I have read a few posts recently on this site about Sheffield nightlife, in particular those comparing it unfavourably to Leeds, Manchester etc. In many respects such a comparison is unfair because Leeds and Manchester, in terms of the size of the city centre, absolutely dwarf Sheffield. And because of this, it is hard for Sheffield to be on an even keel when it comes to the bar and clubbing stakes.

The problem with Sheffield is it is a city with a town centre. You can walk from one side to the other in under 10 minutes. And throwing up loads of identikit bars in a square mile radius is not going to alter this fact. Sheffield does not have the sheer geographical or architectural variation and settings that make places like Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool etc such a good night out. Anyone who has been to the Lace Market / Hockley in Nottingham, or some of the canal side bars in Leeds will know what I am talking about.

I have lived in Sheffield over 11 years now, and really love the city. But the fact is, it has a very limited appeal to the late 20s / early 30s crowd. I mean, where is there really to go? I also think it is a pretty restricting place to be living if you are in this age bracket and single. 90% of bars seem to be full of 18-21 year old students or are just plain awful (Yates, Westway, The bedroom)

Yes, the Forum, Revolution etc are nice bars, but you cant go there week in week out. This is certainly a contributing factor to me selling up and moving next year. Sheffield is a brilliant place to be a student, and a safe, green and friendly city. But for myself, and certainly a lot of my friends my age, it just can’t offer enough.

What do other people think?

I would agree - Sheffield's often called the biggest village in England.

Having said that, that's why I'm still here. I came about 20 years ago, having been a student in Manchester.

Sheffield isn't good for night life but the quality of life as a whole here suits me better.

Joe

Leeds and Manchester might have better night life and shopping etc. etc. but that wouldn't make me leave Sheffield to live in either of them, they don't have the same feeling as Sheffield.

Originally posted by mikebayly
I have lived in Sheffield over 11 years now, and really love the city. But the fact is, it has a very limited appeal to the late 20s / early 30s crowd. I mean, where is there really to go? I also think it is a pretty restricting place to be living if you are in this age bracket and single. 90% of bars seem to be full of 18-21 year old students or are just plain awful (Yates, Westway, The bedroom)



I know exactly what you mean its a very difficult age bracket to be in, for places to go out in Sheffield, no offence to anyone but there doesnt seem to be anywhere for the late 20s/early 30s crowd to go, its really frustrating at times to always have to drink in bars/pubs surrounded by teens/early 20s or middle-aged/old people.:suspect:

Manchester & Leeds are light years ahead on this front, Manchester of course is HUGE compared to Sheffield, but Leeds is roughly the same as Sheffield, its only the abundance of affluent young professionals that increases the numbers of bars/clubs there. Leeds has some super-cool sophisticated chill-out bars popping up all over the place!

Been out drinking in both Liverpool at Nottingham loads and would have to say at best Liverpool on a level with Sheff, Nottingham though no way better nightlife than Sheffield NO WAY!

i completly disagree that you can walk across the centre in 10 mins it not possible, you try walkin from park square roundabout near pondforge right to the harley pub, bet you coulndt do it. The city centre is bigger than you think a lot of people for some dumb reason think the city centre is fargate and west street area people for some reason dont consider places like the whicker a part of the centre even though it is. Until recently i didnt know parts of netherthorpe are part of the edge of the city centre. It ****** me off when people say the centre is small cos people dont take all the area's in consideration

Originally posted by eighty4
i completly disagree that you can walk across the centre in 10 mins it not possible, you try walkin from park square roundabout near pondforge right to the harley pub, bet you coulndt do it. The city centre is bigger than you think a lot of people for some dumb reason think the city centre is fargate and west street area people for some reason dont consider places like the whicker a part of the centre even though it is. Until recently i didnt know parts of netherthorpe are part of the edge of the city centre. It ****** me off when people say the centre is small cos people dont take all the area's in consideration

I think people include the areas that people actually (want to) go to...

I haven't even found the city centre here in Brum yet, it's enormous! I've been to the Bullring and out on Broad Street but I'm totally confused it's so huuuggge! I like the compactness of Sheffield but nightlife is just not even worth comparing with somewhere like here in Brum or other big cities.

