RETRO: Dancing girls, Lucy Spraggan and the death of Embrace nightclub

Embrace nightclub in Sheffield which closed down after 14 years

Whatever your view, in the 14 years that the Burgess Street nightclub was open in Sheffield city centre, it forged a place at the heart of nights out for a generation of noughties students – and, in its previous guise as Kingdom, it was one of the most popular nightclubs of the 1990s too.

Embrace opened in May 2000 after a seven-figure sum was spent refurbishing the venue from its Kingdom days.

The 'Oscar' hairdressing night at Embrace nightclub

The club quickly established itself as one of the top haunts for nights out in Sheffield.

These photos show various events at the club.

Billed as ‘Sheffield’s super club’ by its owners, the venue put on a mix of R’nB, pop, indie and dance across five rooms.

The spot also attracted regular DJs and music stars, including rapper Coolio .

The Hairdressers Oscars event at Embrace nightclub

Pictured above are a group of dancing girls at the nightclub: Victoria Eames, Stevie Tarbuck, Steff Dalton and Laura Gregory.

Top right, the club also hosted the Hairdressers’ ‘ Oscars’.

The event, held in 2010, was set up in memory of Michael Charlesworth, the man behind Sheffield’s chain of Elite salons.

The event featured more than 80 young hairstylists from salons across South Yorkshire.

Pictured are the dancing girls from the new Embrace nightclub,Barkers Pool, Sheffield. They are, Victoria Eames, Stevie Tarbuck, Steff Dalton, and Laura Gregory.

It also raised funds for St Luke’s Hospice and Weston Park Hospital.

Sheffield’s own Lucy Spraggan, who rose to fame through success on ITV1’s The X Factor, was another name who graced the club’s stage.

But the club, much like Gatecrasher, Republic and Kingdom before it, sadly could not last forever.

The venue shut its doors 18 months ago, in July 2014.

The club was made subject to a compulsory purchase order by Sheffield Council.

The reason? To make way for the planned £480million New Retail Quarter, now renamed Sheffield Retail Quarter.

The Embrace building is situated in the heart of where Sheffield Council wants to construct the shopping district, which is aiming to revitalise the city centre and bring lost shopping spend back to the area again.

Embrace’s Jason Brook told The Star at the time: “Of course, it is sad to see the nightclub close.

“It is nearly 20 years ago since I first spotted the opportunity one lunchtime, while I was a student at Sheffield Hallam University.

“We all have some fantastic memories but now it is time to embrace the future .”