The campaign marks the start of a new chapter for one of the UK’s best-known independent music venues, which is seeking to secure its future in the city after 45 years at its historic site on Leadmill Road.

Going live this week, fans across Sheffield and beyond were asked to donate towards the cost of securing, fitting out and opening a new venue space. Supporters are being encouraged to give from as little as £5, with all money going into a ring‑fenced account that will be used solely to finance the relocation and build of the venue’s next home.

The crowdfunder follows a turbulent period for The Leadmill, which opened in 1980 and grew into a cornerstone of Sheffield’s cultural life, hosting live music, comedy, club nights, cinema and spoken‑word events for generations of local audiences. For more than four decades, the venue operated out of a former flour mill just outside the city centre, helping to launch artists, nurture emerging talent and provide an essential platform for grassroots culture in the region.

That legacy was threatened after Electric Group, which bought the building freehold in 2017, pursued plans to take over operation of the site, sparking a highly public dispute over the future of the club. In 2025, The Leadmill’s management lost its eviction appeal, with the Court of Appeal upholding Electric Group’s claim and confirming that the venue would have to vacate the premises, ending a three‑year legal fight. The team behind The Leadmill described the decision as a devastating blow for Sheffield’s independent culture and warned of the loss of dozens of jobs and a major community asset.

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Following its final events at the original site and the handover of the building, which is now being relaunched by Electric Group under a new name and programme, The Leadmill’s operating company has turned its attention to finding a fresh base in the city. The new crowdfunder is designed to convert years of public support into concrete financial backing to help secure a long‑term lease or purchase on a different building and to pay for the extensive work needed to turn it into a fully functioning, accessible venue.

For now, The Leadmill’s future rests on whether its supporters are willing and able to help it cross the financial threshold needed to sign a deal on a new space and begin the lengthy process of turning it into a fully equipped venue. If the fundraising push succeeds, Sheffield could once again see The Leadmill name above the door of a dedicated independent venue, even as its former building embarks on a separate life under different management.

The Leadmill’s operators are urging anyone who values independent culture and nightlife to visit the relocation fund page, share the campaign and contribute what they can to help bring #TheNewLeadmill to life.

Click here to donate.

As one of the biggest musical names to come out of the Steel City, Cocker has played the venue many times – including Pulp’s first ever Sheffield gig in 1980.

After a multi-year battle against the new landlords – The Electric Group – it was finally confirmed earlier this year that the venue had lost its appeal against the eviction notice and been given three months to vacate the premises.

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Cocker joined former Pulp guitarist, Richard Hawley, on stage for a benefit gig at The Leadmill back in 2022 when the news first broke of the eviction. Addressing the new owners, he said on stage: “They may own the bricks and mortar, but they don’t own the spirit of the Leadmill.”

Since the solemn news broke earlier this year, the venue has put out a plea for any artist who’d like to play a farewell show to come forward. It was recently announced that Miles Kane would perform the final gig – with rumours circulating that Alex Turner could join him for a reunion of The Last Shadow Puppets – whilst Richard Hawley has two shows pencilled in.

Cocker was asked in a recent interview whether he’d grace the stage for one last time, telling NME: “I don’t think Pulp would fit into The Leadmill now, unfortunately. Every time I look, we’ve got another member. I know that Richard Hawley is doing something there soon and I might go up there, watch that and maybe go on stage.”

Although he stopped short of confirming whether he would play the venue one last time, the ‘Common People’ singer did exclaim his intentions to visit The Leadmill one last time, as there is a certain memento he intends on grabbing.

He told NME: “My main thing is trying to figure out how to get that plaque outside off the wall before the new owner moves in.” The plaque in question commemorates Pulp’s first gig.

Cocker joked: “I vowed that’s what I’d do if it was to close, and now it is. If the next thing you read about me is that I’ve been arrested trying to crowbar a plaque from outside of The Leadmill, you’ll know why.”

The Electric Group – the new owners of the venue – own multiple venues up-and-down the country including Brixton Electric. They have promised that the building will remain a music venue that will “support artists, fans, and community projects for the next 100 years.”

