Sheffield’s visitor economy reached new heights in 2024, generating a record-breaking £1.85 billion – a 10% increase on the previous year and a full recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
The prestige of McLaren choosing our city is humbling and speaks for itself, but importantly for Sheffield it has also created approximately 200 jobs and will provide an estimated £100 million of GVA (gross value added) benefit to the local economy by 2028.
In 2018 The Times declared Sheffield the Northern Capital of Cool. In 2022 The Observer Food Monthly awards gave 5/6 Runners Up spots across the Food and Drink categories to Sheffield establishments. So are we now the Northern Capital of Food too?
Sheffield is one of nine cities chosen to host games for the UEFA Women's Euro in 2022 and a major ticketing roadmap and legacy programme has been unveiled, illustrating how a record-breaking tournament has the power to inspire the next generation of players and fans.
Sheffield is set to deliver an exciting follow up to the UK's first-ever Child Health Technology Conference in May 2022, with a host of international speakers set for the second edition.
The Sheffield Business Awards return on the Thursday 9 December and the 2021 Shortlist has now been announced.
Business rates are one of the biggest fixed costs for organisations that occupy commercial property. From 1 April 2026 the way that business rates are calculated, and reliefs are applied, is changing.
The vibrant mural painted by artist Peachzz overlooks Pound's Park in Sheffield City Centre and was unveiled back in June last year to much praise by Sheffielders. It has now been ranked as 2nd Best in the World by online street art community, Street Art Cities.
Sheffield has won the bid to host the annual International Stillbirth Alliance conference which will see 300 delegates from all over the world gather in the city across three days, 30 June - 2 July 2023.
The Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) ran between February 2021 and April 2025. It was a unique, innovative grant fund that aims to support local economic recovery in local high streets by empowering local groups of businesses to implement changes themselves.
The No Bounds 2022 program leads with major pieces of work exploring new technologies, yet with a collective and collaborative approach, as well as cross continental musical dialogues. Here's Liam O'Shea, festival director, with more information.
Sheffield City Centre’s flagship Radisson Blu hotel, which boasts 154 rooms and a rooftop bar and restaurant, is due to open this Summer and a date has finally now announced.
The Sheffield Fake Festival returns to Endcliffe Park on Saturday May 16th 2026 with fake bands for Queen (Flash), Arctic Monkeys (Antarctic Monkeys), Fleetwood Mac (Fleeting Rumours), Green Day (Ultimate Green Day), INXS (INXS UK), REM (Stipe).
The first ever net zero transatlantic flight will take off from the UK next year as part of a pioneering research project to fly across the pond using solely sustainable aviation fuel.
A roundup of new conferencing and city developments in Sheffield.
Is Sheffield the UK’s most exciting food city? Quite possibly, as an increasing number of the city’s restaurants and bars have been popping up in national listings and awards. Here we take a look at those attracting the attention...
Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust and Museums Sheffield have announced they are to join together to form one of the city’s biggest cultural organisations.
Major new health care, regeneration and sporting projects totalling more than £200m – including a National Centre for Child Health Technology and ground-breaking diagnostic imagery research hub – are set to place Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park at the heart of the nation’s future health.
Housing an exciting variety of inspiring world food vendors under one roof, Cambridge Street Collective promises a truly unique food hall experience in Sheffield, with 20 independent food partners.
2023 is set to be a landmark year in the city’s music history, as some of Sheffield’s best-known exports return to play historic headlining shows. Meanwhile a Sheffield-made musical has just won two Oliver awards and Sheffield's DIY music scene is also making waves in national press...
Sheffield is officially the UK's greenest city according to the 'Green Cities' report, commissioned and produced by NatWest and the University of Southampton.
Sheffield will be front and centre of the biggest women’s European sport event in history after being hand-picked as one of nine host cities for the hotly-anticipated UEFA Women’s EURO 2022.
Sheffield's DMO, Marketing Sheffield took home the award for Place Brand of the Year for Sheffield Inspires at the 11th City Nation Place Awards (CNP Awards).
