Sheffield City Hall and Utilita Arena Sheffield are celebrating their best-ever performances in the latest European venue rankings for the live entertainment industry.

Sheffield City Hall is the UK’s favourite theatre, surpassing the likes of the Royal Albert Hall and York Barbican.  The City’s Grade II listed building was the highest UK theatre, achieving 3^rd position in the European ranking of tickets sold, behind only Germany’s Mitsubishi Electric Halle and 3Olympia Theatre in Ireland.

Utilita Arena Sheffield also secured an impressive ranking. As the UK’s 6^th best arena, the venue operated by Sheffield City Trust has achieved its highest ever position after an outstanding year of world-class acts, such as Peter Kay, Gladiators, and Pulp coming to Sheffield.

Andrew Snelling, Chief Executive at Sheffield City Trust, commented, "We are thrilled with the latest results for our entertainment venues.  Sheffield City Hall holds a special place in many Sheffielders’ hearts and achieving No.1 position in the UK is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team.  With over 370 events taking place in these 2 venues alone, we are incredibly proud of our contribution to the vibrant arts and culture scene here in Sheffield.”

The annual rankings, covering the period from 1 February 2023 to 31 January 2024, showcase the best of Europe's live entertainment scene, including top tours, venues, and promoters.

Reviewing both number of tickets sold and the value of those tickets highlights the impact that the venues have on the local Sheffield economy. Recent research highlights that music tourism alone is worth more than £92 million to the local economy every year.

Dom Stokes, Director of Live Events and Venues at Sheffield City Trust, added:

“These rankings are great to see but cement what we all know in Sheffield – that Utilita Arena Sheffield and Sheffield City Hall are two of the best venues in Europe. With over 120 years of live event history and heritage between them, these venues and the teams who work so hard behind them put Sheffield on the entertainment map day in and day out. A special shout out as well goes out to every promoter, events right holder, act, and agent who come through our doors and partner with us. Without them we couldn’t do what we do. The most exciting thing though is these stats tell the story from last year… but 2024 is already looking to be a blockbuster!”