Sheffield Nightlife Guide

A city steeped in its musical culture and prophetic output despite its modest size, the seven hills of Sheffield is always a riotous time and the people of the Steel City sure know how to party. Whether you’re one of the 60,000 students living here, you’re a longtime local who bleeds Hendersons Relish, or you’re just visiting for the weekend, there is so much to do when looking for a Sheffield night out.

Indulge in the indie soul of the town at the many indie bars, delve into the industrial dance music scene at the warehouse clubs, or sit back and relax in the many vintage bars and pubs around Kelham Island. Whatever your vibe, you can always count on the Sheffield nightlife.

So, If you’re planning a night out in Sheffield, check out our guide below to ensure you end up at the right place for you. 

Nightlife Areas

Depending on what you're looking for, choosing the right area to go out in can be crucial. There are fancier areas where you'll find rooftop bars and beer gardens, areas popular with students, and more mainstream areas with standard clubs. Here are the best Sheffield nightlife areas to consider exploring on your next night out.

City Centre

With an array of bars and pubs for all tastes and budgets, as well as some of the best clubs in the city like the Leadmill and Tank, the city centre is rightfully the first port of call when it comes to Sheffield nightlife areas. Come the weekend it erupts into a frenzy of slurred Yorkshire accents, 

West Street

West Street is the street that trails from the Univeristy of Sheffield Students Union to the city centre is lined top to bottom with a range of pubs and late-night bars. It is student central, and you’ll often bar crawls stumbling their way down its pavements. Always a great option with places for every taste.

Kelham Island

Adorned with street art, independent businesses and bars and with a real hipster industrial feel, Kelham Island is certainly the coolest place to go out in Sheffield. Whether you’re after craft breweries, riverside beer gardens, eccentric restaurants, or repurposed warehouse parties, this area of the Steel City will provide it and more.

Ecclesall Road

The more upmarket end of Sheffield, and another road that’s lined with bustling pubs and bars. With chic microbreweries, huge pubs with sprawling beer gardens, and some of the best restaurants in the city, Ecclesall road is the perfect date night spot, or place for a celebration. Just make sure not to visit too often if you're a student, it won't be kind on the loan!

Best bars - Skiddle selects

Molly Malones

Us Brits love an Irish bar, and for good reason. Usually, they provide us with familiar surroundings when we want that taste of home on holiday. But, where molly Malones is concerned, these Irish bars are here to get us absolutely hammered on cheap Guinness whilst listening and very poorly singing along to someone at the front with an acoustic guitar. On that front, Mollys (as it's affectionately known) fires on all cylinders.

West Street Live

The home ground of Sheffield students for many a generation, West Street live continues to be one of West Streets' main attractions. With live music on Fridays, and club nights that rage until the early hours throughout the week, it’s a go-to for many who call the Steel City home, and there's a very good reason for it.

The Washington

One of the coolest bars in the city centre, with one of the best beer gardens in the whole city, the Washy is incredibly well-loved by the residents of Sheffield, and it isn't hard to see why, central location, student deals, amazing decor and open until 3 am every night? Do we need to say more?

The Nursery Tavern

The Nursey Tavern is the sweetheart of Ecclesall road. The huge pub has been a staple of the bustling street for decades, and with the value (compared to the rest of Ecclesall road) alongside the gorgeous interior and quality scran on offer, you can fault why. Make sure to come here on a gameday, particularly when England are on, as the outdoor space gets a huge screen, and turns into an open-air stand, great stuff.

The Riverside Kelham

One of the quainter options on this list, with a picturesque beer garden that overlooks the River Don, The Riverside in Kelham Island is certainly a go-to when in Sheffield. Easily spotted thanks to its famous neon sign that quotes Pulp, it's a perfect spot for some afternoon drinking. Plus with a cyclic range of locally brewed beers on tap, you can sample some proper beer, none of this mass-produced nonsense for us.

Sidney and Matilda

Sidney and Matilda feels like a home away from home. This converted Warehouse is industrial in decor, and cosy in feel. We don't know whether it's the red neon-soaked surrounding, the incredibly nice staff, or the constant stream of amazing events that keep us coming back, but we do, and you will be all the better for doing the same.

Best Clubs - Skiddle selects

The Leadmill

The most iconic club in the whole of Sheffield, maybe even the most iconic building, for many, the neon red sign of Leadmill is a comforting site. All the indie faithful of the city come together here for gigs and raucous late nights alike, it's a really special place and held very dearly by every Sheffielder. Despite worries about its closure, it'd still going strong, to keep it that way, make sure you sign the petition, even if you’ve never been. It’d be like new York losing the Empire State building.

Tank

Owned by Bassline junkie Jamie Duggan, Tank is THE place in the city centre for all the lovers of dance music, particularly the high tempo variety. Putting on the biggest names in the biz on a frequent basis, you’ll be partying to Hannah Wants one week, Shy FX the next and Tunro the week after, seriously, they get everyone. 

Hopeworks

The spot of all the best underground dance events in Sheffield, Hopeworks is found in the industrial district of the city, in a building that stays true to its roots. The sound system here is loud and proud due to not having neigh hours to upset, and its probably the coolest spot to two-step in the whole city, a must-visit for a techno boogie.

Yellow Arch

The most unapologetically hipster spot in the whole city, that is all the better for it, Yellow Arch Studios, is part recording studio, part gig venue, part club, part bar, and has never let us down. The vintage decor and staff who are all too cool for their own good make you feel cooler by proxy, and the range of events is inclusive and fantastic, a true gem of the city.

Corporation

One of those clubs that is a bit dingy and has a sticky floor, but the drinks are dirt cheap, the music is fantastic, and the vibes are always on point. Plus, it's a bit of a maze, with two floors and four rooms to choose from, connected by winding corridors, it's truly something you have to experience for yourself. But it is the club of alternative music in the Steel City and a cornerstone of Sheffield nightlife

Dryad Works

A Kelham Island club that is all about the good times. Dryad Works is a self-built community of creative individuals who have collaborated to bring you a club that they would want to be at. Their mission to build a unique underground DIY grassroots music venue & creative workspace that values creative arts and sound system culture has more than been achieved. Trust us, it's one hell of a party.