A new music venue called Electric Studios is set to open in Sheffield next year following the battle to keep the iconic Leadmill open.
The historic live music space closed its doors in June after 45 years in the city centre. After a long battle to keep it open, the decision was ultimately made when the owners were denied an appeal against an eviction notice from Electric Group and given three months to vacate the premises.
Electric Group – which runs various venues across the UK, including Brixton Electric – stepped in as new operators, and confirmed in July that The Leadmill will be reinvented as a new music venue and opening its doors in 2026.
Now, further details about the £2million transformation have been shared, with the site now set to be called Electric Studios, and ready to open on Leadmill Road in February.
The new space will host increased capacity with 1,050 for live gigs and 1,450 for club events, and owners say that it will be “collaborating with national and independent promoters, music labels, and brands” to bring an eclectic mix of events to the live stage.
Following feedback from locals, there will be a redesigned venue layout, better stage sightlines, a new PA system, and improved facilities including toilets, cloakrooms, and staircases. Also on offer will be a rehearsal room, communal area and kitchen, to promote a collaborative workspace.
“There’s a cyclical thing… Just as the Leadmill venue was a very powerful stimulus in 1980 in the morale of the creative community, the Electric Studios will do that again,” said Alan Deadman, music promoter from Sheffield, Founder of Tramlines Festival and original member of the Leadmill Arts Cooperative.
Mike Weller, Head of Music for Electric Group went on to describe it as “one of the most exciting projects I’ve been involved in, bolstered by the positivity and support from local bands, DJs, and promoters”.
Dominic Madden, Co-Founder of Electric Group added: “Sheffield is a special city, and with the plans for Electric Studios, we are committed to a programme of substantial investment, refurbishment and curation for it to thrive – with a modern vision that respects the cultural significance of the building and history of the existing venue while putting the artist and fan experience front and centre of our plans.
“Work here so far is creating over 100 jobs, as it is being finalised for opening next Spring when we look forward to welcoming music lovers to the latest addition to the Electric circuit of special music venues,” Madden continued.
The previous owners had operated on the site since 1980, and hosted live performances from local talent like Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Bring Me The Horizon and Self Esteem, as well organising sets from Muse, Coldplay, The Strokes, Oasis and many more.
Friend of the venue Miles Kane played the final-ever live show at The Leadmill on June 27, before ‘The Last Dance’ closed club night the next evening.
Threats of eviction go back to 2022, and at the time there was a huge show of support from music fans and artists alike.
Arctic Monkeys expressed their support for the landmark Sheffield venue that year – following the Sheffield band playing two gigs there back in 2007 – and earlier this year Richard Hawley told NME about his “overwhelming sense of sadness” over the loss of the original Leadmill. He would later go on to perform his final show at the historic venue on June 18.
Around that same time, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker spoke to NME about his connection to the live music space, and the frustrations that come from seeing more venues come under threat.
“This is the first place that Pulp played in Sheffield, it’s developed over a lot of time, and to create a place with that kind of history and atmosphere to it is not something that you can buy,” he explained, also adding that he wants to take back the plaque from outside the building which commemorated Pulp’s first gig there.
“I vowed that’s what I’d do if it was to close, and now it is,” he said.
Amid concerns at the original venue closing, Electric Group vowed to keep the building as a music venue and said that it would “continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans, and community projects for the next 100 years”.
