New festival will bring free art, film and shows plus a feast of food to 'underused' space in Sheffield city centre this summer

A new free summer festival celebrating the best of Sheffield’s art, food, theatre, film and more in an ‘underused’ city location has been announced.
By Ellen Beardmore
Published 3rd Aug 2021, 11:12 BST
Updated 4th Aug 2021, 09:03 BST
The festival will bring entertainment to the 'underused' Tudor SquareThe festival will bring entertainment to the 'underused' Tudor Square
The festival will bring entertainment to the 'underused' Tudor Square

Festival On The Square, a brand new immersive festival, will arrive at Tudor Square on Monday August 16 and run until August 30.

Showcasing the cream of the crop of Sheffield’s cultural scene, Festival On The Square will play host to live art installations, blockbuster film screenings, theatre shows, live entertainment and circus skills, and interactive workshops supported by some of the city’s best food and drink traders.

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The event will be delivered by Tom Lord of hospitality consultancy Bar Craft and Justin Rowntree from SweetSpot Hospitality thanks to a grant from Sheffield Council COVID19 Economic Recovery Fund.

Justin Rowntree is one half of the duo behind the festivalJustin Rowntree is one half of the duo behind the festival
Justin Rowntree is one half of the duo behind the festival

Tom said: “We’ve all been hugely impacted by the pandemic and we see this as an opportunity to come together to start to rebuild our industries. “Sheffield is a brilliant place packed full of great arts and culture and what better way to celebrate it than to create a space to showcase it all for free in the heart of the city.”

Justin added: “Tudor Square is such an underused space within the city. It’s in a great location and is the perfect place for us to start to rebuild and bring communities back together again."

The festival will be catered by by local bars and restaurants, with an onsite coffee cart from Danish cafe HYGGE and ice cream van from historic Sheffield company Granellis.

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There will be exhibitions from local galleries and artists such as Burton Street Gallery, art creation workshops and a dedicated mural space for visitors to leave their mark.

The theatre programme on the final weekend will be held directly outside the Crucible and Lyceum and is curated by Sheffield Theatres.

A broad, exciting programme of films put together by Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema, will also run throughout the festival. The full programme will be revealed soon, but expect everything from Yorkshire classics like Kes and family-favourites like the The Lion King.

Throughout the festival, live music including buskers and street performers will perform.

Related topics:SheffieldJustin RowntreeSheffield Theatres