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
I know exactly what you mean its a very difficult age bracket to be in, for places to go out in Sheffield, no offence to anyone but there doesnt seem to be anywhere for the late 20s/early 30s crowd to go, its really frustrating at times to always have to drink in bars/pubs surrounded by teens/early 20s or middle-aged/old people.:suspect:

Manchester & Leeds are light years ahead on this front, Manchester of course is HUGE compared to Sheffield, but Leeds is roughly the same as Sheffield, its only the abundance of affluent young professionals that increases the numbers of bars/clubs there. Leeds has some super-cool sophisticated chill-out bars popping up all over the place!

Been out drinking in both Liverpool at Nottingham loads and would have to say at best Liverpool on a level with Sheff, Nottingham though no way better nightlife than Sheffield NO WAY!

I totaly agree with you on this one thats why i decided to do something about it.on a saturday to

www.soulphisticated.net

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
Been out drinking in both Liverpool at Nottingham loads and would have to say at best Liverpool on a level with Sheff, Nottingham though no way better nightlife than Sheffield NO WAY!

Got to disagree there. When I moved from Sheffield to Liverpool 10 years ago the difference in nightlife was just staggering, and it remains so in my opinion. There's more choice, more variety, and late opening throughout the city centre every night of the week. My frustration with Sheffield's town-like vibe and stifling licensing decisions was one of the factors in my decision to move after 27 years, though I understand that others prefer Sheffield the way it is.

Sheffield is a great place to bring up a family.
Perhaps many late 20s and early 30s folk are doing just that and up until now there hasn't been such a call for night life for this age group.
Just a thought!

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
Been out drinking in both Liverpool at Nottingham loads and would have to say at best Liverpool on a level with Sheff, Nottingham though no way better nightlife than Sheffield NO WAY!
I think I have to agree with Damon on this. Whilst I haven't boozed around Liverpool and therefore in no position to compare Sheffield with Liverpool, I have boozed in Nottingham on many occasions, and I have to admit that Nottingham beats Sheffield hands down for quality and quantity of bars, and of course you can't put Sheffield anywhere near Leeds or Manchester with their generous licensing hours quality and number of bars etc, nor compare Sheffield with Leeds, Nottingham or Manchester for vibrancy.

I think I'm gonna have to disagree with the general vibe here.
Sheffield really is a hub of creativity and soul, although it sometimes gets hidden by the hills and shrubbery. Basically, dig deeper and you will be rewarded. The geography of this lil ewok city may stunt its growth, but Shef is on a par with any of the other northern cities, especially considering the limited number of venues available, and is in many ways far ahead of them. I came to Sheffield in 1999 as a student, having mainly gone out clubbing etc. previously in Leeds. In my opinion, nights in the larger cities are generally overblown and watered-down, as there is a greater tendency to appeal to a lowest-common denominator crowd. Shef parties are more grass roots and intimate, and build upon a sense of community. They are also more likely to attract a loyal, faithful crowd with a sense of adventure and fun, and people tend to be a bit more open-minded. I'm thinking here Rough Disko, Do your Thing, Lights Down Low, C90, Rude Movements etc. Other cities have these underground jams but, maybe due to a matter of relative impact, they are less influential. Star remixer Blackbeard said that Lights Down Low was his favourite ever gig, despite playing at larger venues in the other norvern conurbations, essentially because the crowd was so responsive and actually smiling.

Another case in point is 7x7, without doubt the most socialist concept in DJing: seven people, be they famous, once-famous or never-likely-to-be-famous, play their favourite seven seven inches. Like Warhol's 15 minutes meets dubplate karaoke, 7x7 is a true communal disco, without boundaries or pretension. It is also the original - other cities, including Leeds have actually copied the idea (the Manc one was actually the same crew...). Crucially, the Leeds version only booked 'REAL' DJs, not the average Joanne with a passion for music, and so completely missed the point.

