Surprise pop-up in Sheffield sees Reverend & The Makers and Steve Bracknall perform

Reverend & the Makers and TikTok personality Steve Bracknall are performing live in Sheffield city centre today as DJ AG hosts a street livestream outside Sheffield Town Hall - bringing thousands of online viewers and local crowds together.

The free event, running between 4pm and 8pm today (March 6), sees DJ AG set up on the steps of Sheffield Town Hall for one of his trademark open street sessions.

The performances are being streamed live to his 1.8 million followers on TikTok via @djagonline while people gather in the city centre to watch the show unfold in person.

Alongside Reverend & the Makers and Steve Bracknall with his Royal Oak FC, the line-up features a mix of established and emerging Sheffield artists.

Junglist Alliance are performing with guest MC Top Cat, while the Sheffield All Stars - including Coco, K-Dot, Aziza Jaye and Lavelle - also appear during the livestream.

Vocalist Steve Edwards is performing an extended version of his international dance hit “World, Hold On”, joined by WaterBear student MC Forca who adds an additional verse.

The city centre performance marks the launch of a new fully funded music scholarship for Sheffield artists.

WaterBear The College of Music has partnered with DJ AG to offer a fully funded BA Honours degree place for 2026 at its Sheffield campus.

The scholarship covers full tuition fees for the three-year Professional Music degree and includes mentoring support for the successful applicant.

The opportunity is open to artists working across performance, production, electronic music, music business and songwriting.

Applications open on April 1, 2026 and close onJune 30, 2026.

The artists appearing today were selected through an apply-to-play callout and public vote, giving local musicians the chance to perform.

DJ AG has built a reputation across the UK for championing grassroots talent through his open street livestreams.

His sessions regularly attract first-time performers alongside global stars including Skepta, JME, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Will Smith.

The new scholarship aims to create similar opportunities by helping talented musicians access higher education and industry connections.

Eve Massaad, Chief Marketing Officer at WaterBear, said: “There is an extraordinary amount of young talent coming through cities like Sheffield. But talent needs places to grow and people who believe in it.

“This scholarship is about recognising that potential and making sure the next generation of artists have both the education and the industry support they need.

“Working with DJ AG felt like a natural partnership because he has spent years creating opportunities for artists to step forward and be heard.

“We are proud to be launching this together in the heart of the city.”

Since 2018 WaterBear has awarded more than fourteen scholarships across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, with partners including Tramlines, The Sarah Nulty Foundation, The Leadmill, Slambarz and Pattern and Push in Sheffield.

The scholarship launch also comes as WaterBear continues to invest in Sheffield’s live music scene.

Earlier this year, the college confirmed that the long-running Devonshire Street venue The Green Room will reopen in June 2026 as The WaterBear Greenroom, securing the future of the space after more than two decades at the centre of the city’s independent music community.

Full eligibility details and application information will be published at: https://waterbear.org.uk/sheffield/