FRINGE AT TRAMLINES

Bringing the buzz to the city centre — The Fringe at Tramlines transforms Sheffield into a festival hotspot. Running alongside the main Hillsborough event, the official Fringe draws over 70,000 visitors annually. In July 2024, it generated an estimated £1.86 million in additional visitor spend. The next wave of music, culture, and city-centre energy returns in July 2025.

SHEFFIELD BRICKTROPOLIS

Building excitement — Sheffield Bricktropolis brings LEGO magic to the city centre. This two-week festival features an immersive visitor trail and hands-on LEGO experiences, drawing over 25,000 visitors. Our fourth edition in August 2024 added £650,000 to the local economy — a blockbuster summer success.

STYLE SHEFFIELD

Style Sheffield struts its stuff — a high-energy celebration of fashion in all its forms. From high street to haute couture, independent to vintage, Fashion Week brings the city centre to life with a packed programme of events and a show-stopping catwalk finale. Attracting thousands of fashion lovers, the next edition returns in 2026.

CLIFFHANGER

Scaling new heights — Cliffhanger brings outdoor adventure to the heart of Sheffield. Always free and open to all, this city-centre climbing festival attracted over 40,000 visitors annually. Sheffield BID proudly supported Cliffhanger from 2016 to 2022, helping make outdoor sport more accessible and exciting for everyone. Photo credit: Sam McQueen

FESTIVE SPARKLE

A festive tradition — bringing seasonal sparkle to Sheffield city centre. For several years, Sheffield BID has delighted families with magical Christmas installations, including the illuminated Santa Claus and Brearley Bear. These popular features lit up the city centre, creating joyful photo opportunities and cherished memories.

SANTA'S STUDY

From letters to laughter — evolving festive experiences for Sheffield families. Our original Santa’s Post Office welcomed over 15,000 visitors each Christmas. More recently, we’ve reimagined the experience as Santa’s Study — a magical, immersive attraction that continues to delight families and light up the city centre.

CHRISTMAS CROONERS

Spreading festive cheer — Sheffield’s Christmas Crooners bring the sounds of the season to life. Hosted by venues across the city centre, our Crooners delight visitors with festive harmonies and family favourites. In 2024, our original Nordic animated reindeer, Eccy and Totsy, were joined by the Arctic Penguins — adding even more magic to the experience. Want to host the Crooners? Get in touch and be part of the celebration!

THE SHEFFIELD CHRISTMAS TRAIL

Each year, thousands of families join Brearley Bear on a magical city-centre adventure. From the Lost Christmas List to the Reindeer Roundup, every festive season brings a brand-new story to explore. Now entering its eighth year, Brearley will be back for more Christmas fun in 2025. www.sheffieldchristmastrail.com

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POP-UP ACTIVITIES

Moments of magic - surprise seasonal pop-ups that animate the city centre. From spring to winter, our pop-up activities bring unexpected joy to Sheffield’s streets. Designed to surprise and delight, they help create memorable days out for visitors of all ages - adding colour, energy, and fun to the city centre experience.

BREARLEY BEAR'S ANNUAL EASTER HUNT

Egg-citing adventures with Brearley Bear — a free Easter trail for little Eggsplorers! Our family-friendly Easter Egg Hunt invites children to solve clues and discover hidden eggs around the city centre. Those who crack the trail and find them all receive a very special choctastic prize - making it a sweet and memorable day out! www.brearleybear.co.uk

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SEASONAL COLOUR

Summer vibes in the city — brightening Sheffield with BID deckchairs. Each summer, Sheffield BID brings a splash of colour to the city centre with our signature deckchairs. Perfect for relaxing, people-watching, or soaking up the sun, they help create a welcoming, feel-good atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2022

Celebrating the Women’s Euro 2022 - bringing the tournament buzz to Sheffield city centre. With several key matches - including a semi-final - played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield BID helped fund the city centre Fan Zone to amplify the excitement. Four vibrant fan parties drew a combined 20,000 visitors, turning the city into a hub of football celebration.