An aspiring entrepreneur who turned his back on a lucrative career in software development in a bid to do his bit for the environment has embarked upon a one man mission to transform the way we purchase everyday goods by banning plastic packaging from his eco-friendly shop.
Don’t let the hills fool you, Sheffield is the perfect place to run. With dozens of parks and pedestrian-friendly routes around the city, as well as world-class training venues like the English Institute of Sport, the facilities in the city are second-to-none.
As Sheffield’s Heart of the City Project (that’s £470 million of redevelopment across the city centre) is transforming the city, several new venues are set to open their doors imminently.
Sophie Williams founded Sheffield Cheesemasters, the city’s first artisan cheesemaking company in July 2017. Despite enjoying a successful career in IT security, Sophie was determined to create her dream business, based around her lifelong love of cheese.
"With Sheffield it’s a little bit different. You get close to Sheffield and realise things are going on, it feels like it’s on the cusp of starting to really explode, and it’s exciting to be in at this point.”
The company, founded by tech expert Nick Stewart, has grown its workforce from two to seven since the start of the year, including two new hirings during lockdown.
With its scenic hills to climb – and free-wheel back down again – and its roads leading straight out to the Peak District, Sheffield is heaven-sent to the road cyclist.
A vibrant arts festival celebrating the ‘richness of Sheffield’ returns this summer - with 50 pay-as-you-feel events.
Established in 2017, the Sheffield Property Association is an independent association of significant land owning and development businesses in the city of Sheffield, who along with a wide range of professional organisations, are helping create and support the continued improvement of the city’s built environment. The Association’s members represent over 20,000 jobs and £4bn in assets.
FourJaw is a cost-effective and easy to install product that’s essentially a fitness tracker for machines.
Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire region is now home to 58 breweries, more per head of population than anywhere else in the country, producing around 1,800 different beers every year.
Five Sheffield businesses have made it onto prestigious lists compiled by Tech Climbers, recognising the top-performing IP-rich, product-led tech businesses driving innovation in dynamic and expending regions across the UK.
JÖRO’s huge success marks the end of a decade‑long wait for Michelin recognition to return to the city and helps fill a long‑acknowledged gap in starred restaurants between London and Scotland.
Measuring 483.69 square metres in total, the artwork will be painted across 6 facades of the brown-brick NCP building on Wellington Street, paying homage to the natural topography which has defined Sheffield since the 12th century, as a city built on hills and rivers.
Following the recent extensive archaeological research, including unearthing evidence of former steel works dating back to the 19th century and the remains of Sheffield Castle itself, the project is now moving into Phase 2 which will see redevelopment of the park and events space.
Sheffield has been a nationally significant centre for online learning and educational technologies since even before the decision to site the University for Industry here in 1998. Since then, there has been a steady stream of talent and new businesses born of this activity, developing resources and platforms for learning across many different industry verticals.
Business Sheffield helped Olga & Asquith grow their brand by turning their Jamaican rum cake into a stout—through expert advice and a key introduction.
You'll find an ever expanding value chain which is delivering specialist training to support growth in the sector, and a thriving network of over 100 companies, incubators and organisations; all of which make-up our digital media and technology ecosystem.
A Taste of Sheffield and the History and Brunch Tour will take guests on a guided walking tour of the Sheffield City Centre, incorporating food, drink, local history and culture along the way.
The true story of Jamie Campbell is one that is completely intertwined with Sheffield, and one that we are incredibly proud to tell as a city because it reflects the values of inclusivity and diversity that we want to champion.
While Sheffield is home to a plethora of amazing cafes and coffee shops right across the city, there are some that are particularity unique in their offer.
A young entrepreneur is lighting up a bright new future for himself after sniffing out an opportunity to apply his creative flair to the age-old tradition of candle making by capturing the spirit of Sheffield in wax form.
Things are far from normal for everyone, so it’s certainly a strange time to be a fresher in a new city. Louisa from Benchmark Recruitment, offers a warm welcome and tips for students experiencing Sheffield for the first time…
Meet Morgan. He lives and breathes tech. Morgan knows what he’s talking about because he’s an an ex-tech founder himself, with 20 years’ experience in starting and growing multiple businesses of his own.
