Sheffield Leadmill: Electric Sheffield reveals when exciting new venue in iconic club site will open
This is how the new music venue due to replace The Leadmill will look - and it has now been confirmed when it will open.
Bosses at Electric Sheffield have issued pictures of how the venue will look when the doors open after a £2 million programme of works to transform the building, which was home to The Leadmill for 45 years.
And they have now confirmed that they expect to open in late February 2026.
Bosses say it will be a music-first venue and will have increased capacity and accessibility compared to before, and said in a statement this week that a packed schedule and subsidised creative hub will boost the cultural power of Sheffield, enhanced with collaborations and partnerships that give back locally.
It will have an increased capacity with 1,050 for live gigs and 1,450 for club events, and Electric Group said there will be an inclusive and forward-thinking calendar of events including gigs, club nights, following a ‘curated, eclectic programming policy’ designed to bring new audiences in.
They are also installing a new sound system, advanced lighting and production installations, to improve the sound and visual experiences.
Taking in feedback from locals and industry, the refurbishment is significant, with upgrades including a redesigned venue layout with all-new bars, improved stage sightlines, and increased capacity.
They are also fitting new customer staircases, new toilets and cloakroom on the first floor, with disabled access.
In addition to the club and gig facilities, it will have spaces for a collaborative workspace including a rehearsal room, communal area and kitchen for Sheffield’s next generation of musicians, DJs, and artists.
The refurbishment will also bring back into use the building’s second and third floors, which they say were once a hub for Sheffield’s creative community in the 1980s; and Eledctric Group says they will restore and bring them back into use for the first time in decades.
They say that they aim to reconnect the building with its 1980s legacy as a cornerstone of the city’s artistic life.
Alan Deadman, a Sheffield music promoter and founder of the Tramlines festival was an original member of the Leadmill Arts Cooperative.
He said: “There’s a cyclical thing… Just as the Leadmill venue was a very powerful stimulus in 1980 in the morale of the creative community, the Electric Studios will do that again.”
Mike Weller, Head of Music for Electric Group, says: “This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve been involved in, bolstered by the positivity and support from local bands, DJs, and promoters.
“The Electric Studios Sheffield music programme is built on our demonstrable passion and success in delivering an eclectic mix of live music, club, and wider events across our venues.
“I hope to collaborate with the best in the business, from local and up-and-coming future stars, to established and international teams and artists, in the mission to make this venue a must-book and must-attend destination for promoters, producers, performers and music fans.”
Dominic Madden, Co-Founder of Electric Group, adds: “Sheffield is a special city, and with the plans for Electric Studios, we are committed to a programme of substantial investment, refurbishment and curation for it to thrive - with a modern vision that respects the cultural significance of the building and history of the existing venue while putting the artist and fan experience front and centre of our plans.
“Having discussed the ethos of the original Leadmill cooperative with the founders of the Leadmill Arts Cooperative, the one thing that resonated with me was their demonstrable success in providing opportunity to young people at the time. We can now step up and provide support to young creative Sheffielders at the start of their journey.
“Work here so far is creating over 100 jobs, as it is being finalised for opening next Spring when we look forward to welcoming music lovers to the latest addition to the Electric circuit of special music venues.”
The Leadmill first opened in 1980 as an arts venue in the city, and has hosted a succession of big name music stars since then.
Phil Mills who ran The Leadmill at the site on Leadmill Road until recently took over in 1994, turning it from a charity into a profit making business.
The building was bought in 2017 by The Electric Group, which runs a number of music venues, and has said the company wants to keep the building as a music venue.
The Leadmill name still lives on, and Mr Mills is running events under its branding at locations around the city.