THE BEARS OF SHEFFIELD

A roaring success - the Bears of Sheffield sculpture trail. In summer 2021, Sheffield BID proudly served as the enabling funder for the Bears of Sheffield, a city-wide sculpture trail that captured hearts and imaginations. The event attracted an estimated 100,000 visitors, bringing colour, creativity, and community spirit to the city centre.

EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

From stage to screen - celebrating Sheffield’s starring role in a cinematic triumph. When the hugely anticipated film - produced by Sheffield’s own Warp Films, directed by local talent Jonathan Butterell, and adapted from Sheffield Theatres’ West End smash hit - finally premiered, the city celebrated in style. Sheffield BID helped fund an exclusive public display of costumes and props, giving fans a unique behind-the-scenes experience right in the heart of the city.

CASTLEGATE FESTIVAL

Reviving a historic quarter - Castlegate Festival celebrates a city centre on the rise. Since 2022, Sheffield BID has proudly supported the Castlegate Festival in collaboration with a range of partners. Once quiet following the market’s relocation in 2013, Castlegate is now experiencing a vibrant revival, with major developments breathing new life into the area. The festival showcases this transformation - and it returns in September 2025.

BANGERS AND CASH

Art on the move - Bangers and Cash hits the road for a great cause. Supported by Sheffield BID and in aid of youth homelessness charity Roundabout, the Bangers and Cash public art trail turned vehicle bonnets into canvases. The trail culminated in an epic rally, with 21 teams driving from Sheffield to Munich -raising vital funds and awareness along the way.

VISIBLE PRESENCE

At the heart of the city - your go-to guide for what’s on in Sheffield. Located on the High Street, Sheffield BID’s Visitor Hub connects people with everything the city centre has to offer. Acting as a live city guide, the hub transforms throughout the year to reflect seasonal events, cultural highlights, and retail moments - promoting local businesses and helping visitors discover where to shop, eat, and explore.

SHEFFIELD GIFT CARD

Supporting local - the Sheffield Gift Card. Launched by Sheffield BID in 2017, the Sheffield Gift Card was the first of its kind for a major English city. Now in its eighth year, the scheme continues to champion local businesses - with a new digital version introduced in 2024, making it even easier to shop local and give the gift of Sheffield. www.sheffieldgiftcard.co.uk

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SEASONAL AND RETAIL CAMPAIGNS

Driving discovery — connecting people with Sheffield city centre through digital campaigns. We harness user-generated content to boost engagement and drive conversions as part of our seasonal and leisure campaigns. Our website, www.sheffieldcitycentre.com, is a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute guide packed with everything visitors need - from independent and high street shops to bars, cafés, restaurants, nightlife, shows, and entertainment. It’s the go-to platform for making the most of Sheffield city centre.

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EXPERIENCE SHEFFIELD

Championing local - inspiring exploration through our evolving visitor guides. We continue to spotlight everything that makes Sheffield city centre unique through our popular visitor guides. What began as printed publications has grown into dynamic digital blogs and featured content - now reaching thousands online and encouraging people to discover every corner of the city centre.

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RESTAURANT WEEK

A taste of the city - Dine Sheffield celebrates our vibrant food scene. Each spring and autumn, Sheffield BID brings its popular Restaurant Week back to the city centre. Dine Sheffield showcases the diversity of local dining - from independent gems to well-loved favourites - encouraging people to explore, support, and savour the best of the city’s food and drink. www.dinesheffield.co.uk

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NO-TOLERANCE GRAFFITI APPROACH

Supporting businesses - free graffiti removal and security advice for BID Levy Payers. Sheffield BID offers a free graffiti removal service to Levy Payers, helping to maintain clean and welcoming premises. We also provide security reviews, expert advice on graffiti vandalism, and support with preventative measures to reduce future incidents.

BUSINESS CRIME REDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

Enhancing city safety – upgraded digital radio network for businesses Thanks to Sheffield BID funding, the city centre’s business crime radio network has been upgraded to a fully digital system with state-of-the-art handsets. This enhanced communication tool supports faster, more reliable coordination between businesses, security teams, and the city’s Monitoring Centre - helping to prevent crime, respond to incidents more effectively, and keep Sheffield city centre safer for everyone.

