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ASM Global has been appointed to operate Utilita Arena Sheffield from January 2025, following a procurement process.
The 12,700-capacity venue first opened in the South Yorkshire city in 1991 and is the first UK arena to come to market for tender in some time.
Forthcoming concerts and events at Utilita Arena Sheffield include Peter Kay, Bill Bailey, Take That, Girls Aloud, Bryan Adams, Matchroom Boxing, Premier League Darts and Liam Gallagher. The venue is also home to Sheffield ice hockey team, the Steelers.
Under its new management with ASM Global, the venue will see significant investment into guest experience at every level, including hospitality and premium, according to a release.
The senior management team and all Utilita Arena staff will move to ASM Global under TUPE regulations.
“With the city’s rich musical history and our reputation for hosting major events, it’s evident that music runs through our blood”
“Sheffield is a city with a rich cultural heritage,” says Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe. “It’s known and loved for producing some of the UK’s most exciting musical talent who’ve gone on to put Sheffield on the map on a global scale. With a history of being an events city, we are delighted to be working with the council to continue to bring major events to Sheffield. Our goal is to ensure the venue is a must-play for world-class artists, and that the content is diverse, exciting and world-leading. We have exciting plans for reimagining the customer experience, too, and are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city very soon.”
Councillor Richard Williams, chair of the communities, parks and leisure committee at Sheffield City Council adds, “This is a major step forward in our ambitious plan for the city and entertainment facilities. Though we are incredibly proud of the Arena and our current partnership with Sheffield City Trust, this new investment will allow us to compete on a global scale.”
Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council said, “Coming on the back of Sheffield hosting the MOBO Awards and with the city’s rich musical history and our reputation for hosting major events, it’s evident that music runs through our blood and this partnership with ASM Global and Utilita Arena Sheffield is another example of our ambition for this city.”
Utilita Arena Sheffield joins ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues around the world. In the UK, the firm’s suite of venues includes AO Arena in Manchester, first direct Arena in Leeds, OVO Arena Wembley, Utilita Arena Newcastle, P&J Live Aberdeen, Olympia London, York Barbican and Whitley Bay Playhouse.
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The MOBO Awards, the annual British awards show honouring music of Black origin, is launching a new three-day festival.
In anticipation of the awards’ first ceremony in Sheffield on 7 February, the city will host a range of festivities under the banner MOBO Awards Sheffield – The Fringe.
The fringe event, supported by Sheffield City Council, will include workshops, a customised market, panel discussions and a talent showcase at the Crucible Theatre celebrating the Black, African and Caribbean culture of Yorkshire.
The 5 February showcase will feature performances from Ashanti Morgan, Aziza Jaye, Dizz Deejay, DJ Law, Franz Von, JxK, Keyz TenTen, L Dizz, Maasai, MYNA, Ra’Siah, Roy Cropper, W4nnjiro and The Sheff Allstars Riddem.
“It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean”
Speaking about the Fringe event, Sheffield city councillor Martin Smith said: “It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean and is a testament to the power of the music and culture on offer in our city. MOBO Awards Sheffield – The Fringe is going to be an unforgettable experience for Sheffield and our communities, and I hope everyone is able to get involved and enjoy what’s on offer.”
The 26th edition of the MOBO Awards will take place at Utilita Arena on 7 February with live performances from acts including DJ Spoony, Byron Messia and Soul II Soul.
Nominees for the 2024 ceremony were announced in December, with Little Mix and Stormzy leading the way with four nominations apiece. Central Cee, PinkPantheress, J Hus and Raye have received three nominations each.
It was announced yesterday (22 January) that comedian Babatúndé Aléshé and presenter Indiyah Polack will host the awards.
Little Simz, Knucks, Central Cee, PinkPantheress and the late Jamal Edwards were among the winners at last year’s event, staged at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.
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The landlords of The Leadmill have been granted a shadow premises licence, amid a furore about the future of the Sheffield (UK) music venue.
The venue was bought in 2017 by Electric Group – the owner of London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX – which in 2022 served an eviction notice on the current management, The Leadmill Ltd.
The Leadmill Ltd has claimed the venue would “no longer exist” if it is forced out and is behind the long-running public Save the Leadmill campaign.
