City Centre, Sheffield
Image courtesy of Nigel Barker / Our Favourite Places.

City Centre, Sheffield

Creative Tourist

Explore this compact hilly city on foot. Sheffield city centre boasts striking architecture, independent cultural destinations, retail and nightlife – all within walking distance.

Welcoming visitors as soon as they step off the train to Sheffield is the Sheffield Tap, a pub with Edwardian tiles and a mahogany bar in what was once the station’s first-class refreshment room. Sheffield Station itself opens out onto Sheaf Valley, a part of town that features some of Sheffield’s best independent arts destinations, including independent cinema and café bar the Showroom (in a former car showroom) and Site Gallery. Around here for food, it’s a toss-up between the Rutland Arms’ range of fresh butties, a burrito at the fab Street Food Chef, or, for a real treat, brunch and excellent coffee at Tamper Coffee.

Further into Sheffield city centre is the Millenium Gallery, which lures people through to the soaring wooden arches of the Winter Gardens beyond, while the Graves Gallery can be found on the top floor of the Central Library on nearby Surrey Street. Sheffield’s own theatre-land lies around Tudor Square; it is the country’s most concentrated cluster of theatres outside London. There’s the charming 260-seat Library Theatre, while the Lyceum, a traditional proscenium arch theatre dating back to 1897, is the city’s largest. The much-loved Crucible was given a pretty light-up facelift in 2010 and features an octagonal thrust stage that means each of the potential 980 members of the audience are never more than 22 metres from the drama.

Discover our top picks

  • 1. Site Gallery Sheffield

    Site Gallery, Sheffield

    Site Gallery Sheffield, 1 Brown Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S1 2BS - Visit now

    Specialising in moving image, new media and performance, and offering a busy events programme, a visit to Site in Sheffield is not to be missed.

  • 2. Millennium Gallery

    Millenium Gallery Sheffield
    Millennium Gallery. Photo: Andy Brown.

    Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield, S1 2PP - Visit now

    Hosting major exhibitions by artists renowned both locally and internationally, Millennium Gallery is the cultural gateway to Sheffield.

  • 3. Graves Gallery

    Graves Gallery
    Work by Marc Quinn and Bridget Riley at the Graves Gallery. Photo: Museums Sheffield.

    Graves Gallery, Surrey Street, Sheffield, S1 2LH - Visit now

    Home to Sheffield’s visual art collection and following a major refurbishment including four of the main galleries, Graves Gallery is now open to visitors once again.

  • 4. The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    Crucible Theatre Sheffield
    Rev Stan

    The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA - Visit now

    The world-famous Crucible offers a huge variety of home-grown and touring productions, as well as a thriving programme of participatory events and activities.

  • 5. The Lyceum Theatre

    The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
    Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

    The Lyceum Theatre, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA - Visit now

    Built to a traditional proscenium arch design, The Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield is the only surviving theatre outside of London designed by the famous theatre architect W.G.R. Sprague.

Sheffield District Guides

Things to do in Buxton and Derbyshire

Things to do in Buxton

Buxton, the ancient spa town and capital of the Peaks, is undergoing something of a revival.

Abbeydale Picture House. London Road & the Antiques Quarter, Sheffield

London Road & the Antiques Quarter, Sheffield

Experience London Road, with its array of restaurants, & the Antiques Quarter, Sheffield packed with vibrant independents and vintage stores.

Things to Do in Sheffield. Kelham Island, Sheffield

Kelham Island, Sheffield

Once the beating heart of the steel industry, Kelham Island is now one of the most exciting districts in Sheffield.

Hunter's Bar in Sheffield. The Beer House.

Hunter’s Bar, Sheffield

Encompassing Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road, Hunter’s Bar is known for its wide range of restaurants, bars, cafes and mix of independent and high street stores.

Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield

Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield

Spanning Devonshire Street and Division Street, the Devonshire Quarter brings the feel of an ‘urban village’ to Sheffield city centre. Head here for culture, vintage shopping and one-off cafes and bars.

Record Collector Sheffield. Broomhill and Crookes.

Broomhill and Crookes, Sheffield

Just west of the city centre are the suburbs of Broomhill and Crookes. Check out the interesting mix of cafes, shops and bars, and unwind in Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens.

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