The Lughole
The Lughole is a community/volunteer based performance space plus practice spaces that serves the underground/ alternative music and art scene in Sheffield.
The Lughole started in 2013 as a collective project between DIY and punk artists, bands and promoters in Sheffield. They aimed to address the issues around affordable venue, practice space and equipment availability in the scene that had a knock-on effect on ticket affordability, audience diversity and artist fees.
To address these issues they created The Lughole: a community/volunteer based 100 capacity performance space plus two practice spaces in an old industrial unit in Sheffield city centre. They established scaled entry fees that covered basic operating costs and ensured that artists received the majority of the door takings.
Additional Information
The on-site practice rooms meant more flexibility and better costs for bands/artists. The house backline meant that artists/bands didn’t have to hire large vehicles to transport their equipment to the performance area.
They have put on over 200 gigs as the Lughole showcasing over 120 different bands, growing audiences for promoters’ events and establishing a collective to support new promoters, artists, engineers, etc.
Capacity restrictions imposed on the Lughole in 2018 made running gigs unfeasible. In 2019 Lughole found a new home in the Kelham Island area. After extensive renovations and a multiple COVID delays, the venue opened in July 2022
Lughole is working towards being a safer space, this means that they will not tolerate violent, aggressive, discriminatory, oppressive, and harassing behaviours from members, guests, and performers. Lughole is working towards being an inclusive space, enabling accessibility to art and music events for marginalised communities.