However, critics and especially Cocker himself have not hesitated in questioning their intentions, saying in the same interview with NME: “It’s a bit like when Starbucks first started and they would close down all the coffee bars to open theirs. Leadmill was already a successful venue but now someone has bought it.

“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.”

Pulp are currently touring their first album in 24 years, ‘More’, which is on track to be their first number one album since 1998’s ‘This Is Hardcore’. Tickets for the ongoing tour can be found here.

The Leadmill – which has played host to huge acts including Oasis and Pulp since it’s opening in 1980 – was given twelve weeks to vacate it’s premises earlier this month following an ongoing legal battle with new landlords.

Electric Group initially served an eviction notice to the tenants in March 2022 as they allegedly look to rebrand the venue to Electric Sheffield. Following a long process, the appeal to overturn the eviction was eventually rejected in May 2025 and the Steel City will now officially be losing a cultural staple.

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The news has led to an outcry of despair and disappointment from the Sheffield and music world. Richard Hawley, former Pulp and Longpigs guitarist, is known as the musician to have played the venue more than anyone else.

The 58-year old singer-songwriter has now come out to share his anger at the decision, telling NME: “I’m trying not to get angry, but it’s very difficult because they say I’m the musician that’s played there the most by a long, long way.

“It’s probably true. I don’t want that to stop, and not just for me but other people. It’s a rite of passage. The people running it now are best placed to do so.”

Hawley has voiced his support for an urgent change of legislation to stop this from happening again. Over the last few years, there has been an increased call for music venues to own their own buildings. The idea of a “National Trust for music venues” has been floated about in an attempt to prevent landlords from closing down iconic buildings.

Begging the government to enact change, Hawley said in the same interview: “There desperately needs to be a change in legislation. If someone comes along and buys the land under your business and building and throws you out and turns it into flats – which happens all the time – or if they kick you out but steal your business, we’re talking about a serious moral issue.”

Highlighting the importance of these venues, and especially The Leadmill, he continued: “The Leadmill is out Cavern Club, it’s our Marquee, it’s our Hacienda, it’s our 100 Club. People from this city know best how to run that venue. I can’t see how a corporate-structured company can possibly understand the difference between clubbers, audiences and artists that come from here.

“Cities are living, breathing things, and it’s individuals that make up the vibe. Living in Sheffield is completely fucking different to living in Manchester or Newcastle. Unfortunately, I predict that they’re going to fuck it up and turn it into flats like they did with The Hacienda.”

This impassioned rant from Hawley just underpins they cultural value and importance of venues such as The Leadmill.

As the government continues to hold committees and hearings, venues up-and-down the country continue to close at an alarming rate. As Hawley and many others argue, until true legislation is brought in, this will not change.

In other news relating to Hawley, he will release an anniversary edition of his revered third solo album ‘Coles Corner‘ on July 4. You can pre-order it here, and also head here to find tickets to his upcoming tour where he will play the album in full.

The Leadmill – which has hosted huge acts including Oasis, Def Leppard and Arctic Monkeys since its inception in 1980 – has been battling against a new landlord, the Electric Group, since 2022.

Electric Group – who also own London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX – served an eviction notice to their tenants in March 2022 as they look to rebrand it to Electric Sheffield.

It has now been revealed that the eviction appeal brought forward by the Leadmill team has been rejected and the closure of the venue is imminent.

The initial announcement caused a passionate response from many high-profile figures including Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Arctic Monkeys, with Cocker simply stating: “This had better be an April Fool’s joke.”

The Leadmill team have taken to Instagram to share a statement, hitting out at the legal ruling and revealing that they are “truly devastated by this outcome.”

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Talking to their 46.5k followers, The Leadmill said: “We’ve fought tirelessly to protect this independent venue which has supported countless artists, musicians and creatives for over four decades… Today’s decision feels like a betrayal of the cultural fabric of our city.”

They also warned all business tenants throughout the country that they could be next, saying: “The judgement in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal confirms that tenants have no rights whatsoever, that if a landlord wants to profit from evicting the tenant and copying the tenant’s business, it can do so.”

