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Scene and Herd
EVENT OF THE WEEK
w/c 28th September 2026
Inspired by Crookes presents the Crookes Art Exhibition at St Timothy’s Church this October – a celebration of local creativity and community.
For months, artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience have been submitting artwork inspired by Crookes, and now it’s time for the big reveal. Every piece celebrates the area, its people, places and character, making this a true community event.
There’s an added prize too: 12 artists will have their work selected to appear in the Inspired by Crookes Calendar 2027, with the chosen pieces unveiled at the special Calendar Reveal on Friday evening.
The exhibition runs Friday 2nd October, 11am–7pm, and Saturday 3rd October, 11am–5pm, with the Calendar Reveal from 7–8.30pm on Friday, at St Timothy’s Church, Slinn Street, Crookes. Calendars will be available to buy for £10.
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Herd the Word
EVENT OF THE WEEK
w/c 28th September 2026
One of Sheffield’s longest-running community theatre groups, The Company, returns to the Drama Studio this weel with the world premiere of The Turning at Bly Manor, a new play by Sam Islam. Drawing on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and several of his other supernatural tales, the production shifts between 1899 and the present day to create a fresh take on the haunted-house story.
At the turn of the century, a young governess arrives at Bly Manor to care for Flora and Miles, only to find herself surrounded by apparitions, buried secrets and increasingly troubling behaviour. More than a century later, five people invited to uncover the mysteries of the estate vanish without a trace.
Directors Monica Gallo and Erin Whyte are approaching James’ gothic world through the lens of folk horror, introducing pagan folklore, ancient forces and a distinctly contemporary unease into the story. The ghosts of Bly collide with figures including the Green Man and pagan gods, while the manor itself appears to harbour something older and angrier beneath its idyllic surroundings. Whyte points to the isolation and secrecy of Bly as natural territory for folk horror, while Gallo describes the production as more than a conventional ghost story: its recurring concern is the way history bleeds into the present and patterns repeat themselves. Influences range from The Wicker Man to The VVitch and Midsommar, with the supernatural providing a way into anxieties that feel decidedly modern.
The production continues The Company’s recent run of horror shows, following The Haunting of Hill House in 2022, Night of the Living Dead™ Live in 2023 and Dracula in 2024.
The group has performed at Sheffield’s Drama Studio for more than 30 years, and Artistic Director Mark Todd says its latest production continues a tradition of finding inventive ways into familiar horror stories. Combining gothic ghosts, forbidden passions, folk mythology and what the company describes as an ancient force filled with feminine rage, The Turning at Bly Manor promises an appropriately unsettling opening to Sheffield’s spooky season.
It runs at Sheffield University Drama Studio from 30th September to 3rd October 2026.
OCTOBER 2026
TOP 4
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Your guide to the month ahead.
Check out our weekly event recommendations every Monday.
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Off the Shelf Festival
Sheffield’s Off The Shelf Festival of Words once again brings an impressive range of writers, journalists, historians and performers to venues across the city. Among the headline names are Marina Hyde, whose sharp political commentary has made her one of Britain’s most recognisable columnists; crime novelist and screenwriter Chris Chibnall, best known for creating Broadchurch and leading Doctor Who; and thriller powerhouse Lee Child, appearing with his brother Andrew Child to discuss the latest instalment in the hugely successful Jack Reacher series. Visitors can also hear from Booker Prize-winning novelist Ben Okri, forensic scientist Sue Black, and neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow, ensuring a programme that spans literature, science and contemporary affairs.
The festival also has a strong Yorkshire and Sheffield flavour. Local journalist and author Daniel Dylan-Wray will present Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, his celebration of Sheffield’s musical heritage, while historian David Templeman explores the city’s past in Ye Olde Sheffield Part 2. Poetry remains central to Off The Shelf, with appearances from Helen Mort, Katharine Towers, Carolyn Forché and Kwame Dawes, alongside an event marking the conclusion of Beth Davies’ tenure as Sheffield Poet Laureate. The programme demonstrates the festival’s continuing commitment to both internationally renowned guests and distinctive local voices.
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Contemporary British Painting Prize
As part of Sheffield’s busy autumn cultural calendar, the Contemporary British Painting Prize returns to Yorkshire Artspace this October, showcasing some of the most exciting painting being produced in the UK today. Running until 17th October, the exhibition brings together work by shortlisted artists from across the country, offering audiences the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of styles, subjects and approaches shaping contemporary painting. The prize has established a reputation for highlighting both emerging and established talent, making it a key event for anyone interested in current developments in British visual art.
Rather than focusing on a single theme, the exhibition celebrates the breadth and vitality of contemporary painting, presenting works that explore personal identity, politics, place, memory and the changing nature of representation itself. Visitors can expect to encounter everything from large-scale figurative canvases to more abstract and experimental approaches, reflecting the richness of Britain’s current artistic landscape.
Hosted by Yorkshire Artspace, one of Sheffield’s leading centres for contemporary visual art, the exhibition provides an opportunity for local audiences to experience nationally significant work without leaving the city. For those interested in painting, contemporary culture or the wider visual arts scene, the Contemporary British Painting Prize is one of Sheffield’s most notable exhibitions this autumn and a strong reminder of the city’s growing reputation as a destination for contemporary art.
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Steel City Beer & Cider Festival
Steel City Beer & Cider Festival returns to Kelham Island Museum from Wednesday 21st to Saturday 24th October, marking its 50th edition. The festival will feature around 200 cask ales, 70 rotating keg beers and 30 ciders and perries, alongside street food, live entertainment, traditional pub games and demonstrations of the River Don Steam Engine.
The 2026 programme includes talks, tours and tutored tastings, including Where Are All the Women?, a Women On Tap session at 1pm on Saturday led by Rachel Auty, founder of Women On Tap CIC. The session explores women’s role in beer and features three beers brewed by women. Other highlights include a beer-and-music pairing with Pete Brown, a history of Kelham Island Brewery and the popular Heritage Walk, while live music comes from Highway Child, Soul Battalion and The 88s.
The festival opens from 5pm on Wednesday, with earlier preview access for CAMRA members, trade and sponsors, then from 11.30am on Thursday and Friday and 11am on Saturday. Entry is free for CAMRA members, while non-members pay £5 on Thursday and £8 on Friday and Saturday, with a £3 festival glass required.
With its mix of Sheffield brewing heritage, guest beers, cider and a packed programme of events, the festival promises a lively end-of-October celebration at Kelham Island.
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Sensoria Festival
Sensoria returns to Sheffield from 22nd - 25th October for its 19th edition, bringing together music, film and digital creativity across venues throughout the city. This year’s theme, “Plantasia”, takes inspiration from the cult 1976 Moog album Mother Earth’s Plantasia, exploring connections between technology, music and the natural world. As ever, Sensoria’s appeal lies in its willingness to move beyond the conventional festival format, creating a space where experimental sound, cinema and visual art can collide.
One of the weekend’s standout events comes on Saturday 24th October with Turntablism and Tapes: analogue audiovisuals at the University of Sheffield’s Drama Studio. Reel Steel and Zaron (Interworld) will mix vinyl film scores with live VHS cinema, before Sculpture deliver an immersive set built from samplers, tape reels, cassette players and custom projection. Their use of turntables to create zoetrope animation promises an especially tactile experience - nostalgic and radically inventive.
Elsewhere, the programme ranges from live electronic music and audiovisual performance to film screenings, installations and SynthFest UK, while SensoriaPro brings together composers, filmmakers, music supervisors, publishers and games developers. Taken as a whole, the 2026 festival continues Sensoria’s distinctive fascination with the space where music meets moving image and technology. For the full programme, click here