We Love Sheffield

A landmark in the city of Sheffield, the large white cubic structure was built as an entertainment space and opened in 1968 as the infamous Top Rank Suite. The venue was a hot-spot in the city and and is remembered for iconic gigs from The Police, The Clash, Joy Division, The Jam and David Bowie. The venue had established itself on the city’s entertainment circuit as a premier live music and night club and with local celebrity Barry Noble at the helm the opening of the Roxy on 5 May 1985 was a storming success. The Roxy was a big part of Sheffield’s culture in the 1980s and 1990s and was still instrumental in Sheffield’s live scene, bringing pop acts like Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, and local bands Heaven 17 and the Human League to the stage.

O2 Academy Sheffield exploded onto the city’s thriving live music scene in 2008. The building had been empty for many years but after an extensive refurbishment, the doors were once again open and the launch night on 11 April had gig goers buzzing with excitement. Reverend and The Makers, commanded the main stage with a legendary performance and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker took to the decks after the show.

Since 2008, there have been many notable shows at the venue, from sell out shows with the biggest names and ‘I was there’ moments with breaking talent, to club nights that would make the Roxy crowd proud. Just a few highlights so far include shows from Elbow, The Prodigy, The Black Keys, N*E*R*D, Basement Jaxx, Rita Ora, Babyshambles, Frank Turner and  O2 Academy2 shows with Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding, Bring Me The Horizon, and You Me At Six. 

1968
The venue opens as the Top Rank Suite. The Police, The Clash, Joy Division, The Jam and David Bowie all play here
2008
O2 Academy Sheffield opens with a sell-out show from Reverend and The Makers and an aftershow featuring Jarvis Cocker
2008
Prodigy play O2 Academy Sheffield after a quiet stretch of not touring. They make up for it – the gig is the loudest yet!
2010
Ellie Goulding plays two sell-out shows here. The first in March in O2 Academy2 and then the main room in November
2011
Kasabian play an intimate gig. It’s the fastest selling show with tickets gone in just under nine minutes and fans queuing overnight to get their hands on them
2015
Brand New, Catfish and the Bottlemen, De La Soul, Seasick Steve, Stereophonics and The War on Drugs all play