Despite this heartbreaking news, a new location for the Leadmill could be a “possibility”, altough potentially not in Sheffield. Speaking last December, the company’s director Phil Mills said: “If we found a suitable premises in Sheffield we would effectively be competing against ourselves because The Leadmill’s name and legacy is indivisible in our customers’ minds”.

Electric Group have argued that the venue is in need of renovation and investment, leading to this legal outcome. Commenting on the initial ruling, the company told NME: “The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive. 

“It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans and community projects for the next 100 years.”

This ruling will come as a blow to independent venues up-and-down the country after a Government committee explored the state of UK grassroots music just this week.

The committee heard from industry leaders and musicians, who urged the Government to act with more urgency if they truly wish to save independent venues in the country.

Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd encouraged the Government to implement a compulsory £1 ticket levy on arena level and above concerts – with the intention to put this money back into the industry to support the grassroots scene.

Despite these calls, The Leadmill’s closure is a sign that the problem is not being effectively addressed – with independent venues across the country holding their breath, hoping they’re not next.

We’ve been a part of the Sheffield community for 43 years and we are not ready to say goodbye. Support us by turning up on Mon 18th September at 9am, Sheffield Town Hall. #wecantloseleadmill pic.twitter.com/7IU6yDBTUJ

— The Leadmill (@Leadmill) September 4, 2023

In March of last year, The Leadmill announced via their website that the landlords of the venue were trying to close them down by serving an eviction notice. Since then, artists throughout the UK, members of the local community and even Labour MPs have voiced their alarm and displeasure at the news.

Although the current owners The Electric Group have stated that they do not intend to close the venue down, management has claimed that they are, indeed, being forced out and that the venue’s future is in serious doubt. In response, The Leadmill has staged a rally to take place next week (18 September) called the Battle For The Soul Of Sheffield and the BBC have uncovered that the music spot has offered £40 vouchers for people who attend and post about it on social media.

The BBC has learned those running the Leadmill in Sheffield are proposing to pay people to demonstrate against the owners of the building “Electric Group” getting a licence. They’ve teamed up with a promotions company ahead of the council’s licensing hearing later this month. pic.twitter.com/WSkS8Zaox2 — BBC Radio Sheffield (@BBCSheffield) September 8, 2023

BBC News was in touch with the venue for a comment with management commenting, “we don’t know how many people will turn up and as The Leadmill staff will likely be in the hearing itself, we have teamed up with Gosh to ensure the rally is professionally and safely managed by some of their team outside. Gosh are a company that we use regularly and we have a strong relationship with. They are obviously being paid for their time to do so.”

The Electric Group have pointed to what they label a contemptuous move to curry undue support for a cause that they claim is very far from reality. Responding to the rally, The Electric Group CEO Dominic Madden said, “paying people £40 to stand outside of the hall is a move that reeks of cynicism, as it attempts to manipulate the licensing process and unduly influence Sheffield Council.

We’ve consistently maintained that we will invest in the Leadmill to ensure it remains an inclusive, vibrant music and arts venue of which Sheffield can be rightly proud for years to come.”

Such a brilliant venue. Let’s do all we can to stop The @Leadmill from closing https://t.co/0VeUfeBdMz

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) March 31, 2022

#WeCantLoseTheLeadmill No way!!!!! The staple of many a night out. Closing the Leadnmill is unthinkable!!!!!! @ArcticMonkeys @KasabianHQ @oasis @coldplay @LewisCapaldi all played here. Save The Leadmill!!!!!

— Paul (@PaulH_THFC) March 31, 2022

If this is correct it would seem strange that they are “closing down” the Leadmill. Perhaps something more behind the scenes we don’t know about

— Andy (@muarh00) April 1, 2022

Very interesting, so Leadmill operators lease ends next year, they’ve been given standard notice, the owners have not yet commented on plans but are likely to refub & run themselves as a music venue, so “The Leadmill” may not be closing but under new day to day management…?

