It will mark the Britpop legends’ return to the city following their triumphant Sheffield Arena shows in 2023, when they showcased a new song, Hymn of the North.
To celebrate the announcement, we’ve put together a few facts about the band you may not know, focusing on their early years in Sheffield.
Did you know how the band got their name, where their first gig took place, the first song a 15-year-old Jarvis Cocker wrote, and how a future member penned their first ever review?
For these facts and many more, read on.
5. Band's first ever gig was at Jarvis' school
Jarvis was born in Intake, Sheffield, and attended City School, on Stradbroke Road. That's where Pulp played their first ever gig during a Wednesday lunch break in March 1980, following encouragement from maths teacher Mr Jarvis. Jarvis Cocker remembers the occasion as a 'complete and utter humiliation' and he was so embarrassed he persuaded Mr Jarvis to delete the recording the teacher had made of the performance. Pulp's second performance was at Rotherham Arts Centre but it was their thrid gig at The Leadmill, in Sheffield city centre, on August 16, 1980, which Jarvis Cocker has described as the band's 'official birth date'. | Picture Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield
6. Jarvis' first ever song was inspired by Shakespeare
The first song Jarvis Cocker ever wrote, aged 15, was called Shakespeare Rock. He was studying Hamlet at the time and has said maybe that's where the 'germ of the idea' came from. It included the line: "I said, 'Baby, why you ignoring me?/She said, 'To be or not to be." It's fair to say his songwriting's come on a bit in the years since. | AFP via Getty Images Photo: AFP via Getty Images
7. Steve Mackey wasn't sure about joining Pulp at first
The late, great bassist Steve Mackey joined Pulp in 1989, having previously played in other local bands including Trolley Dog Shag. He joined after becoming friends with Jarvis but said it took some adjusting as he was used to being in 'really noisy bands' and Pulp were like an 'art band'. "It didn't seem very welcoming," he added. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
8. John Peel was Jarvis' greatest musical influence
Pulp's Peel Sessions are legendary but Jarvis Cocker was a big fan long before the band first appeared on his show. He described how once he stumbled on the John Peel Show as a boy, 'my musical education had entered its next phase'. He has described John Peel, pictured before receiving an honorary degree at Sheffield City Hall in November 1999, as his 'greatest musical influence'. It was after a John Peel Roadshow at Phoenix Hall, on Pond Street, Sheffield city centre, that an awkward Jarvis handed his hero a demo tape, which the DJ said he would listen to on his drive home. A week or so later, Jarvis got a telephone call inviting the band to the BBC studios in Maida Vale. The rest is history. | Picture Sheffield Newspapers Ltd Photo: Stuart Hastings