Sheffield, United Kingdom

Whatever "Entertainment" means to you - whether it's music, the theatre, history, the arts, the cinema or the chance to watch top-class sporting events - you'll find plenty of opportunities in Sheffield for a great day or evening out.

Music

Sheffield Arena and the Don Valley Stadium are both major venues, which have recently hosted concerts by superstars such as Bob Dylan, Sting, Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones and the Spice Girls. Big names in pop and rock music regularly appear at the City Hall as well as at the students' unions of Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University and live music is also on offer at the Leadmill and the Boardwalk.

A range of pubs and clubs (venues vary but are listed weekly in the Sheffield Telegraph) are a showcase for local talent. There should be plenty of interesting groups about; bands such as ABC, Human League, Pulp and Moloko all built up their reputations in Sheffield's smaller clubs.

Sheffield's clubs also have an excellent national profile. Perhaps the most famous is the Gatecrasher night at the Republic, where DJs such as Radio One's Judge Jules host extremely popular evenings. Other club nights worth a visit include most nights at Roundhouse and NY SUSHI.

Classical music fans will find touring opera (and ballet) companies at the Lyceum. Also look out for the winter Philharmonic Concerts at the City Hall and the Music in the Round series, which is based around performances by Sheffield's own resident string quartet, the Lindsays at the Studio.

Theatre

Sheffield Theatres comprise three separate houses: the Lyceum offers touring companies in plays and musicals, the Crucible stages its own productions and the Crucible Studio presents more experimental drama. Amateur and semi-professional theatre also flourishes at the Library Theatre, at the Montgomery Theatre (in the city centre), the University Drama Studio (on Glossop Road) and at the Merlin Theatre in Nether Edge. If you're in Sheffield in the pantomine season, an extremely popular Christmas panto is produced by the Manor Operatic Society at the City Hall each year.

Cinemas

Four large multi-screen multiplexes show all the latest commercial blockbusters. These are: the town centre Odeon; UCI at Crystal Peaks; Warner Village at Meadowhall and UGC at Valley Centertainment. Sheffield also has a four-screen independent cinema, the Showroom, which has an excellent reputation and offers a varied programme of international films.

Museums and Galleries

City Museum, in Weston Park, has permanent displays of archaeology, including Egyptian mummies, natural history exhibits, ceramics and clocks and an excellent programme of children's activities. Next door is the Mappin Art Gallery, which houses the city's collection of old masters and other artworks from before 1900. More recent art is displayed at the Graves Art Gallery in Surrey Street. John Ruskin's unique collection of drawings, objects and paintings, The Guild of St George Collection, is one of the major attractions in the world-class Millennium Galleries.

The city's industrial heritage is not forgotten. "Little mesters" workshops from the cutlery trade are preserved at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and a whole street of them is recreated at Kelham Island Museum, which also displays original forges, factories and rolling mills used during the industrial heyday of Sheffield, which was once the world's leading "steel city".

Everyday life over the last 150 years is recalled in the exhibits at the Traditional Heritage Museum at Hunter's Bar and tours of Sheffield Town Hall are available during summer months. If you are visiting Sheffield with children, consider taking them to the Fire/Police Museum; most young visitors love the accessible fire engines here.

The contemporary arts scene also flourishes in Sheffield. The Cupola Gallery in Hillsborough and the Site Gallery in the developing Cultural Industries Quarter provide excellent exhibitions.

Days out

Sheffield's many parks make popular destinations in themselves, as do the Botanical Gardens and historic sites like the Tudor Bishop's House in Meersbrook Park, or the Shepherd's Wheel in Bingham Park and Whiteley Woods. The animals at Graves Park and Rare Breeds Centre or Whirlow Hall Farm are worth a visit, and family fun is available at Heeley City Farm or Greentop Community Circus. Children will love the indoor adventure play facilities at Just for Kids.

If you're visiting with a car or have access to one, consider visiting the spectacular scenery of the Peak District National Park, which is accessible within a twenty-minute drive of Sheffield city centre. Try the Peak District Tour detailed in the "Recommended Tours" section of this site, or visit Hathersage village and the beautiful 13th century St Michael's and All Angel's Church, where Charlotte Bronte found inspiration for Jane Eyre. Visit picturesque villages and market towns like Bakewell or Eyam, or historic houses and gardens such as Chatsworth. Specialist museums such as the Peak District Mining Museum in Matlock, or the National Tramway Museum in Crich are also accessible within a thirty minute drive. Alternatively, explore caves and historic mine-workings at the Blue John mines - or ride the Flying Scotsman from Bakewell to Buxton on Peak Rail.

Families will also enjoy the Chestnut Centre owl and otter sanctuary or the very popular Gulliver's Kingdom theme park which specializes in entertaining the under-12s.

At a similar distance, just off the A57 to Worksop is the Tropical Butterfly House; carry on in the same direction for the ice-age dwellings at Creswell Crags. Cannon Hall Museum and gardens is situated in Barnsley and the Museum of South Yorkshire and Brodsworth Hall and Gardens are in Doncaster.

Sport

Football's first ever team was formed in Sheffield in the 1890s, and today the city is home to rival teams Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Snooker fans will know that the annual international snooker is held in Sheffield each May, at the Crucible. The successful Sheffield Steelers ice-hockey team and the Sheffield Sharks, who play basketball, have both built up a following for their matches at Sheffield Arena. Horse-racing is close at hand at Doncaster Racecourse. Owlerton Stadium offers greyhound racing and the Owerlton Stadium Restaurant is a great place to eat, drink, place bets and watch the races. For more active participation in traditional sports, search under the Sports section of this site.

