Sheffield is one of five UK cities selected to host the major, multi-site exhibition.
Today (6 August 2025) Sheffield has been named as one of the host cities for the British Art Show – one of the UK’s most prestigious art events.
This landmark multi-venue exhibition will tour to Sheffield in October 2027 thanks to a partnership between Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Museums, Site Gallery, Yorkshire Artspace and Arts Catalyst.
British Art Show 10 opens in Coventry later this year, before touring to Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle Gateshead. This tenth edition marks the first time the exhibition will travel to five cities across the UK in its most extensive presentation to date.
We are absolutely delighted to have secured the return of British Art Show to Sheffield in 2027.
As one of the UK’s most significant and influential contemporary art exhibitions, its arrival is a major moment for our city and is another indication of Sheffield’s vibrant cultural scene. The show will not only bring world-class contemporary art to Sheffield’s doorstep, but it will also create exciting opportunities for local artists, communities, and visitors to engage with bold, thought-provoking work.
Hosting the British Art Show reinforces Sheffield’s reputation as a vibrant, creative city and will deliver lasting benefits for our residents, from increased cultural participation to economic uplift through tourism and events. We can’t wait to welcome the exhibition and share Sheffield’s unique spirit with audiences from across the UK and beyond.
Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, Chair of the Economic Development, Skills and Culture Committee at Sheffield City Council
Returning to Sheffield for the first time since 1985, British Art Show 10 will go on display across multiple venues in the city, including Graves Gallery, Millennium Gallery, Site Gallery and Yorkshire Artspace, and will be accompanied be a vibrant programme of events, display and activities.
We are thrilled to see the British Art Show return to Sheffield, over 40 years since it was first established in the city.
The concept of the British Art Show was informed by Sheffield’s then Director of Arts, Frank Constantine in the 1970s, so it is fitting that it should return to the city for this landmark 10th iteration.
We are delighted to be working with Ekow Eshun, the team at Hayward Gallery Touring and our colleagues in the city to bring the most engaging British contemporary art to Sheffield. Visual art is an important aspect of the city’s past and present, and as we look to the future of the Graves Gallery, we’re excited to be able to introduce dialogues with the works in the exhibition and Sheffield’s own significant visual art collection.
In making the best in contemporary art available to people on their doorstep, we have a fantastic opportunity to start meaningful conversations and inspire the next generation of Sheffield artists.
Kirstie Hamilton, Director of Programmes at Sheffield Museum
British Art Show is the largest and most significant recurring exhibition of contemporary art in the UK.
It was launched here in Sheffield in 1979 and takes place every five years. Over the past four decades, the exhibition has reached over 2.3 million people, highlighted new trends in contemporary art and reflected a changing Britain.
Under the vision of Ekow Eshun, who has been announced curator of British Art Show 10, the exhibit will provide a vital overview of the most exciting art produced in the UK during the past five years.
Further information about the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme will be announced in September, but will include a national programme that visits all four nations of the UK, of which the British Art Show is part.