— E Hacky (@Ehacky) April 1, 2022

Madden also highlighted that the group has a genuine interest in the venue’s future and that exploiting a legal loophole, as The Leadmill management have claimed, is very far from the truth. Madden has stated that the lease is approaching its natural conclusion and that attempts to purchase the freehold were ignored by current operator Phil Mills.

Artists from the local Sheffield scene have, in the past, voiced support for The Leadmill. Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp and The Arctic Monkeys have all shared their feelings and have helped raise funds and awareness for the venue.

On the 17^th May, the venue posted on its website and social media accounts the plea for fans to object to the landlord’s licence application writing, “As many of you are aware, our landlords have issued The Leadmill with an eviction notice in order to operate from this location themselves. If they are successful, this would result in The Leadmill ceasing to exist after 43 years.”

Help to save The Leadmill. For more information please visit https://t.co/2YhtkPx7M7 pic.twitter.com/d0wkeKUMbZ

— The Leadmill (@Leadmill) May 17, 2023

Members of the public can object to the application if they are aware of any relevant reasons as to why it shouldn’t be granted which includes the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm. The Leadmill continued, “You may be assisted in your understanding by Googling relevant reviews and press reports about the operation of the landlord’s current nightclubs. These are; Electric Brixton, SWX Bristol, and NX Newcastle.”

In 2017, Electric Group bought the site’s freehold and announced their plans to evict the current management in order to run the venue themselves under the name Electric Sheffield last year.

Artists and gig-goers alike have been quick to support the preservation of the current managers of The Leadmill on social media. Last year when the landlords announced their plans to evict the organisers, Yorkshire band Kaiser Chiefs took to Twitter writing, “We played The Leadmill in our early days and not only do we have very fond memories, it really helped us, too. It would be a huge loss not just for Sheffield and Yorkshire, but the whole UK music scene.”

We played @Leadmill in our early days and not only do we have very fond memories, it really helped us, too. It would be a huge loss not just for Sheffield and Yorkshire, but the whole UK music scene. #WeCantLoseLeadmill https://t.co/Y3Sgc8aQBq — Kaiser Chiefs (@KaiserChiefs) March 31, 2022

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess also joined the #WeCantLoseTheLeadmill campaign on social media writing, “Such a brilliant venue. Let’s do all we can to stop The @Leadmill from closing.”

Such a brilliant venue. Let’s do all we can to stop The @Leadmill from closing https://t.co/0VeUfeBdMz

— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) March 31, 2022

Northern Irish rock band Ash joined the campaign too, adding, “This venue has been part of our lives for almost 30 years. Always been a great place to play. Show them your support; let’s get @Leadmill trending.”

This venue has been part of our lives for almost 30 years. Always been a great place to play. Show them your support; let’s get @Leadmill trending. https://t.co/v8U2HcDmcl

— ASH (@ashofficial) March 31, 2022

Sheffield’s own Arctic Monkeys have previously shown their support for the venue by launching a Crowdfunder campaign to help with funding in 2020. Alex Turner chipped in by giving away his Fender Stratocaster used in the band’s early days.

Last year, Music Venue Trust launched a new initiative to protect, secure, and improve UK music venues.

The former flour mill has a long history of hosting gigs having once been the Esquire in the 1960s where the Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix played. The live music venue and nightclub first opened its doors as The Leadmill in 1980 and has since hosted artists including Pulp, Coldplay, The Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Killers, and Oasis. To celebrate its 40th anniversary back in 2021, the venue released a limited edition red vinyl compilation album featuring tracks from the likes of The Orielles, Enter Shikari, and Bedroom High Club.

Music Venue Trust released a statement blaming the state of affairs on the ownership of music venues, noting that it’s not typically in the hands of people who actually seem to care about music.

“Everything we deal with eventually comes back to the same core problem. That problem is ownership …. All the other problems and challenges that grassroots music venues face eventually come back to this core point: No grassroots music venue in the UK is sustainable or resilient, no venue can have 100% confidence in its future, no venue can continue to support musicians and bring music to our communities for decades to come, unless the music venues are owned by people who want them to be music venues.”

MVT Statement on the Closure and Permanent Loss of @Nambucca_Live #THREAD
The possible loss of the iconic Nambucca grassroots music venue, which faces permanent closure on 14 May, is a terrible blow to Giles and the incredible team there.. pic.twitter.com/sErz2nduZA

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) April 26, 2022

Nambucca is due to close on May 14^th, and has already received a good bit of support on social media, with Frank Turner tweeting that the news “hurts my heart”.

This hurts my heart. https://t.co/sP2WzFDRm0 — Frank Turner (@frankturner) April 26, 2022

The venue’s own statement notes that they’d “tried everything we can to keep Nambucca going, but the reality of the past few years have made it untenable, what with mounting bills coming from every direction.” However, they still plan to “go out with a bang!” through the remaining weeks they have left, asking people to keep an eye on their socials for any future events.

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Nambucca isn’t the only music venue closing though. You can read here about The Leadmill in Sheffield, whose closing announcements brought waves of support in the industry, with the likes of Arctic Monkeys coming to their aid on social media.

Some have tried to address the problem of ownership that Music Venue Trust brought up. Having been boarded up four years ago, there have been attempts to bring back The Ravensbourne Arms pub in London as a live music venue owned by the community. The efforts have been supported by big names, including Jools Holland and Fontaines D.C., and it hopes to build a “safe, inclusive, all-day space that puts the local community – the entire community, in all its glorious forms – at the heart of everything they do.”

Meanwhile, if you fancy visiting Nambucca for the last time before it’s gone, you can follow them on social media here to see what surprises they have in store just before the end.

But they’re not going down without a fight. The Leadmill has asked people to share “your best memories that we can gather to help show them reasons why #WeCantLoseLeadmill“. Arctic Monkeys have been helping in their own way, reposting the picture seen below on Instagram.

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The group have a bit of history helping out the venue, what with last year raising over £100,000 for them (as well as other independent grassroots music venues) through a raffle for frontman Alex Turner’s black Fender Stratocaster, something that was crucial to those early Arctic Monkeys gigs.

At the time, Rebecca Walker (Leadmill’s general manager) said that “That’s an insane amount of money and will go so far to securing not only the bricks and mortar of venues, but also their key members of staff …. To them, it’s just a guitar but to us it’s a lifeline – it’s a matter of whether a venue can stay open or not.”

 

 

 

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Sadly it doesn’t seem to have been much help in the long term. Facing eviction in a year’s time, Leadmill’s current managers accuse their owners of using a “cheap, shabby, sly and underhand way of doing business“, “destroying our business by evicting us“ and intending “to profit from the goodwill and reputation built up over those 40 plus years“ by their own efforts.

Despite the owners of the site claiming it means only a change of management, not its end as a music venue, there are still a lot of harsh feelings in the air. You can read Leadmill’s full statement here.

On some slightly happier news, Arctic Monkeys should be due for some new music later on this year, with their next album reportedly being almost ready to go. The band’s drummer, Matt Helders, said last November that “It was a bit disjointed how we had to do it, and there are bits to finish off, but yeah, it’s all in the works.“ It’ll be a well-anticipated follow-up to 2018’s well-received Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, so keep a lookout for that. As for live dates, you can look at their website here, with gigs at Reading & Leeds and Electric Picnic coming up.

“The Leadmill was pivotal to some of my most memorable nights out, looking at the small flyer with the upcoming bands and cherry-picking potential history-making gigs. Every city needs a Leadmill,” said McKee.

‘Forty’ is limited to just 500 copies, with shipping expected to start in May. Find the full tracklist of ‘Forty’ below:

1. October Drift – ‘Like The Snow We Fall’
2. Enter Shikari – ‘Torn Apart (Live In The Studio)’
3. Wings Of Desire – ‘Be Here Now’
4. International Teachers Of Pop – ‘Miss Lollipop’
5. Good Cop Bad Cop –  ‘Sharp Shooter’
6. TRASH – ‘Give Up’
7. Patawawa – ‘Remedies’
8. The Orielles – ‘Bobbi’s Second World – Demo’
9. Bedroom High Club – ‘Heather’
10. Otis Mensah – ‘The Thinks’