Loads of new bars are opening up anyway, so you can always stand around posing and mingle with vacuous metrosexual hairdressers (no offense to hairdressers -- then again, even Shef hairdressers are nicer people).

I do actually kind of agree with defstef to a point, but I think it illustrates the general drift of this thread. The casual visitor to the city doesn't generally have sufficient intimate city knowledge to discover all the hidden delights, and while that's fine for those in the know on the scene, it does help engender this feeling that Sheffield is not so vibrant.

I suppose you might well argue that this doesn't matter, and it's actually the underground currents that have fed Sheffield's love of the off-beat and eccentric from the late seventies till now. I would be sympathetic to that argument too.

But in the end, I eventually got right royally chuffed off with the way people wanting to open great venues were treated by the authorities, along with the lack of 'buzz' in town, and I left. And my preference is not for hairdresser bars, but grassroots nights with a bit of grit and passion served in a climate in which you don't have to go home at 11.

I've not been out drinking in Liverpool this year,kind of over did it abit last year, but unless there has been an explosion of bars and clubs there I wouldn't go as far to say the difference is staggering compared to Sheffield.

Certainly the people in Liverpool are just as friendly as in Sheffield, but the city centre feels even less sleepy and smaller than Sheffield's, take away the Liverpool docks/water front and it becomes so obvious how poor their city centre really is for a major city.

I do love Liverpool though its the only city other than Sheffield or Leeds I would consider living in mainly because of the friendliness of the people and the natural fresh air feel of the city.

Can't say the same about Nottingham, got to be one of my least favourite cities in the country, I just find the place so dull, grim and oppressive, I can never wait to leave the place.

I don't think the bars and pubs there are anything to shout, very over-rated IMO and the people there so unfriendly or what?!

Things are moving forward in Sheffield with the nightlife, more and more bars applying for late licences and new places do seem to be opening up all the time specially around the Devonshire Quarter, looking forward to the bars and restaurants opening in Leopold Sqaure next year.

I like sheffield because it's safe and I feel I can go out at night without an armed guard.

No way would I go out in Manchester or Nottingham without a group of lads.

Hurray for sheffield! :clap:

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
Certainly the people in Liverpool are just as friendly as in Sheffield, but the city centre feels even less sleepy and smaller than Sheffield's, take away the Liverpool docks/water front and it becomes so obvious how poor their city centre really is for a major city.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree skyfitsboy. There are breathtaking buildings round every corner in Liverpool's central district, and as for 'take away the Liverpool docks/water front'...

The docks/waterfront are the raison d'etre of Liverpool - how can you consider the city without them?

Anyway, I'm probably being too harsh on my ol' homestead. Let's hear it for the great Sheffield nights I've enjoyed in my time - Jive Turkey, Occasions, H2O, DCM, The Steamer, La Videotech (mid-eighties version), Wax Lyrical, Rise, Blech, Sabotage, and so on and so on... <retires gracefully as age begins to show...>

Yeah I'll agree to disagree:thumbsup:

Just a couple of years ago bars with stylish sophisticated interiors like Bai Hoi and Crystal would have been unthinkable in Sheffield, these are great examples of the new face of the cities nightlife emerging, both are great chill-out bars in the daytime but come Fri/Sat nights you can't swing a cat inside them:gag:

We need WAY more bars like this to relieve the overload on the few decent ones we have, with loads more cityliving apartments on the way I dont think we will have to wait much longer.

And back to the original post, Mike's right about the fact that Sheffield and indeed South Yorkshire bars seem to be full of 18 to around 22 year olds, students and chavs alike, but what about the 30 and 40 somethings. There's nothing around. Sheffield needs something like a Tiger Tiger, which caters for 21-plus. In Leeds, people of all ages are seen at weekend nights, and there are bars like Tiger Tiger, The Living Room, Prohibition, Firefly, Babycream, Oracle, a new one has just opened called Epernay, etc - all of which stay open until 2am.