ASB DETERRENTS

Smart surveillance - mobile cameras tackling anti-social behaviour. Sheffield BID operates a fleet of high-tech mobile cameras to monitor areas with higher incidences of anti-social behaviour. These flexible, responsive units help improve safety, support enforcement efforts, and contribute to a more secure city centre environment.

ASB DETERRENTS

Disrupting crime and anti-social behaviour – body-worn cameras, knife wands and SmartWater To help tackle alcohol-related disorder and knife-enabled crime, Sheffield BID has introduced a range of targeted safety tools. These include body-worn cameras for frontline teams, knife detection wands, and SmartWater forensic marking. Together, these initiatives support a safer city centre by deterring criminal behaviour, improving evidence collection, and enhancing the effectiveness of partnership-led enforcement.

HELP US HELP

Supporting vulnerable individuals – Help Us Help campaign Supported by Sheffield BID, Help Us Help is a city centre behaviour-change campaign aimed at encouraging more effective ways to support people who are begging on the streets. The initiative raises awareness, promotes access to local support services, and helps ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.

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SANTA'S STUDY

Reimagining empty spaces — turning vacant units into magical visitor experiences. Santa’s Study 2023 marked our 7th transformation of an unused unit into a festive, family-friendly attraction, bringing joy to the high street and footfall to the city centre.

SECURITY TEAM

Protecting city centre premises – temporary roaming security team In response to the Coronavirus lockdown, Sheffield BID introduced a temporary roaming security team to help monitor city centre premises on behalf of levy payers. Operating nightly from 10pm to 6am, the team provided vital reassurance during a period of closure and uncertainty. This service continues to return during peak seasonal periods to support business safety and resilience.

ROUGH SLEEPER PATROL

Supporting vulnerable individuals – discretionary rough sleeper patrols Through a partnership with South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield BID has access to a discretionary rough sleeper patrol service. These patrols help check on the welfare of individuals sleeping rough while also supporting city centre businesses by reducing the impact of vagrancy during early trading hours. This initiative forms part of our wider commitment to a safer, more welcoming city centre for everyone.

PURPLE FLAG

Celebrating a safe night-time economy – Purple Flag accreditation Since 2015, Sheffield BID has supported partners in maintaining the city centre’s Purple Flag status – a national accreditation that recognises towns and cities for providing a safe, welcoming, and vibrant night-time experience. Sheffield retained its Purple Flag status in 2024, marking 12 consecutive years since first receiving the award and reaffirming the city’s commitment to a well-managed and enjoyable evening economy.

BID SPRING CLEAN

Keeping our city clean – Great British Spring Clean Each year, Sheffield BID members take part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, rallying a small army of volunteers from local businesses. Together, we roll up our sleeves to help spruce up the city centre, demonstrating civic pride and a shared commitment to a cleaner, greener Sheffield.

PULSEPOINTS

Saving lives in public spaces – PulsePoints defibrillator network Sheffield city centre is home to more outdoor defibrillators than any other UK city, thanks to Sheffield BID’s PulsePoints initiative. Delivered in partnership with Westfield Health Charitable Trust and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the scheme has installed 13 publicly accessible defibrillators across key city centre locations – helping to improve emergency response times and potentially save lives.

EMERGENCY BLEED CONTROL CABINETS

A UK first – emergency bleed control cabinets In a national first, Sheffield BID has partnered with key organisations to install emergency bleed control cabinets across Sheffield city centre. This pioneering initiative enhances the city’s emergency preparedness and complements existing life-saving infrastructure such as the PulsePoints defibrillator network - ensuring vital equipment is available when every second counts.

DEDICATED OPERATIONS MANAGER

On-the-ground support – dedicated Operations Manager Sheffield BID’s dedicated Operations Manager is a daily presence in the city centre, providing hands-on support to address environmental issues as they arise. From tackling cleanliness and maintenance concerns to responding quickly to the needs of local businesses, this visible role plays a vital part in supporting the smooth day-to-day running of the city centre.

