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Sheffield Live! at 25 – Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser

Friday 19th September 2025
6pm – 3am
£6 on the door after 9pm

Join us for a night at Hagglers Corner to celebrate 25 years of Sheffield Live!’s community broadcasting to the city and beyond!

Featuring DJs from long-running shows on the station – past and present. DJs on the night include Deepgroove, Dubcentral, Junglist Alliance, Latino Times, Mid Afternoon Memories, Platinum Plates, Sounds Like This, Spinning Jazz, The Night Train, Two Foot Left and The Breakdown.

Come along at 6pm for a special broadcast in the intimate Grub Records focusing on the importance to you of a single record. Bring a record and a story, memory or association to talk about!

The media landscape has changed dramatically since Sheffield Live! started off in 2000 as a weekend broadcast for Sharrow Festival. It quickly moved to regular events-based broadcasting, internet radio when live-streaming was in its infancy, and podcasting, before podcasting was a thing. It gained a full-time FM community radio licence in 2007, one of the first of its kind in the UK, and joined others in forming Sheffield Live! TV in 2014. It’s now also available on DAB with broadcast coverage extending across South Yorkshire. Broadcasting continuously to Sheffield and beyond for 25 years is some achievement. Many a successful DJ and broadcaster has cut their teeth on the station and it has given voice to a multitude of artists, activists and academics.

But really the story of the station is in its original intentions: to be a place where presenters of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can share a variety of distinctive music and speech based programmes to reflect and serve the diverse communities of Sheffield. It has been sustained by the passions and enthusiasm of its volunteers, including the founders and directors of the station and the many who have passed through its doors, whether that is presenting a show, reporting and news gathering, organising, fixing, painting and decorating.

With a challenging environment for the funding of community media and the increased dominance of global media conglomerates and digital technology giants, an independent and community media space is more important than ever to reflect the often untold stories, unheard voices and unconventional music to which Sheffield Live! has given a platform.

Join us for a party at another Sheffield independent mainstay, Hagglers Corner, on 19th September to mark 25 years of Sheffield Live!

Rotherham’s Ray Matthews recalls his “Path to Success”

Pensioner, charity marathon runner and former boxer Ray Matthews of Rotherham shared his memories in the book “Path to Success”. The publication narrates his early life and introduction to boxing as a means to combat bullying and goes on to tell his account of aspirations to complete multiple challenges. Among these, Matthews famously running seventy-five marathons in seventy-five days on his seventy-fifth birthday to raise £75,000 for charity. Report by Baillor Jalloh for Sheffield Live!

From the Sheffield Live archives June 2023

Homelessness highlighted in Cathedral exhibition

An exhibition about homelessness brought new perspectives through multimedia artworks. The Black Eye Project collaborated with the Archer Project to create the event at Sheffield Cathedral. Sheffield Live! reporter, Isabelle Goodhand spoke to Jim Lobley, Creative Director of the Black Eye Project.

From the Sheffield Live! archives 2024

Ukrainian pianist Daria Golovchenko

Ukrainian virtuoso pianist Daria Golovchenko performed at the Nether Edge Festival while rebuilding her career after fleeing war in Ukraine. Golovchenko originally trained at Kharkiv University of Arts after discovering a passion for piano at the age of five. The concert was one among many diverse events that made up the Ninth Nether Edge Festival. Report by Baillor Jalloh for Sheffield Live!

From the Sheffield Live archives 2023

Robots come to Sheffield

Universal Robots, the world’s largest collaborative robot company, opened in Sheffield in 2023 its first UK hub. The hub supports collaborative automation, where robotic devices work alongside human worlers. The Sheffield hub includes a showroom latest technology and applications are demonstrated. Baillor reports for Sheffield Live!

From the Sheffield Live! archives June 2023

Fun on the farm festival for autumn harvest

South Yorkshire’s Moyo Farm Supplies hosted their first “Fun on the Farm” open harvest family event in Barnsley in 2022. Organised by Zimbabwean born Menford Tapudzai, the event was marked by harvests of maize, live performances by artists and children’s activities including experiences with tractors, combine harvesters and horses. A Southern Africa style barbecue, called a braai, attracted families and friends from as far as Portsmouth. Report by Tchiyiwe Chihana for Sheffield Live!

From the Sheffield Live archives September 2022

Pop-up market celebrates Black history and culture

A pop-up market, set up to celebrate Black History Month, gained plaudits from market traders and their customers. The week long market in Fargate aimed to celebrate the city’s diversity, embrace change and help build a stronger community. Report by Baillor Jalloh for Sheffield Live!

From the Sheffield Live! archives November 2021

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