Love To Be… Joins O2 Academy Sheffield’s Reopening Programme
Yorkshire’s legendary house music brand, Love to be… is embarking on a major UK tour in partnership with Academy Music Group (AMG), which touches down on home-turf at the O2 Academy Sheffield on Saturday 6th February 2027 for the venue’s long-awaited re-opening. This announcement follows a huge night in the city on Saturday 17 October where Love to be took over HANGR Warehouse with a heavy-hitting lineup featuring Mousse-T, Groove P, Trimtone and Sheffield’s finest resident DJs. Now it prepares to bring back that same signature house music energy to the rebooted O2 Academy Sheffield, with Defected’s very own First Lady, Sam Divine, and many more to be announced. Be the first and sign-up for tickets here via Skiddle before they go on sale on Wednesday 28th October at 9am.
Co-founded in 1994 by Tony Walker at Sheffield’s renowned Music Factory, Love to be… has spent over 30 years shaping UK club culture. From Frankie Knuckles, Masters At Work and Basement Jaxx, to Claptone, Sam Divine and Sonny Fodera, the brand has consistently united house music royalty with rising artists performing alongside the biggest names in global dance music. Its worldwide community has been built through events spanning New York, Ibiza and Sydney, a syndicated radio show, record label and its flagship festival in Harrogate. Today with Tony Walker and Director Marc Dennis at the helm, Love to be… stands for heritage and innovation, bridging generations on the dancefloor with the same passion that fuelled the early years.
O2 Academy Sheffield is one of nine Academy venues on the tour where Love to be brings a carefully curated lineup of international headliners, contemporary UK faves and crucial local talent. Headlining in Sheffield is Sam Divine, one of the most recognisable names in global house music. With more than 25 years behind the decks, the Defected mainstay and Dvine Sounds founder has built a career around high-energy sets, worldwide touring and an unwavering connection with dancefloors. From heavyweight appearances at EXIT Festival, Tomorrowland and Ushuaïa Ibiza, to gracing the cover of DJ Mag and receiving Best House DJ at the Ibiza DJ Awards, Sam continues to evolve creatively while remaining one of house music’s defining figures.
Like Love to be, the history of O2 Academy Sheffield is synonymous with the city’s music scene. Originally opened in 1968 as the infamous Top Rank Suite, the venue hosted some iconic and now legendary gigs from The Police, The Clash, Joy Division and David Bowie, before rebranding to dance institution the Roxy Disco, to become one of the region’s biggest nightspots in the eighties and nineties.
Following the temporary closure of O2 Academy Sheffield in 2023 for substantial remedial works, the mirror ball is hoisted up once again for the reopening, and who better than Love to be to be one of the first to bring the venue back to life and put its new L-Acoustics K3 loudspeaker system through its paces.
Keep an eye out for further lineup announcements for this event as Love to be prepares to kick off 2027 in true house music style.
Love to be…
