Sheffield music night Under the Wire marks first year with free eight-hour celebration
What started as a weekly gathering at the Porter Cottage has developed into a wider Sheffield music network, with festival slots, professional bookings and a first anniversary event now planned in the city centre.
A Sheffield music night that began as an idea in a pub is celebrating its first year with a free eight-hour event in the city centre.
Under the Wire started at the Porter Cottage on Sharrow Vale Road and has since grown into a grassroots community that brings together new performers and experienced players, while also opening up opportunities beyond its weekly sessions.
The event has already helped musicians onto festival stages, featured in events including Sheffield Food Festival and Tramlines, and is now building towards a booking agency.
To mark the milestone, Under the Wire will host live entertainment at The Church House in Sheffield on Sunday 25 October 2026, from 2.30pm until approximately 10.30pm. Entry will be free.
The anniversary line-up will feature solo acts, bands and jam sessions, with musicians who have helped shape the project from the start. Among those appearing are Alexandra Wild, Harri Larkin, Paul Kenny, Junaina Rahman and Rose Ingalill, as well as Babies Floating in Space, Slothstalgia and the Under the Wire Showcase Band.
The Ryan Taylor Trio Band will close the evening, with a jam also included on the programme.
Musician Dan Millson launched Under the Wire with help from friends and fellow performers 12 months ago. He said: “I thought we were starting a night where musicians could come together and play. I never imagined how quickly people would embrace it or how much would grow out of it.
“With the help of so many friends and musicians, it’s taken on a life of its own. People meet at the sessions, start playing together and create opportunities for each other. Now we’re helping turn those connections into professional bookings.”
Author Neil Anderson, who has spent the past 15 years documenting Sheffield’s music heritage, said: “I’ve been to Under the Wire sessions and the buzz is fantastic. There are young musicians playing alongside seasoned professionals and an audience that’s clearly loving it. It is turning into a real movement.”
Under the Wire runs every Wednesday at 8pm at the Porter Cottage.