In a city bursting with talented musicians, artists and creative thinkers, work is due to begin on the brand new, Event Central venue in Sheffield city centre to enable them to show off their skills.
Plans for the building, located in the middle of Fargate, have been confirmed between Sheffield City Council and the future operator, Creative Arts Development Space, with work expected to begin by the end of August.
Once complete, the new venue will be home to a 200-person live event space, café/bar area on the ground floor with the four upper floors being used as co-working space along with meeting rooms. It is expected the venue will be able to host a wide-ranging programme of community events, showcases, exhibitions, workshops and talks when work is complete.
Sheffield is home to some legendary venues, known across the country and we want Event Central to be added to that list. A venue where the next generation of Sheffield bands begin their journey, the next great artists displayed their work for the first time and the place where meetings will be held that will shape the future of this great city and beyond.
This project will breathe life back into the building, transforming it into a venue we can all be proud of.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council
A section of Fargate will be used by the contractors, Willmott Dixon, as their work site for while the building work is taking place, but once the compound has been moved, the current tarmac will be replaced with the beautiful paving seen across the rest of Fargate.
Our local team of regeneration experts bring a wealth of experience to Event Central, and we’re delighted to play our part in the regeneration of Fargate, creating a space designed to empower this city’s boundless creativity.
We will ensure creating opportunities for the local community is at the heart of this project. Willmott Dixon, alongside its supply chain partners, is set to deliver 300 hours of employment support to local residents, creating two new employment opportunities for local people who are not in education, employment or training. We will also support 75 weeks of apprenticeship training for young people and volunteer upwards of 150 hours in support of local organisations.
We have already started to work with FoodCycle Sheffield, Hillsborough Job Centre and Opportunity Sheffield and have been delighted to engage with students at Notre Dame High School and Sheffield Springs Academy.
Chris Yates, Yorkshire director for Willmott Dixon
The Council has continued to work with the operator, Creative Arts Development Space and Willmott Dixon, the contractor, putting final details into the design for the project, which has a budget of £14.4million. The Council has also submitted a request for the final half of that amount to be allocated, £7.8 million having already been received, so transformation of the unit to Event Central can begin at the end of August with completion expected during the second half of 2026.
The city centre is transforming into a fantastic place for people to live, work and enjoy with many venues already becoming must visit places including the likes of Cambridge Street Collective and Leah’s Yard. The addition of Event Central and the flexibility the space will provide will only strengthen the appeal of the city centre and encourage more and more people to come and see for themselves how amazing Sheffield really is.
Cllr Miskell