Making their final bid this August, hopes are high that 2029 will be the year Sheffield claims the title City of Culture. The UK City of Culture competition began in 2013, when Sheffield lost to Derry, Northern Ireland, and has since encouraged a tidal wave of culture-led development in cities across the UK. Winners of the competition are awarded £10 million in funding to strengthen the winning city and the UK’s position as a global leader in creative spaces by producing jobs and opportunities. As we look forward to the upcoming announcement of the 2029 shortlist, here are some of Sheffield’s best cultural festivals and events:
Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading international documentary festival that celebrated its 33rd edition in June 2026. This year’s film programme featured 104 films made by directors from around the world, covering topics including music, war, sports, technology and more. Working alongside cinemas across Sheffield, and partners with Netflix, Prime Video, and the BBC, Docfest annually creates thousands of opportunities for up-and-coming filmmakers. Sheffield stands out in providing a hub for industry professionals, such as David Attenborough, to join forces with young creatives, like University of Sheffield alumni Munya Chawawa, in imagining the future of television and art.
The next DocFest will take place from June 9 to 14, 2027.
Migration Matters is a music and arts festival that takes place on the UK’s Refugee week in June with the aim to spotlight the profound impact migrants and refugees have had on the city of Sheffield for generations. The festival made Sheffield the first official City of Sanctuary after this effort to ‘bring communities together through music, art, performance, food and celebration’. A mix of club nights, gigs, exhibitions and workshops, including a line-up of MOBO award winning Ghanaian-English Afro Beats Artist, Fuse ODG, and Live at the Apollo star Desiree Burch.
Open Works Festival is a brand-new performance festival from Sheffield Theatres making its debut this autumn from September 28 until October 10. The festival is to showcase both polished performances and works-in-progress from new theatre voices. Projects in all stages of development will reveal fresh ideas currently emerging within the theatre scene, including ways to display men’s mental health, protesting and activism, publicising identity changes, and the brutal history of Nigerian music. It will also feature artist-led workshops where creators can share insight into their creative process and allow attendees to experience the behind-the-scenes process of making their work. Award winning playwrights, screen and tv writers, actors, casting teams and directors will take centre stage in exclusive conversations about their experience working on past and upcoming projects.
Off the Shelf Festival of Words is one of the largest literary festivals in the UK, delivered by the University of Sheffield every October to showcase a vast catalogue of authors from all over the world for readings, talks and Q&A’s for Sheffield locals. Next month’s programme features iconic figures like five time Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins in his memoir about survival and self-discovery, award winning Guardian columnist Marina Hyde on her bestseller commenting on absurd political times, and further fiction writers, MP’s, forensic scientists, historians, journalists and more. Sheffield will soon be a sound-board for new research, ideas and discussions, including insights about our political sphere, the era of AI, and how the climate crisis is re-shaping life.
It is undeniable that Sheffield has no shortage of culture, and regardless of the outcome of this competition, the city is guaranteed to continue celebrating its world culture and heritage. Nevertheless, our vote is forever with Sheffield.
Image Credits: Migration Matters