VANDALISM TO VIBRANCY

Since 2015 Sheffield BID has provided a discretionary and free graffiti removal service direct to premises liable for the city centre BID levy. Since November 2024, we’ve been addressing the increasing problem of persistent graffiti to establish a level of care and control that discourages more serious issues. This year-long campaign aims to reduce the visible signs of neglect, improve visitor perception of safety, and preserve the aesthetic appeal and market value of properties. Photo: Diane Jarvis (Sheffield BID) with Cllr Ben Miskell.

PURPLE FLAG

Celebrating a safe night-time economy – Purple Flag accreditation Since 2015, Sheffield BID has supported partners in maintaining the city centre’s Purple Flag status – a national accreditation that recognises towns and cities for offering a safe, welcoming, and vibrant night-time experience. Sheffield retained its Purple Flag status in 2025, marking 13 consecutive years since first receiving the award and reaffirming the city’s commitment to a well-managed and enjoyable evening economy.

BEST BAR NONE

Raising standards in the night-time economy – Best Bar None Sheffield Sheffield’s Best Bar None accreditation and awards scheme plays a key role in reducing alcohol-related disorder and strengthening the city’s evening economy. Led by Sheffield BID in partnership with Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police, and backed nationally by the Home Office, the scheme recognises venues that demonstrate excellence in safety and customer care. In 2025, Sheffield was proud to be named Best City Scheme at the House of Lords – a prestigious national award celebrating our collaborative efforts to create a safer, more vibrant night out.

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BAG A TAGGER

Cracking down on graffiti – Bag A Tagger campaign Sheffield BID’s Bag A Tagger campaign encourages members of the public to come forward with information that could help identify and potentially prosecute individuals responsible for unsightly graffiti in the city centre. Delivered in partnership with independent charity Crimestoppers, the campaign empowers people to report information anonymously, which is then passed on to South Yorkshire Police. This initiative supports our wider efforts to tackle vandalism and maintain a clean, welcoming city environment.

ANTI DRINK SPIKING CAMPAIGN

Promoting safer nights out – anti-drink spiking campaign To support a safer night-time economy, Sheffield BID distributed over 50,000 anti-drink spiking protectors to bars and clubs across the city centre. This proactive initiative helps venues safeguard customers and reinforces our ongoing commitment to creating a secure and welcoming environment for everyone enjoying a night out in Sheffield.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Shaping city centre safety and strategy – active stakeholder engagement Sheffield BID plays an active role in shaping the safety and strategic planning of the city centre. We remain extensively involved in discussions around the implementation of the Public Space Protection Order (April 2025), as well as initiatives relating to PROTECT/Counter Terrorism, city centre evacuation, and contingency planning. As a regular contributor to over 30 forums, groups, and working parties, Sheffield BID helps influence the management and development of a safe, resilient, and thriving trading environment. Our role is to keep business interests at the forefront of tactical and operational planning.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Representing business interests – strategic forums and working groups Sheffield BID actively represents city centre businesses at a wide range of public sector meetings and leads several working groups designed to foster collaboration, leadership, and investment. These include: Peer Membership Board – a leadership development group for individuals who see opportunities rather than challenges. High Street Forum – a peer-to-peer support network for the retail and hospitality sector, focused on shaping the future of the high street. Investor Relations Network – a cross-sector platform connecting inward investors, freeholders, leaseholders, developers, and property owners through targeted events. In addition, Sheffield BID has built a strong network of corporate sponsors, enabling us to leverage funding for a variety of city centre activities and events.

WELLNESS EVENTS

Engaging the city’s workforce – events for office workers Sheffield BID delivers a vibrant programme of events designed to encourage city centre office workers to spend more time in the city. From weekly BID Bootcamp exercise classes and netwalking sessions to Lunch & Learn talks, venue and product sampling, and exclusive offers, these activities are building strong engagement with the city’s professional community and enhancing the everyday experience of working in Sheffield city centre.

BID BAROMETER

Driving data-led decisions – BID Barometer insights tool Sheffield BID has launched the BID Barometer, a powerful insights tool designed to track customer spending trends, sector performance, catchment areas, and demographic data across the city centre. This resource enables deeper analysis and the creation of tailored reports to support the specific needs of individual businesses and decision-makers - helping to inform strategy, investment, and operational planning.

Library of Barometer reports