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

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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Festival of Debate

Get informed, inspired and filled with ideas for positive change. With talks on big social, political, environmental and economic issues. The festival is taking a break in 2026 – come back for details of the 2027 event.

Saturday Art Workshop: Gathering Landscapes with the Heavy Water Collective

Sat. 21 March 2026

Weston Park Museum

Join the artists from Heavy Water Collective for a hands-on workshop exploring how collections and archives can inspire new creative work relevant to themes of today. Develop your own creative responses using jesmonite, clay and drawing.

The Fringe at Tramlines

Fri. 24 July 2026 — Sun. 26 July 2026

Devonshire Green, 158 Devonshire Street, S1 4GT

Home to the official Tramlines Fringe, the Devonshire Green stage showcases an array of local talent over the festival weekend, all for free. On top of that, expect official and unofficial fringe events to pop up in bars and venues all over the city.

In Conversation: On the Border of my Peaceful Home

Tue. 24 June 2025 — Wed. 23 December 2026

Graves Gallery

An exhibition curated by artist Kedisha Coakley, bringing together artworks, objects and specimens from Sheffield’s collection to explore the relationship between empire and the trade in fruit and flowers.