It’s no longer about the big beating the small, but the fast beating the slow. And Razor are certainly at the front of the pack when it comes to digital transformation in the North.
American Express and Shop Small commissioned research with GlobalData to reveal the top 10 UK high streets for independent shops, with Sheffield's Division /Devonshire Street placing second.
The city has been shortlisted for three major placemaking accolades at this year's City Nation Place Awards. The transformation of a massive part of Sheffield City Centre is in the running, alongside the city’s recent brand development work, pitting Sheffield against an impressive list of other places from around the world.
Sheffield will be hosting the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026 on the 13 - 18 January 2026.
A trailblazer in the worlds of jazz and raga, Utsav Lal will improvise a unique live score for Carl Dreyer’s emotional masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc at the atmospheric Abbeydale Picture House in Sheffield on 15th May
National newspaper, The Sunday Times, once again released their annual guide of the best places to live in the UK and Sheffield's Nether Edge was listed as one of only eight Northern residential areas to make their 2024 list.
Sheffield has been awarded formal accreditation as a Social Enterprise Place for its commitment to developing and supporting social enterprise to thrive by Social Enterprise UK.
It’s been a successful summer in Sheffield as we’ve hosted a number of high-profile events (the Women’s Euros being a particular highlight) and some of hotels and venues having record breaking months. Conferences have played no small part in this and the team at Conference Sheffield have had one of our busiest and most successful summers to date. Here are a few of our highlights showing why Sheffield really does make for a smart event move.
Skateboarding has a long, rich history in Sheffield. The city boasts an impressive roll call of pro and skate industry sponsored skaters, and punches above its weight on the UK scene with a solid skateboarding community.
The stunning mural, which adorns the side of the Cubo building, overlooking Pound's Park in Sheffield City Centre, was unveiled last month and has been praised by Sheffielders and will now be entered into Street Art Cities' Best Global Street Art of Year, for 2024.
Created by artist Alex Chinneck, the impressive canal boat sculpture named 'The Industry' has been unveiled to celebrate Sheffield's historic waterways and industrial heritage.
Business Sheffield is proud to present the Launchpad Pop-Up Market, a festive initiative running from 27th November to 20th December 2025 at 108 Pinstone Street. This project, funded by the Launchpad Programme and delivered by Sheffield City Council, offers free, short-term retail space for early-stage makers and craft businesses to showcase their products, test new ideas, and engage with the community during the busy holiday season.
Julian Gjini bought his café on Abbeydale Road when there were hardly any thriving businesses in the area, and has watched the independent business community grow to the point where Tesco is almost the only chain store on the street.
Sheffield is now playing a part in the green energy revolution that’s gaining traction fast. As a power systems technology firm, Libertine is a key player in this rapidly changing movement.
Sheffield has a number of distinct assets within the Sport, Health and Wellbeing arena and, thanks to the rich heritage in medical technology development, the city is home to one of the UK’s largest Medical Devices clusters. Our manufacturing expertise means we also have one of the largest concentrations of orthopaedic, medical device and surgical instrumentation companies in the UK.
Sheffield’s Business Response Group have launched a new Business Recovery Plan that brings together civic, city and business leaders to address the impact of Covid-19 on Sheffield’s businesses and jobs.
We are thrilled to share this fantastic piece of artwork, 'Sheffield - It's alright', created by Birmingham-based artist Christopher Spencer, also known as Cold War Steve, in collaboration with Get Together 2025.
The newest chapter in Sheffield’s story as a thriving food destination – this venue is way more than just another food hall, complete with dedicated BBQ, sushi and counter-top dining spaces, four vibrant bars, AR Darts, children's play area and outdoor rooftop terraces, while also incorporating a cookery school and community kitchen.
We are known all over the world as a leading centre for engineering research, advanced manufacturing (or 2.0, as some call it), light weight technologies and specialist materials - and, perhaps most importantly, having the knowledge and skills base from our Universities to excel in prototyping and R&D too.
One of the UK’s most prestigious art events, British Art Show will return to where is all started, when the landmark tenth edition tours to Sheffield in October 2027 through a multi-venue partnership between Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Museums, Site Gallery, Yorkshire Artspace and Arts Catalyst.
