Migration Matters Festival

Migration Matters 2024, photo by Smart Banda

In 2007 Sheffield became the UK’s first City of Sanctuary – a place that welcomes asylum-seekers and refugees, that offers a hand to people in need of safety. Held around Refugee Week each June, Migration Matters Festival is a celebration of diversity and the positive impact migration and refugees have in Sheffield.

The festival launched in 2016, the year of the Brexit referendum and Syrian refugee crisis. Each year the Migration Matters programme brings communities together over fantastic, globe-spanning variety of theatre, music, dance, workshops, exhibitions, and more.

Come back soon for dates and details of Migration Matters 2026.

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover: Publication Launch with Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad

Thu. 29 January 2026

City of Sanctuary Sheffield, 37-39 Chapel Walk, S1 2PD

Join Arts Catalyst for a celebration of Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover, a new publication by artist Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad. Developed with over 40 refugees and asylum seekers, the book centres on belonging, safety, rootedness and language.

Yorkshire Artspace: Exchange Place Studios

A beautiful 1920s art deco building, with five floors filled with artists and craftspeople of all persuasions. Also home to an exhibition space, the not-for-profit Carousel Print Studio and communal ceramic studio Clay Space.

GLOAM Gallery

GLOAM is an exhibition and studio space, run by a collective of six artists. Look out for exhibitions here, often shining a spotlight on emerging contemporary artists from across the north.

Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo

Tue. 19 May 2026 — Sun. 31 May 2026

Showroom

A journey through the life of a true icon. Discover her art, and uncover the story of her rebellious, passionate life. With new material from the curators of the groundbreaking Tate Modern exhibition Frida Kahlo: the Making of an Icon.

The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals