Sheaf St is Closing for Good!

NEWS

Sheaf St. will be closing permanently with immediate effect

This is a truly devastating statement we genuinely hoped we’d never have to write, but it’s the end of the line for Sheaf St.

The majority of scheduled Sheaf St. events will be cancelled. We are working on relocating some events if possible.
Ticket holders will be contacted by the ticket providers (RA, DICE, etc.) with full refunds for cancelled events.
Please check www.sheafst.com to see the status of each event.

If you are an event organisor, or were due to perform in the future we will have already been in touch with you earlier today, or are making every effort to contact you and update.

Why?
Back in May, we discussed the choice of ‘shut down or double down’. We chose to go all in, doubling down on our events in a last-ditch attempt to make things work with a bumper Quarter 4 (Oct, Nov, Dec). The team curated a series of events we are truly proud of, but sadly, the world is not on our side right now.

The Aire Park development, which completely surrounds us, has had a devastating impact on our trade. The cafe has been forced to close since January this year, losing a vital stream of regular income with no compensation for the distruption. Our industry is facing a real crisis post-pandemic, with low attendance, rising costs, increasing fees, significantly reduced spend per head, and skyrocketing utilities and stock costs, all on top of trying to recoup huge pandemic losses.

The business is no longer sustainable and cannot recover. We have tried everything possible before reaching this point.

Duke Studios Creative workspace, with which we share a building, will remain unaffected.

Sheaf St is an independent, family-run business. In 2017, we set out with a simple mission: to host amazing events and create a special place where people felt at home. We would like to thank everyone who has been a part of that journey. It’s been a wild ride.

The nightlife industry is a vital economic driver for our city, impacting tourism, filling hotels, attracting students, fostering connections, creating jobs, kickstarting careers, boosting relocations, supporting community well-being plus many other factors. We believe Leeds doesn’t fully recognise this asset.

As a positive to call to action on this sad news, maybe you could share your tales of the dancefloor that have had an economic benefit to the city below. Who knows, someone with influence might just see them, and whilst it can’t save Sheaf it might help another venue/situation in the future.

We want to give the biggest of message of love and appreciation to our bar staff, security team, chefs, managers, technicians, designers, photographers, videographers, box office crew, promoters, agents, and pop-up providers.

Our immense gratitude goes to the vast range of amazing DJs, artists, and performers we’ve hosted, be they international headliners or those venturing out for their first ever mix/performance in public.

And a huge thank you to all our customers: the after-work drinkers, daytime diners, brunch enthusiasts, and late-night dancers. We will miss you all. We may have orchestrated the space, but it’s YOU that made Sheaf St what it is.

We’ll fondly remember the good times – so many really, really good times.