Exhibitions in Sheffield
With such a fantastic array of museums and galleries in Sheffield (many of which are free to visit) you'll never be short of interesting exhibitions to explore in the city.
While there are some fascinating permanent exhibitions in the city, which are available to peruse all-year round, here you'll find listings for temporary exhibitions in Sheffield which are only available for a limited amount of time- catch them before they're gone!
Exhibition listings
The Boy with a Leg Named Brian: Memoirs by Pete McKee
This major new exhibition takes visitors on a nostalgia-filled journey through the childhood of one of Sheffield best-loved artists, Pete McKee.
Under The Bed Sale 2025
Cupola Gallery's popular event Under The Bed Sale 2025 is coming!
Sheffield Lunar Chinese New Year Celebration 2025
Sheffield is set to celebrate the Lunar Chinese New Year with a huge festival taking place on 1 - 2 February 2025. The festival will transform the city centre into a vast celebration of culture, with an exciting programme of events and performances.
Imaginary Energy
An abstract art exhibition exploring the theme of imaginary energy.
Knights to Blue Lights
Discover the evolution of policing, from medieval knights to modern drones and surveillance. Explore the history of armour, including its use in nature and meet amazing armoured animals.
Sheffield Orchid Show and Exotic Plant Fair
A festival of amazing orchids and stunning exotic plants.
Lights, Sirens, Action!
Visit the National Emergency Services Museum for a weekend of film and TV, exploring emergency services on screen, items from our collection featured in media, and the equipment and special effects they use.
Sheffield Comic Con
Coming to Sheffield's Ponds Forge International Centre on Saturday 22 March, this will be a great day for families, sci-fi collectors, fans, and every other kind of Comic Con Fan!
Festival of Debate 2025
The largest annual non-partisan politics festival in the UK! Expect another challenging and diverse programme of events, featuring an array of well-known keynote speakers, when Festival of Debate returns 22 April — 30 May.
Open Up Sheffield 2025
With 100+ studios taking part, Open Up Sheffield is one of the largest open studio events outside of London and helps showcase some of Sheffield's finest creative talents. This year it will take place over two weekends, 3 May - 5 May and 10 - 11 May.
Weston Park May Fayre 2024
Prepare to be amazed as Sheffield's Weston Park May Fayre returns for a day full of FREE family fun on Sunday 18 May, with fun fair, circus acts, comedy, live music, food stalls and more.
Sheffield DocFest 2025
The UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects, Sheffield Docfest returns Wednesday 18 June - Monday 23 June 2025.
Art in the Gardens
Taking place Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September 2025 in Sheffield's stunning Botanical Gardens, Art in the Gardens is one of the largest outdoor art markets in the North of England, with artists, craft makers and visitors coming from across the UK.
Sensoria 2025
A celebration of a city and its music, film, art and electronica, Sensoria festival's 18th edition will once again bring live events and exhibitions to iconic venues across Sheffield, 2 - 5 October.
No Bounds 2025
No Bounds are set to host another very special weekend of music, art, technology and dancing in Sheffield, when the 8th edition of the festival takes place 10 - 12 October 2025.
Portraiture and the Human Figure
The human figure has been a subject for artists since the earliest cave paintings. This new display, drawn from Sheffield’s collections, explores artists’ enduring fascination with depicting people.
PostNatures
PostNatures sees Lucas draw on the constructed composition of Turner’s painting to highlight how imaginary subjects can affect our individual or cultural perceptions of reality.
Ancient Egypt
From pharaohs and pyramids to mummies and myths, explore the wonders of Ancient Egypt in our gallery at Weston Park Museum.
Beneath Your Feet
Unearth the remarkable stories behind the stars of the city’s collection in the museum's archaeology gallery.
Gordon Bridge Gallery: Picturing Sheffield
Discover a new perspective on Sheffield in Weston Park Museum's art gallery, packed with local scenes and views of the city from the past 250 years.
Sheffield Life and Times
Discover some of Sheffield's fascinating stories, told from the point of view of people who’ve lived here, in our Sheffield Life & Times gallery.
What On Earth!
Explore the brand new additions joining Spike the Woolly Rhino and co. in the museum’s natural science showcase.
We are the Monument
Curated by artist Yuen Fong Ling, We are the Monument explores the ways in which the plinth can be seen as a social, political and cultural symbol and encourages us to consider the significance of those represented on, or in opposition to, the plinth.
Collection Display: Identity
See how ideas around identity have been explored by artists including Claudette Johnson, Hew Locke, Eelyn Lee, Ryan Mosley, Grayson Perry and Su Richardson.
Sheffield Stories: Caribbean Footsteps
This new exhibition celebrates the many ways that people of African Caribbean heritage have contributed to Sheffield life.
The Ruskin Collection: Capturing Colour
The gallery looks at how Ruskin established his collection in Sheffield to help people find inspiration in art and nature, and explores the relevance of his ideas today.
Strange Presence: John Hoyland Paintings
This spring, two new exhibitions at the Millennium Gallery celebrate the acclaimed Sheffield-born artist, John Hoyland (1934 – 2011). On display in the gallery’s smaller exhibition space, Strange Presence showcases a selection of the bold, striking abstract paintings for which Hoyland is best known.
Derrick Greaves: Art Worlds
Derrick Greaves (1927 – 2022) grew up in Sheffield and his early experiences here had a significant impact on the development of his painting. This new exhibition at the Graves Gallery is the first retrospective of his work since his death, bringing together a selection of paintings, drawings and sketchbooks from a career spanning eight decades.
Subjects of State, Labours of Love
Subjects of State, Labours of Love is a two-chapter film by artist filmmaker Rhea Storr.
These Mad Hybrids: John Hoyland and Contemporary Sculpture
This spring, two new exhibitions at the Millennium Gallery celebrate the acclaimed Sheffield-born artist, John Hoyland (1934 – 2011). Showing in the gallery’s main space, These Mad Hybrids presents Hoyland’s rarely seen explorations of sculptural forms, alongside work by Caroline Achaintre, Phyllida Barlow, Hew Locke and more.
