By Robyn Smith
The Leadmill has lost their legal case against the building’s landlord Electric Group.
The dispute has been ongoing since March 2022, when the current owners were issued an eviction order.
While Electric Group have said that they have no intentions of closing the venue, they may rebrand, no longer operating under The Leadmill name, with the current staff being replaced.
In a statement published on The Leadmill’s X page last night, it said: “While this is a challenging moment for our venue, we want to reassure our supporters, artists, and the wider community that there is no immediate timeline for what happens next.”
They added: “Our team is actively consulting with our legal advisors to assess our next steps. We remain committed to exhausting every possible legal avenue to secure our future, retain our staff and protect our venue.”
It’s reported that all scheduled events are still going ahead, but ticket holders will be notified of any cancellations.
The closure of the venue would come as a real blow to Sheffield.
Rosie Wallace, drummer of the Sheffield-based rock band Tradwife, says a closure would be “really disheartening”.
She added: “I’m sure it will have a negative impact on small bands because it’s such a fun venue to play at and it’s really cool. There’s also so much history there, The Leadmill has been there for so long.”
The Leadmill opened its doors as a venue in 1980, and Robert Smith, 53, from Sheffield has been attending gigs at the venue for decades.
“I supported the Leadmill throughout the whole ‘Save the Leadmill’ campaign and seeing that they’ve lost their legal battle is such a disappointment. I’ve been seeing bands here for years and it’s such an iconic place that really supports the arts in Sheffield.”
The rebrand or closure would also be damaging to Sheffield’s image, with their club nights being a big draw-in point for students all over the country.
Liz Laughton, 21, a student at Sheffield Hallam University, says: “I know the Leadmill isn’t most well-known for its club nights, but they’re really a standout in Sheffield! Losing the Leadmill, it’ll be a real shame for students like me. We all love it for a night out and it’s one of our highlights on Hallam side.”
The Leadmill urges supporters to stay engaged and continue to stand with them as they navigate the next stages on their battle.