Electric Group’s Dominic Madden, however, previously told IQ that the company “intends to continue operating the space as a music venue”.
The dispute culminated in a licensing sub-committee hearing this week, with Sheffield City Council today approving the Group’s application for a shadow premises licence, saying they had demonstrated they could “uphold all four of the licensing objectives”.
“We hope we can put the hostilities of the Save the Leadmill campaign behind us”
“The granting of this licence does not affect the current premises licence held by the venue,” A council spokesperson said. “It allows the second party to run the venue under this ‘shadow licence’ if the current premises licence were to be revoked or surrendered.”
Speaking to IQ today, Madden said: “This is a significant milestone – and we would like to extend our gratitude to Sheffield City Council and the Licencing Committee for focusing on facts, not smears and our outstanding track record of compliance.
“We hope that this decision can mark the beginning of a new chapter, where we can put the hostilities of the Save the Leadmill campaign behind us. Our repeated intention has always been clear – to secure The Leadmill as a thriving music venue for music artists and community projects.”
Around 100 protesters gathered outside the council officers as the hearing began this week, though it subsequently transpired that some of them were paid £40 by the venue to attend.
The Leadmill Ltd, meanwhile, said “the future of The Leadmill and its staff is far from over,” adding it was “considering our next steps over the coming few days”.
An appeal against the decision can be made to a magistrates’ court within 21 days, the local authority said.
Since opening its doors in 1980, the Sheffield venue and club has hosted the likes of Pulp, Coldplay, The Stone Roses and Oasis, as well as early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers.
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The landlord of The Leadmill has discussed the future of the legendary UK music venue, amidst the management’s ongoing anti-eviction campaign.
Since opening its doors in 1980, the 900-capacity Sheffield venue and club has hosted the likes of Pulp, Coldplay, The Stone Roses and Oasis, as well as early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers.
In 2017, the site’s freehold was bought by the Electric Group — the owner of London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX – which became the landlord for The Leadmill’s longtime leaseholder Phil Mills.
The Electric Group served Mills’ company a notice of eviction last year in advance of his lease coming to an end in March 2023. This prompted the leaseholder and his staff to launch an anti-eviction petition which centred around claims that the venue was facing closure.
In a statement to IQ, The Leadmill’s general manager Ian Lawlor said: “Madden and Jacob Lewis are using a loophole in the law to force The Leadmill out of business. If they succeed The Leadmill will no longer exist.”
“We own other music venues up and down the country and we’d like to run [The Leadmill] ourselves”
The 2022 petition garnered 46,054 signatures and drew the support of artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Cribs, as well as politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn.
“This E-Petition is fighting to prevent landlords unfairly and unjustly evicting long-standing tenants for their own financial gain,” read the accompanying statement. “In circumstances where a tenant has invested a huge amount of money, time and effort in establishing themselves, has paid rent on time (even throughout Covid lockdowns) and has improved the fabric of the premises beyond recognition, it is inconceivable that the landlord should be able to evict and inherit the investment that the tenant has made. The Leadmill is a valuable asset to the community and an integral part of the local culture which cannot be destroyed in this way.”
But the Electric Group has maintained that the site would continue to run as a music venue – something the company will have to prove in court in early 2024 as it seeks to bring Mills’ tenancy to a close.
“The insinuation that The Leadmill was closing flat is a complete load of nonsense,” explains Electric Group’s Dominic Madden. “It was so disingenuous that we didn’t respond but what we’ve done in the background is engaged with political leadership, community activists, and residents and got a clear sense of what the music community wants in Sheffield.
“Our basis for saying to Mr Mills that we’re not willing to renew his tenancy is because we own other music venues up and down the country and we’d like to run [The Leadmill] ourselves and bring it into the Electric Group’s touring circuit.”
“It would be a success if customers or music fans come in, and [the venue] doesn’t really seem to have changed”
The management’s most recent appeal asked fans to object to Electric Group’s application for a premises licence, allowing them to run their own business from the site. The team suggested supporters research online to understand how the group’s other venues were run and make objections “based on your understanding of the landlord’s experience and competence”.
Madden counters: “A shadow premises licence is a very basic thing that landlords usually get to make sure that if a tenant goes bankrupt or hands the licence back that the premises then can carry on. We understand how to run music venues. The venues I have in Brixton, Bristol and Newcastle are all run by teams – we’re not an AMG-style operator. We don’t have reams of promoters in-house, we work in partnership with people, and the venues are really successful because of it.”
The incumbent management team has also claimed that retaining The Leadmill name would be an infringement on their intellectual property rights. While Electric Group initially said they would retain The Leadmill name, Madden says his company are now seeking legal advice on the matter.
In terms of the ongoing operation of the venue, Madden says he “doesn’t really want it to change particularly. I don’t envisage any real change in the tone of programming so we’re still focusing on gigs and comedy. It would be a success if customers or music fans come in, and [the venue] doesn’t really seem to have changed.
“The venue hasn’t been used that much by national promoters but we’ve had interesting feedback from some that really want to use it. So our intention at the moment is to do some work on [the venue] but we’re not intending to do a major refurbishment like we did with NX in Newcastle. The Leadmill just needs improvements to toilets, dressing rooms, some of the backstage areas, things like that.”
The management is holding a public hearing on 18 September in Sheffield where people can “help by opposing the Landlord’s latest attempt to force us onto the street”.
Madden, meanwhile, is confident Electric Group’s plans will go ahead: “We have a track record of running music venues, a great background in compliance and… our case is very, very strong.”
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Robbie Williams has become the largest investor in Tickets For Good, a platform providing free and discounted tickets for UK live events to NHS and charity sector workers.
It comes after the Sheffield-headquartered company raised £500,000 of equity in seed funding to expand the business to new audiences and territories.
In addition to Williams, Tickets For Good investors include Bethnal Green Ventures and US accelerator, Comcast NBCUniversal Sports Tech. The current investment round is expected to close at the end of June.
“Supporting access to the arts is a cause close to my heart,” says Robbie Williams. “The magic of live entertainment is something everyone should be able to benefit from, so I’m thrilled to be working with Tickets For Good.”
“The magic of live entertainment is something everyone should be able to benefit from”
Stephen Rimmer, founder and CEO of Tickets For Good, comments: “As we continue to build the Tickets For Good offering, to have backing from one of our country’s most-loved entertainers in Robbie is a welcome endorsement of our work. Our expanded group of heavyweight investors underlines the strength of our mission-driven business strategy and, as we evolve with the next phase of our plans, their support and insight will be invaluable.”
Founded in 2019, Tickets For Good aims to increase the accessibility of live entertainment for NHS and charity sector workers, who can sign up to the platform as members for free and secure tickets by paying only a booking fee – a maximum of £3.95.
Through its partnerships with over 500 live events companies, the company has offered tickets to concerts from Williams himself, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and festivals such as Parklife, Tramlines and Live at Leeds.
Tickets For Good currently has more than 200,000 users and has processed over 300,000 free and discounted tickets.
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The new owner of legendary UK music venue The Leadmill has responded to management’s fresh appeal for support of their anti-eviction campaign.
Since opening its doors in 1980, the Sheffield venue and club has hosted the likes of Pulp, Coldplay, The Stone Roses and Oasis, as well as early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers.
Last year, the venue’s management announced that it was facing threat of closure due to its landlord issuing a notice of eviction.
The Leadmill is owned by Electric Group — which also own London’s Electric Brixton, Bristol’s SWX and Newcastle’s NX.
The Group bought the site’s freehold in 2017 and previously told music fans that they had no intention of closing the venue when they end the current occupiers’ lease in 2023. “The management may change but the song stays the same,” Dominic Madden, CEO and co-founder of Electric Group, wrote on Twitter.
The management, however, hit back, arguing that they were being “exterminated by the landlord”. Yesterday (May 17), they made a new appeal to fans, asking for support after revealing that landlords were reportedly moving forward with eviction plans.
Posting on The Leadmill’s website, management wrote that the “general public are able to object to a premises licence application if they are aware of any relevant reasons as to why it should not be granted”.
“We recognise the roots of the Leadmill within the community and we are determined to see it succeed and thrive”
Now, Electric Group’s Madden has issued a fresh statement in response: “We have owned the Leadmill premises since 2017. With the current lease coming to an end, Electric Group has applied for a licence application as part of the transition process.