If much of the nightlife in Sheffield is essentially aimed at the 18-22 demographic, then this is often entirely due to short-sighted management, or most often bar managers who think they are DJs (who can blame them, there's at least 60 million DJs in the UK: 57M citizens and 3M illegals)
Let's hope that the new bars around Leopold Sq. and DQ don't succumb to the dark side the way the *wonderful* Bia Hoi and Crystal did...essentially, not naming any names, but I know for a fact that for 3 months last summer Bia Hoi hired a DJ for Fridays who still plays in many other parts of town in the regular joints, playing an ecclectic mix of records with soul and depth (hip-hop, house, disco, funk, reggae, blah blah, etc.) and every week playing to a packed crowd who obviously enjoyed the music, by virtue of them actually expressing this fact, and saying so. The major demographic was 25-35, roughly equal in terms of gender and a very mixed crowd. People actually smiled and had a good time. The management were unhappy that the bar wasn't attracting enough students (who, of course, are gonna spend as much as affluent young professionals with an income...err?), and replaced the handsome young DJ with some buffoon playing bootlegs of like, George Fornby over Tweet or summat. Hopefully, they took less money. I'm not bitter.
I also heard that the SoYo conglomerate that owns Kingdom allegedly also owns Crystal, and that in a vain attempt to boost bar sales (in what, it has to be said, is a beautiful bar) it's gonna somehow shape it into a Kingdom pre-bar (this kind of brilliant idea seems to come easily to bar managers and owners all over Sheffield).
Here's a good idea for prospective and current Shef Bar owners: If you're gonna have a classy bar, with a forward thinking events policy...STICK WITH IT. Or maybe: stop pandering to students and do things because you believe in them. Look at Dulo's. It is the best pub in Sheffield (maybe on an equal footing with the Lezzie), and it doesn't need to have any daft marketing tricks in order to pull it off.

Originally posted by firecracker
And back to the original post, Mike's right about the fact that Sheffield and indeed South Yorkshire bars seem to be full of 18 to around 22 year olds, students and chavs alike, but what about the 30 and 40 somethings. There's nothing around. Sheffield needs something like a Tiger Tiger, which caters for 21-plus. In Leeds, people of all ages are seen at weekend nights, and there are bars like Tiger Tiger, The Living Room, Prohibition, Firefly, Babycream, Oracle, a new one has just opened called Epernay, etc - all of which stay open until 2am.

Sheffield definitely needs to get with it and get some super-cool bars like these in Leeds:

Tiger Tiger (http://www.tigertiger-leeds.co.uk/inside.asp), Fudge Bar (http://www.barfudge.co.uk/), Prohibition (http://www.prohibition.uk.com/), Babycream (http://www.barsintheuk.com/bardetails.asp?region=Yorkshire&id=192), Babylon (http://www.barsintheuk.com/bardetails.asp?region=Yorkshire&id=54)

This gets debated so many times why dont people seem to understand that it is a city ? there's no tag involved. Here is what wikipedia has to say on what a city is, i hope it helps you

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City

This thread is not debating whether Sheffield is a town or a city. It is discussing whether or not Sheffield offers the amenities - specifically in the night time economy - that one would reasonably expect from a major city.

Im sure that if you we had lived in Leeds all our life and gone to the same places each week we would say it was rubbish and that after a trip to Sheffield 'the nighlife is much better'.Its just that we are used to Sheffield and it gets boring!!

Having lived in Sheff the majority of my life (born & bred) except a brief spell living in L**ds last year, I can honestly say we are so far behind (not only in terms of nightlife) but also in terms of daylife!

Sheffield is slowly begining to develop a vibrancy about the City centre, but still lags way behind much smaller cities like Nottingham, Liverpool etc. Both places I have had quite a few nights / day's out.

Someone touched upon the fact that Sheff City centre is considered by many to be just around Fargate. One of the reasons for this is because places like "Wicker" "The Moor" "Castlegate" all within the boundaries of the centre, are so run-down. Therefore potential investors, be it fashionable bars / clubs / hotels / shops have very little choice in Sheff, of places to develop. Therefore turn to places like Nottingham, L**ds, Manchester etc where the whole of the centre's are thriving and attracting custom.

