There are few places in England better for having a night out than Sheffield. From cocktails to clubbing, the compact city centre means that most of the best venues for painting the town red are well within walking distance of one another.
Live Music at The Leadmill (Photo: Tramlines Festival via Flickr)
The South Yorkshire city of Sheffield has a robust student population. Take that student loan-party ready combo and add a population of well over half a million people and you have the demand for a good range of night-time activities; one that is well supplied in Sheffield. But it’s knowing the best places to go that will make or break the night. Most of the action happens in four square blocks of the city between Milton Street and West Street.
The Leadmill
It may be the obvious choice, but The Leadmill has endured for decades (opened in 1980) and remains as popular as ever with good reason: live music and cheap booze. More importantly, Sheffield has a proud history of producing fantastic musicians, with Joe Cocker, the Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and Def Leppard all hailing from the Steel City. Many of the main bands rolling through town will put on a show here. There are club nights at least twice a week and drink prices do not seem to have risen much since the venue first opened.
6 Leadmill Road
Forum Kitchen + Bar
Before heading out and dancing ‘til dawn, it is always good to get things going at a nice bar, which is where Forum comes in. This trendy café, with its great terrace and BBQ area (one for the summer especially), has great food, or is simply a good place to get a drink. Forum also host their own events, true to the lively schedules of many spots throughout Sheffield. Keep an eye out for quizzes, the occasional comedy night and gigs throughout the year.
129 Devonshire Street
Corporation
Corporation Nightclub in Sheffield (Photo: DrStrauss via Wikimedia)
First let’s get our nomenclature right, locals call it ‘Corp’ and it has been around a while too. Although only residing at its current address since 2002, this is where all the fun parties happen, including Drop (alternative) and Dirty Deeds (Rock thru Hip Hop via 80s) club nights taking place on Fridays and Saturdays respectively. Skool Disco happens every Wednesday and, as you might imagine, is a popular one with the students. One thing to note, the club is famed for its blue pint. It’s well worth a try, but maybe it’s best not to ask too much about why it’s blue. Drinks are ridiculously cheap. Have fun, drink responsibly folks.
2 Milton Street
Bungalows and Bears
For people who are really into their electronica and indie, Bungalows and Bears is the cool place in Sheffield. The venue hosts super-intimate live gigs and their stage has been graced by all sorts of bands on their way up, like Wolf Alice and Bondax. The venue is in what was once the central fire station, and is a good place to grab a burger, especially earlier in the evening or afternoon, before things start to get a little lively.
50 Division Street
The Plug
The Plug (Photo: Paul Solecki via Flickr)
If you are up for something a little less grungy then The Plug does some fantastic club nights, with top DJs, as well as various other acts. There are three separate rooms at this large venue and a surprising mix of music genres can be packed into the schedule of any given week. Thursday nights are most popular with students, while the dance music is the way forwards on Fridays and Saturdays.
14-16 Matilda Street
By Paul Stafford