You can also participate in Offroad Activity Days, Paintballing games, blast laser guns at Laserzone or go ten-pin bowling at Hollywood Bowl. Corporate activity days are available at all these venues, at the Cable Water Ski Centre, the Sheffield Ski Village (which has the largest dry ski slope in Europe as well as tobaggan runs, excellent tuition and refreshment facilities) and at the Hilton Hotel.

The more adventurous may also like to try Fencing, Stunt Training, or learn circus skills at Greentop Community Circus Centre. Photo by: J.P. Oakar

As England's fourth city, with one of the largest student populations in the UK and a friendly, lively atmosphere, Sheffield attracts a large number of visitors each year and a good range of hotels and guest houses are available, both in Sheffield itself and in the spectacular countryside which surrounds it. Conference facilities are offered at many of the larger hotels.

For the business traveler, the hotel cluster close to the newly- developed Victoria Quays will be one of the most convenient options. The cluster includes branches of most of the large national hotel chains and has good access to the Airport (15 minutes), the Railway Station (three minutes) and city centre (four minutes). The area is located close to the city ring road but most of the hotels are quiet and many rooms offer excellent views over the city and canal.

At the top of the range, the Sheffield Hilton will suit almost every purpose. Overlooking the quay, where many fashionable bars and shops have recently opened, the Hilton has excellent conference facilities, a restaurant and cafe and a Livingwell Healthclub, which offers an excellent gym, as well as scheduled fitness classes, a swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms. The luxurious Novotol, Holiday Inn and Bristol Hotels are also located here.

Ruby hotel barge is also in this area. Moored on the canal itself, Ruby offers complete privacy in a luxurious environment. The barge has one double bed and can be booked for single nights or for longer periods. Food is provided for breakfast and sparkling wine, chocolates and flowers can also be provided. The larger but equally welcoming Lily May can also be hired for groups of up to four.

Other hotels in this price range include the modern Posthouse Hotel on Glossop Road, a comfortable hotel close to the fashionable Broomhill area as well as to the beautiful countryside of the Peak District National Park. The hotel offers a good range of conference facilities. The extremely luxurious Aston Hall Hotel, an 18th century country house situated eight miles south of Sheffield, is also an excellent option.

For leisure travelers and those wishing to avoid the more modern city-based hotel complexes, excellent options within reasonable distance of the city centre include the tranquil Swallow Hotel, a comfortable, well-restored stone building situated in its own grounds, with good access to the city centre. Guests can dine in the acclaimed conservatory restaurant and enjoy views across the hotel's grounds and lake. Whitley Hall Hotel, set in thirty acres of grounds, which include a croquet lawn and putting green, also offers excellent facilities, including conference options, in a relaxing environment. Beauchief, three miles from the city centre and set in picturesque grounds with its own stream, also offers impressive conference facilities.

Other slightly less expensive options include the Westbourne House; the Travel Inn (near Meadowhall) and Rutland, also with excellent business facilities, which offers easy access to the city centre.

Slightly further afield, Sheffield Moathouse, situated five miles south of the city centre and also with its own grounds, is also a very good option for business travelers, as is Tanskersley Manor. The conveniently situated Welcome Lodge, located ten miles south of Sheffield just off the M1, will be useful for long-distance travelers and those arriving late at night. The Sandpiper, situated ten miles south of Sheffield city centre, has excellent facilities (including conference options) and offers a peaceful environment.

As Sheffield offers very quick access to the Peak District National Park, countryside accommodation is also a realistic option. If you're looking for a retreat for a special occasion, or for a relaxing conference venue, or if you're visiting with your own transport, you can choose between the luxurious Hassop Hall, a 17th century building which offers impressive views, an excellent restaurant and great conference facilities in Bakewell, and Mosborough, a 16th century listed building with its own gardens, much closer to the city centre and also with good conference and hospitality facilities. Aston Hall Hotel, set in its own grounds eight miles south of Sheffield, is also a very attractive option. At a more moderate price, Underleigh House offers guesthouse facilities in a very comfortable renovated farmhouse in beautiful surroundings.

If you are looking for more moderately-priced accommodation, the choice includes: Cutler's Hotel, which has a prime position in the city centre; the Briary, an excellent Bed and Breakfast option; The Regency, an impressive mansion house with good business facilities and a popular restaurant; Charnwood, which is within easy walking distance of the city centre, and the Hunter House Hotel. The extremely popular Fox House Inn, dating from 1773 and a twenty-minute taxi ride from the city centre, has a great menu and offers comfortable accommodation in traditionally decorated rooms. The Roslyn Court Hotel, a friendly establishment offering ensuite accommodation at reasonable prices, is situated in the lively Hunter's Bar area. The Chequers Inn, situated on open moorland twenty minutes from the city centre, provides country accommodation at very reasonable prices. The excellent restaurant here means that you will be very well provided for.

If you're visiting Sheffield on a budget, options include the friendly Lindrick Hotel, the family-run Ashford, a Bed and Breakfast option, and Thornsett House. Single rooms with good leisure and dining facilities are also available at reasonable prices at Halifax House, a distinctive 19th century building and one of Sheffield Hallam University's halls of residence.