Love to be… reveals major acts for Sheffield Festival 2026
Sheffield’s legendary house music brand, Love to be… is set to stage a return of its all-day hometown festival on Sunday 24 May 2026 to a new location at SteelYard in Kelham Island. The change marks an exciting new chapter for the Love to be… Inner City Festival as the team moves from beloved mainstay FORGE to Sheffield’s vibrant container park for its biggest city edition yet.
From the original house music pioneers to today’s most in-demand selectors – including Sheffield’s finest – the 2026 lineup is a celebration of house music that will keep multigenerational crowds on their feet, long after the sun goes down.
The 2026 headliners include global house music stars Roger Sanchez, David Penn, Low Steppa, The Shapeshifters, Trimtone and Carly Wilford. Joining are UK mainstays Grant Nelson, Groove Assassin, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Allister Whitehead, Tom Wainwright and Love to be… co-founder Tony Walker. While residents and local Sheffield talents are well represented with the likes of Cheryl Wright, Dino, James Worrall, Joshua Brooks, Keexx, Shaun Hayes, Sinclair, Stuart Pilling, Watty and more, completing the bill.
House music lovers can expect a full-scale takeover of SteelYard when Love to be… takes up residence. The space will be transformed into a purpose-built festival site over four stages, with massive sound systems, immersive light production, street food traders, outdoor bars and a bustling VIP area.
Known for its distinctive open-air layout, SteelYard Kelham has become a go-to destination for quality dance music events, staging such legendary names as Graeme Park, to the contemporary day rave Groovebox x Bounded Festival with Rossi., Micah Baxter and LP Rhythm.
Speaking about the move to SteelYard, Marc Dennis, Director of Love to be… said:
“Love to Be… Inner City Festival at Steelyard Sheffield is a celebration of music. Our vision for this event is to bring together generations of house music lovers in one of Sheffield’s most iconic industrial spaces, transforming it into a vibrant hub of energy, unity, and creativity. The move has seen us able to create new stages and increase capacity and deliver Sheffield an event to be proud of. It’s about honouring Sheffield’s rich musical heritage while pushing forward with new sounds, diverse artists, and immersive experiences that reflect the heartbeat of the city.”
Love to be… first launched in 1994 at The Music Factory on London Road and quickly became known as the North’s original superclub. Thirty years on, the brand is stronger than ever, hosting sell-out festivals and events across Harrogate, Ibiza, New York and Sydney, broadcasting via its global syndicated radio show, and releasing handpicked sounds across its cutting-edge labels.
Tickets for Love to be… Inner City Festival 2026 are now on sale priced from £37+ bf via Skiddle.
If there is only one festival to add to the to-do list for 2026, make it Love to be… in Sheffield.
Love to be…
