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The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals

Each September, doors to cultural treasures open all over the country for Heritage Open Days. Ten days dedicated to free heritage exploration, led by local experts and volunteers.

Plenty of fascinating buildings tend to open their doors for behind-the-scenes tours and talks across Sheffield – from former cutlery works to longstanding civic structures to listed churches and more.

The city’s Heritage Open Days programme is coordinated by Sheffield Civic Trust.

For 2026, the lineup includes tours of everything from brutalist housing estates to historic gardens, cemeteries and transformed cutlery workshops, plus guided walks on pub heritage, football history and more.

See Sheffield's Heritage Open Days full list of events for 2026.

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Portland Works

The birthplace of stainless steel cutlery. The cutlery works first opened in 1877 and was bought out by the community in 2013. Today the building is populated by a mix of artists, craftspeople, musicians and small-scale manufacturers.

Pesta Babi: Colonialism in Our Time + Q&A

Sun. 27 September 2026

Showroom Cinema

A powerful documentary on Indigenous Papuan struggles to protect ancestral lands, forests, communities and ways of life in the face of extractive development and colonial violence. Followed by a Q&A.

Off the Shelf

Mon. 28 September 2026 — Sun. 25 October 2026

Sheffield's festival of books, words and ideas, taking place each October. 2026 highlights include Booker Prize winning author Ben Okri, music journalist Daniel Dylan-Wray, Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, comic Lucy Porter, and lots more.

Lick of Paint

A mural and street art festival. Returning for a second edition in 2027. Expect smaller creative events from the team throughout 2026 though – watch this space for details!