Over 50 works from one of the UK’s most significant collections of Old Master drawings are set to return to Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery this month after wowing visitors earlier this year.
Alexis Moschopoulos came up with the idea for Grobotic Systems as an academic in the field of plant science. He felt the that the expensive and inefficient equipment he had to use to grow plants for experiments was holding back progress in his field. After several years of discussion and experimentation with his friend Richard Banks, an electronics engineer and maker, the pair founded Grobotic Systems in 2018.
Agricultural components manufacturer Chapmans has seen plenty of changes and challenges on its 30-year journey.
Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ raced into Sheffield, along winding country roads, up infamous Sheffield hills and through the city’s streets. Retrace the route and give it a go!
It's been a trying time to start a new business; and Rob and Nikki have really valued the support of Sally Pepper, Business Information Officer with Business Sheffield.
TTS Precision Engineering LTD makes close tolerance parts for a wide variety of sectors, from steel rolling mills to aerospace, rail and automotive. Andy Sorsby supported TTS to purchase new machinery to help improve lead times and future-proof the business.
Sheffield street artist Peachzz has completed a new large-scale wildlife mural on the side of the Cubo building, overlooking Pound’s Park in Sheffield City Centre.
From juicy burgers and crispy fried chicken to burritos and bao buns, not forgetting some indulgent vegan delights too, see our guide for Sheffield’s street food highlights.
Sheffield is spoilt for choice when it comes to walking groups. Here are a few of them.
Video games have a long heritage in Sheffield, from Gremlin back in the 80s to Sumo Digital today. And from its humble beginnings, Sumo Digital has grown into a world-beating, multi-award-winning studio since it was founded in 2003.
Sheffield has been named as the UK Food Capital of the UK, according to a report by hospitality provider, Accor, as they reviewed the very best locations to indulge your taste buds and identified the best spots for different cuisines.
Taking place over ten days each September, the festival celebrates all sides of Sheffield with a whole host of enjoyable walks of varying lengths, with plenty to see and discover along the way. This year the festival will take place 6 - 15 September 2024.
Ferrio help businesses of any size and tech capability level connect their software applications and data.
As part of the extraordinary project The Walk, Sheffield Theatres is proud to welcome Little Amal, a 3.5m puppet of a 10-year-old refugee girl, as she nears the end of her international journey from the Syria-Turkey border to Manchester.
ITM Power partnered with The University of Sheffield – world renowned for its expertise in energy innovation – to plan and fund a National Hydrogen Research Innovation and Skills Centre. It’s here they’ll research the safe and efficient manufacturing of hydrogen using low or zero carbon sources of energy.
National and international experts in the field of child and adolescent orthopaedics gathered in Sheffield recently for the second International Kids Knee Conference.
Sheffield Theatres have announced their landmark 50th anniversary season, including an ambitious trilogy of plays and the much anticipated return of Standing at the Sky's Edge, amongst many more exciting productions.
Sheffield confirmed as a host city for the 2027 Tour De France Femmes Avec Zwift
Just as we were (and still are) a trailblazer in industry and modern manufacturing, shaping how the world makes products, Sheffield is now also doing the same in the world of health tech - especially for young people.
We are thrilled to announce that Business Sheffield won the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champion Award at the 2024 Sheffield Business Awards!
Art at the Heart has been created by four Ignite Imaginations artists, who have each worked within their community to create an art installation, taking inspiration from the stories people have shared with them.
The city’s conference team should be every event organiser’s first point of call. We know what a big deal organising an event can be. Luckily we’re a dab hand at organising the support and expertise you’ll need whether this is your first look at Sheffield or we’re welcoming you back.
The Business Sheffield team is made up of our permanent staff and a wide array of specialists who you can speak to directly to get support, advice and help. You can take a look at more information on any of the advisors to see what they specialise in and how to get in touch.
University of Sheffield recognised for its impact on society and the economy
ITM Power and the University of Sheffield will also jointly plan and fund a National Hydrogen Research Innovation and Skills centre, which will undertake research into the safe and efficient manufacture of hydrogen using low or zero carbon sources of energy.