We are slowly starting to see the "Slum" areas of the City centre pushed back, as new developments are planned for "Castlegate" and "The Moor". If you walk around Sheffield City centre you have "West St / Devonshire Qrt" where you can enjoy classy bars / shops / restaurants etc. In other cities you much more variety.

Its a simple matter of economics - for a whole host of historical reasons - there just arent the amount of well paid jobs in Sheffield that there are in Manchester or Leeds. So it follows that there arent the same amount of young(ish) people with loads of spare cash to populate fashionable bars & restaurants - (... though there are obviously lots of cheap all you can eat buffet places.. )

I love Sheffiled as a city and like the fact that its easy going & friendly - again probably down to historical reasons (if you went back 50 years ago - everyone worked in heavy industry and so was pretty much in the same boat) - but its going to take some serious economic changes before it will be anywhere like Manchester or Leeds - but personally I'm happy with it the way it is.

The reason that Sheffield has not got such a good nightlife has nothing to do with the size of the city, its simple really....

SHEFFIELD HAS NO VENUES!!!!!!!!!!

I shout this coz it'z really fustrating.... Sheffield has suffered a shortage of venue for nights to be put on!!!

So many venues want to put their own events on, which has a tendancy for them all to be the same....student nights! I have been organising events in Sheffield for 8 years and at the moment its particularly bad... I am currently looking for a venue for a monthly night and several events but there are very few places, most either because they are having refits or are limited due to licencing laws.

If you have a venue, get in touch...

Im a recent convert to the excitement of Sheffield.
I confess - i come from the South but have fallen in love with sheffield.

The night life is fab (and much cheaper than London!)

There are some graeat bars/reataurants including:
Bia Hoi. Mapplin Steeet close to the Economics Dept
Cubana Tapas Bar
Ha Ha Bar and Canteen

and I like the buildings!

Most of all its more elaxed and people are more polite!

sheffs night life is more than enough for me, so what if the town centre is small, that makes is much easyer to ger around after a few!, theres a club 2 suit everyones tastes, how many places do you know that caters for everybody? corparation, niche two totally different places, we have loads of gigging spots from the arena to the grapes, so sheffield nightlife will do 4 me!

Originally posted by nonstopable
The reason that Sheffield has not got such a good nightlife has nothing to do with the size of the city, its simple really....

SHEFFIELD HAS NO VENUES!!!!!!!!!!.

Probably the single truest statement on this thread so far.....
Sheffield is DIRE for venues.....there is simply not enough space in the very restrictive and SMALL city/town centre.......always been the same......

But I have to agree with the majority opinion on this thread, Sheffield City/town centre IS very small compared to most others.....and actually offers very little compared to the cities mentioned earlier on this thread. I cant see the situation improving as long as clubs and bars cater solely for the 18-25 yr old chav squad and student market........

Club Managers got greedy around the late 80s onwards. because before then nightclubs in Sheffield did not PANDER to students like they do now....prior to around 1985/6 you would be hard pressed to find ANY nightclub actually running a dedicated STUDENT night of any description at all outrside of the two student Unions....The increase in student numbers has led to a proliferation of bland and meaningless 'student' nights, at the expense of anything else worthwhile.........

Its easy to do. Think like a Club/Bar owner for a second.......er....CASH CASH CASH MONEY MONEY MONEY.....FORGET quality, FORGET style...FORGET everything except raking in the notes........thats what its all about in Sheffield. Making a fast buck and getting out....

Originally posted by goldenfleece
CASH CASH CASH MONEY MONEY MONEY.....FORGET quality, FORGET style...FORGET everything except raking in the notes........thats what its all about in Sheffield. Making a fast buck and getting out....


Shame!
:mad:

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
Sheffield definitely needs to get with it and get some super-cool bars like these in Leeds:

Tiger Tiger (http://www.tigertiger-leeds.co.uk/inside.asp), Fudge Bar (http://www.barfudge.co.uk/), Prohibition (http://www.prohibition.uk.com/), Babycream (http://www.barsintheuk.com/bardetails.asp?region=Yorkshire&id=192), Babylon (http://www.barsintheuk.com/bardetails.asp?region=Yorkshire&id=54)

I don't necessarily agree with you and think bars like these (especially Tiger Tiger) will do Sheffield more harm than good. The Leeds attitude of bars 'to be seen in', exclusive membership, VIP areas and all that crap is a dangerouse area to move into and creates nightlife snobbery which is the one area where Sheffield really does succeed - it's a city for the people and not just the elite.

