Sheffield Festival of the Mind 2026: free art, music and big ideas

A journey through the birth of stars, stories from Sheffield’s Hong Kong community and music shaped by its audience are coming to the city this November. Festival of the Mind brings artists and University of Sheffield researchers together from 6 to 15 November 2026, with free exhibitions, performances, films and hands-on activities.

The festival turns big ideas into things you can see, hear and try. Its city-centre venues make it an inviting way to discover Sheffield’s creative side, whether you have recently moved here or simply fancy an afternoon that leads somewhere unexpected.

Hero photo: Sheffield’s Winter Garden on 1 September 2018, an archive view of the festival area, not the 2026 event. Photo: Abarrajon, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display.

Find a new perspective on the city

At Persistence Works, Streets on Screen explores migration, memory and belonging through film, photography and performance. Artist duo C&G Artpartment created the installation with members of Sheffield’s Hong Kong community, drawing on Dr Wayne Wong’s research into Hong Kong cinema and life across cultures.

It is a particularly interesting stop for anyone who has carried memories of one place into a new home. The project puts local people’s creative work at the centre of that conversation.

Another strand explores Sheffield’s Black history. An evening of way/mark/ing brings films, artworks and a discussion to SADACCA on 12 November, from 6pm to 8pm. The project builds on the work of historian and racial justice activist Mark Hutchinson and asks how archives can help shape the way a city remembers its past.

Step into space, sound and colour

At Millennium Gallery, Orion: Animating a Stellar Nursery turns research into the birth of stars into an immersive experience. Artist Sarah Jane Palmer and composer Marcus Campbell use sound and images inspired by Hubble and James Webb telescope data to bring Professor Paul Crowther’s astrophysics research to life.

There is plenty to explore beyond space. The exhibition programme includes giant birds of paradise, a view of the city through a bee’s eyes and a virtual-reality journey through the history of medical education. At Persistence Works, visitors can make a butterfly for the colourful Kaleidoscope installation or hear Barnsley stories inside a giant phonebox.

Music fans can also help shape an electronic track at The Sound of the Crowd installation. The project feeds visitors’ choices into an AI music model using The Black Dog’s archive. The group will give a live demonstration and audience Q&A at Channing Hall on 14 November, from 5pm to 6pm.

Inside Sheffield Winter Garden, 20 October 2013. Archive venue photograph, not a 2026 festival installation. Photo: Dadulinka, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for display.

Make an afternoon of it

Millennium Gallery and the neighbouring Winter Garden are a natural starting point. From there, the festival continues at Persistence Works on Brown Street, with performances and talks at other city venues.

Streets on Screen and Orion list opening hours of 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, and 11am to 4pm on Sundays during the festival. The venue guide brings together addresses and access information, including step-free access at Millennium Gallery, Winter Garden and Persistence Works.

All festival events and exhibitions are free. Some activities use advance booking, with links on the events programme. Choose a performance, leave time for an exhibition and let the rest of the afternoon follow your curiosity.

For more ideas about settling into the city and the wider country, explore our moving to the UK guide.