“As we have always maintained, we intend to continue operating the space as a music venue, focussing on a diverse mix of gigs, club nights and comedy events. We’re an independent music venue operator which is committed to music and investing in venues. We have been running licensed venues since 2003 and have never had any issue or license review.
“Our venues in London, Newcastle and Bristol host hundreds of gigs and events every year for thousands of music fans. Our team has many years of experience running venues, producing theatre and promoting gigs. When we purchased the freehold for the Leadmill in 2017 it was threatened with redevelopment into flats. We didn’t want that to happen, so we stepped in to buy it and save it – something the leaseholder was not prepared to do.
“The current Leadmill campaign is unfortunately misleading people into thinking we want to close the venue with no regard for its history. That is not the case. In fact, we want to invest in the future of the space – albeit one which will mark the start of a new chapter for a building which has many generations of history with a variety of different operators since it was first a flour mill.
“We hope to be a great custodian of the venue for the next generation. We recognise the roots of the Leadmill within the community and we are determined to see it succeed and thrive.”
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Sheffield sensation Self Esteem is to headline and curate a huge homecoming show, as part of new festival Rock N Roll Circus.
Taking place between 1–3 September at Sheffield’s Don Valley Bowl, the new multi-day event promises to mix “the best of live music with the best of circus entertainment”.
Self Esteem (aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor) will close Saturday 2 September, returning to her hometown one last time before heading into the studio.
Saturday’s lineup, curated by Taylor, will include Australian indie electro-pop band Confidence Man, Drag Race UK break-out star Bimini and the legendary Yorkshire Arctic Monkeys tribute, Arctic Numpties, among others.
Rotherham-born Taylor recently completed a highly anticipated UK tour, spanning 11 dates and selling 44,000 tickets
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will headline the Friday night at Rock N Roll Circus, supported by Happy Mondays, The Cribs, The Joy Formidable & Somebody’s Child. Sunday’s bill is yet to be announced.
“Sheffield. I just had to come back one more time before I fully commit to writing again,” says Taylor. “I’ve also curated my actual dream lineup to join me. I am genuinely deeply excited. I promise you this is not to be missed!”
Rotherham-born Taylor recently completed a highly anticipated UK tour, spanning 11 dates and selling 44,000 tickets.
This summer, the burgeoning star will support Blur on two dates at London’s Wembley Stadium, and make an appearance at festivals including Parklife (Manchester), Bristol Sounds and R1 Big Weekend (Dundee).
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Legendary live music venue The Leadmill says it is facing closure next year after its landlord issued a notice of eviction.
Since opening its doors in 1980, the Sheffield venue and club has hosted the likes of Pulp, Coldplay, The Stone Roses and Oasis, as well as early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers.
Venue bosses yesterday (31 March) said their landlord had served them with an eviction notice requiring them to leave the building next year.
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
“Today we have received some devastating news that in one year’s time, our landlord is trying to evict us, forcing us to close,” reads a statement on the venue’s website.
“Since 1980 The Leadmill has spent millions of pounds on what was a derelict warehouse, transforming it into one of the UK’s most respected venues where countless acts from across the globe have performed over the years,” it continued.
Dominic Madden from landlord Electric Group told BBC they were “music people” and the Leadmill would continue “as a special music venue”. “The management may change but the song stays the same.”
“The management may change but the song stays the same”
Brixton-based Electric Group is an independent music company that owns a number of the UK’s most iconic live music and club venues.
The Leadmill has asked people to show their support by sharing the news and “your best memories that we can gather to help show them reasons why #WeCantLoseLeadmill”. Live music associations, fans, artists and even an MP have lent their support to the campaign.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd called for the council to “immediately implement an Asset of Community Value status on the premises as the first step in ensuring the venue is initially protected from closure.”
“MVT will be working to ensure that once protected from immediate threat, the long-term future is secured,” he continued.
“Once again, the issue of who owns the premises rises to front and centre of the campaign to protect, secure and improve the UK’s grassroots music venues. The answer is that not a single venue in the country, no matter how important, is safe until we Own Our Venues.”
The Leadmill is a wonderful and important venue. These are the sort of places that cities cannot afford to lose, the platform they give young musicians is invaluable.
Great Leadmill memories are stagediving to Radish (@benkweller) in ‘97, hanging with the White Stripes in 2002. https://t.co/IrNU0PONMx
— The Cribs (@thecribs) March 31, 2022
UK Music’s Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, says: “The Leadmill is an irreplaceable part of the cultural fabric of Sheffield and the whole UK music scene. It has nurtured some of our world-leading acts and been at the heart of the city’s musical life for decades. It cannot be allowed to close.”
“We also want local business leaders who benefit from the trade that The Leadmill brings to the city to work with the local community, music fans and the council to safeguard this jewel in the crown of our music scene,” continues Njoku-Goodwin.
“We will be supporting the work of the Music Venue Trust, which is already fighting to save this vital national asset. Losing The Leadmill would be a devastating blow to Sheffield and to the whole music industry – we must fight to save it.”
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Bring Me The Horizon have announced plans to curate a four-day festival in Malta next year.
The event, which will take from 26-30 May 2022, will feature a handpicked line-up by the Sheffield rock band, a full live show and an exclusive retrospective set from the band alongside a host of club nights, pool party takeovers and boat parties.
The line-up and location are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The weekender is organised by Pollen, a UK-based startup that develops an ‘influencer marketplace’ for events.
Other artist-curated weekenders organised by Pollen Presents include Diplo’s Higher Ground festival in Cabo, Mexico, the Kurupt FM Weekender in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, J Balvin’s Neon Weekender and Justin Bieber & Friends – both in Las Vegas, US.
“[We’re going to] come up with as much madness as you’d expect from a fully metal, rock festival”
“We’re buzzing to be hosting a Bring Me The Horizon-themed festival in Malta next year, coming up with as much madness as you’d expect from a fully metal, rock festival,” says frontman Oli Sykes.
“As well as our headline set we’re also going to be doing a special throwback set with some songs we haven’t played for years, and have an insane lineup of friends and guests coming out to perform too. It’s basically going to be the greatest weekend ever.”
Pollen, founded in 2014 and previously called Verve, works with organisers, promoters and ticketing platforms to negotiate a certain amount of tickets to an event that will be marketed through the members (anyone who books a group experience), according to Tech Crunch.
The members, in turn, decide which events they want to promote to their networks. Those who manage to shift tickets (which are not sold by Pollen but by ticketing partners), get rewards including free trips, VIP upgrades, and private group events. Pollen generates revenue by taking a cut on each sale.
The startup, which raised $60 million in funding in October 2019, has worked with the likes of Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, StubHub and SeeTickets.
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Ticketmaster UK has formed an exclusive ticketing partnership with SivLive, the operator of the 13,500-capacity FlyDSA Arena Sheffield and other venues in the northeast of England.
The deal will see Ticketmaster introduce digital ticketing into SivLive’s venues, which in addition to FlyDSA Arena, formerly Sheffield Arena, include Sheffield City Hall (2,270-cap.l, Scarborough Spa (570-cap.) and Whitby Pavilion (380-cap.).
“Ticketmaster’s recent work in digital ticketing has been groundbreaking and exceeded expectations, so it is really exciting to partner with them,” comments SivLive head Dominic Stokes.
“This move will give us more control and give fans the best possible experience when entering our venues.”
“Ticketmaster’s recent work in digital ticketing has been groundbreaking and exceeded expectations, so it is really exciting to partner with them”
“It’s an honour to say we will be working with SivLive, further demonstrating our commitment to providing venues with the best possible ticketing technology,” says Ticketmaster UK MD, Andrew Parsons.
“We think mobile-first with everything we do, from how fans discover events through to digital entry and we’re looking forward to bringing that ethos to Sheffield’s most important and busiest venues.”
Ticketmaster has introduced digital ticketing technology at all Academy Music Group venues, including O2 Academy Brixton (5,000-cap.) and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2,000-cap.) in London, and SMG Europe’s UK venues, now operated by ASM Global. Ticketmaster’s digital tickets were most recently used at festivals Citadel, Lovebox and SW4.
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