The Leadmill to close in 12 months after being evicted by their landlord
In a shock announcement, the iconic venue say they will close their doors for good in a year.
Long-standing Sheffield music venue The Leadmill have said they will be forced to close permanently in twelve months.
In a shock announcement, the independent venue say they are being evicted by their landlord, whose identity has not been revealed.
"Today we have received some devastating news that in 1 year’s time, our Landlord is trying to evict us, forcing us to close," they said in a statement.
"Since 1980 The Leadmill has spent millions of pounds on what was a derelict warehouse, transforming it into one of the U.K’s most respected venues where countless acts from across the globe have performed over the years."
Today we have received some devastating news that in 1 year's time, our Landlord is evicting us and forcing us to close.
— The Leadmill (@Leadmill) March 31, 2022
Please show your support by sharing this news & sending us your best memories that we can gather to help display all the reasons why #WeCantLoseLeadmill pic.twitter.com/6pVKaTFJ4U
It's unknown what future plans their landlord has for the site, but the building near the station is surrounded by recently-built student flats.
The Leadmill opened on the site of a former flour mill in 1980, and has hosted bands including Pulp, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys.
Franz Ferdinand once told the Canadian band Arcade Fire that "playing The Leadmill is a rite of passage for any band worth their salt."
The venue is now one of the few fully independent music venues left in the UK, and hosts live events or club nights most nights of the week.
The announcement is expected to kickstart a massive campaign to save a venue which has been the focal point of live music in Sheffield for four decades. Social media posts from The Leadmill are already using the hashtag #WeCantLoseLeadmill.
Veteran Sheffield techno band The Black Dog have already tweeted in support of the campaign, calling it "very bad news for Sheffield".
Comedians Joe Lycett and Nish Kumar, the Kaiser Chiefs, The Pogues, Wedding Present frontman David Gedge and Louise Haigh MP have also tweeted in support of the venue.
The venue say they host 100 live gigs, 150 club nights and 50 comedy events every year, and have recently played an important role in the annual Tramlines festival.
EDIT (01/04/2022): It appears Electric Group, the company that owns the Leadmill, plans to take on and run the venue itself.
