverie AND a glimpse of Pete McKee’s granny Muriel over a cold pint from Kapital, Sheffield’s new Euro-style beer hall, on Wellington Street.
I Love You Will You Marry Me, Park Hill 🖼️
The cultural impact of this artwork with a heartbreaking backstory is huge.
Originally painted by Jason Lowe for his girlfriend Clare Middleton, his proposal was accepted, though the pair never wed.
The slogan shot to fame after Urban Splash took on the regeneration of Park Hill flats, and became a symbol used on T-shirts, beer bottles and in the musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge.
Clare sadly died at the age of 30, and there’s a plaque in her memory under the repainted graffiti.
💡 While you’re there…
Admire the panoramic view over Sheffield city centre from the top of the open-air South Street Amphitheatre, before heading home.
And finally…
Want to dig even deeper into the breadth of Sheffield’s street art talent?
Lick of Paint, a major new festival founded by Peachzz and Alastair Flindall, will celebrate the local and international talent bringing high-quality public art to the city.
Lick of Paint Fest takes place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September 2025.