Sure, it lacks in venues and bars but let's at least encourage warm, friendly, individual bars with greater variety in style and music rather than high-end 'towny' bars like many in Leeds.

Couldn't agree more about Leeds. Tiger Tiger is a massive towny temple, incidentally owned by a large london business. Prohibition has a bit more individuality but is equally still part of a chain. What Sheffield need's is more friendly bars and venues that have their own unique individuality - look at Dulo, Wig & Pen, 2 good examples, & both on the fringes of the "city." More of them please.
And lets hope Leopold Square, incidentally some of the finest victorian buildings in Sheffield, gets some great bars and restaurants and doesnt just fill up with National chains with no soul or passion for Sheffield.

But at the end of the day, Leeds bars like Prohibition, The Living Room, Tiger Tiger, Babycream etc are superior to anything which exists in Sheffield.

And lets hope Leopold Square, incidentally some of the finest victorian buildings in Sheffield, gets some great bars and restaurants and doesnt just fill up with National chains with no soul or passion for Sheffield.

Could'nt agree more.... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Originally posted by firecracker
But at the end of the day, Leeds bars like Prohibition, The Living Room, Tiger Tiger, Babycream etc are superior to anything which exists in Sheffield.

How about a Oceana venue in Sheffield, like the 7million one that opens in Leeds this Friday?

Oceana Leeds (http://www.oceana.at/pages/content.asp?PageID=382)

Even Gatecrahser has now opened a superior version of the Sheffield original in Leeds with europes largest video screen dance floor:rolleyes:

Discotheque Gatecrasher Leeds (http://www.neverstandstill.com/discotheque/club_visuals)

GODDDDDDDDDD why didn't I decide to go to uni in leeds..

Originally posted by skyfitsboy
How about a Oceana venue in Sheffield, like the 7million one that opens in Leeds this Friday?

Oceana Leeds (http://www.oceana.at/pages/content.asp?PageID=382)

Even Gatecrahser has now opened a superior version of the Sheffield original in Leeds with europes largest video screen dance floor:rolleyes:

Discotheque Gatecrasher Leeds (http://www.neverstandstill.com/discotheque/club_visuals)
To too many, it seems as if sophistication beyond the Brown Bear just isn't wanted. :gag:

Its so bad in Sheffield we had to move to Leeds to get a venue!!!

It's a rocker's heaven...what with the Dove and Rainbow, Nelson and Corporation at staggering distance from each other. :)

Rite Theres One Problem With The venues in leeds and nobody has noticed it yet.... the problem is that its LEEDS and who wants to go to a club called babycream i know i don't! Sheffs Nightlife is Brill, Anybody go to the leadmill for free last night?
how many clubs stay open For 25 years, Only in sheff, and i dont want to dance a a stupid video dancefloor!

Its easy to get round sheffield city centre and ppl are only slagging off about 4 sheffield bars! theres loads more! i Think The Washington pub next to the skate park is a brill place to start a night out aswell!

jst try a new bar, you never know!

Just a general point about Leeds as that's the place we seem to most enjoy comparing Sheffield to. All of the bars up there that have been discussed may have stylish design and be full of great fashion but they are by and large populated by rude and vacuous people to an extent that just doesn't happen in Sheffield.

I have lived in both Leeds and Sheffield, and often visit Leeds for a night out as most of my mates are still there. I think club wise Sheffield has so much more to offer, every time we go to leeds we always end up going to Mission listening to the same old crappy funky house music! Which is why my friends in Leeds prefer coming here for a night out!

Sheffield is far more diverse in its music policy in clubs with the likes of UG, Scuba and plug on fridays only really matched by Back to Basics and technique in Leeds.

Plus the GC in Leeds in nothing compared to the original in Sheffield.