Leeds music venue Sheaf St to shut “with immediate effect”

Leeds music venue Sheaf St, has announced its closure after six years, citing the cost of living crisis and developments in the local area.

The multipurpose space will shut with “immediate effect”, per a statement from Sheaf St on Monday (October 30), announcing its permanent closure.

“Today has been an incredibly sad day for all those involved with Sheaf St,” the team said. “Back in May, we discussed the choice of ‘shut down or double down’. We chose to go all in, doubling down on our events in a last-ditch attempt to make things work.”

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They explained that the team curated a series of events they were “truly proud of” following efforts to double down, but added: “The world is not on our side right now”.

Sheaf St cited gentrification as a main reason for the difficulties, with continued developments of the Aire Park district in Leeds where the venue first opened its doors in 2017.

“The Aire Park development, which completely surrounds us, has had a devastating impact on our trade,” they said.

The venue’s adjoining café was also forced to close in January due to developments, cutting a stream of income for the venue. Sheaf St explained that “no compensation was given” for the disruption.

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“Our industry is facing a real crisis post-pandemic, with low attendance, rising costs, increasing fees, significantly reduced spend per head, and skyrocketing utilities and stock costs, all on top of trying to recoup huge pandemic losses.”

The team said they had tried “everything possible” to keep the venue running, but it’s no longer sustainable. “We would like to thank everyone who has been part of that journey,” they said.

Forthcoming events with the likes of Paramida, DJ Flight, 24hr Garage Girls, and Kornél Kovács have been cancelled or relocated. The studio workspace that Sheaf St shares with the building will not be affected.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter