The Green Room, a bar in Sheffield, is set to be taken over by WaterBear College of Music after 22 years in business.
The bar on Devonshire Street announced its closure last week, and will shut its doors on 25 May 2026, but has promised that it will remain a landmark venue for live music.
Stellar Anderson, 54, a musician from the Stellar Anderson Project said: “We’ve only just come across it, but one of the things venues like that have is community.
“You know, since we played, we’ve become part of that community.”
The bar was renowned for being a grassroots music venue and hosting a range of live music events from various genres, such as the “Monday Club open mic”.
The site is to remain as a venue for live music events and open mic nights for the public, as well as being a place where WaterBear College students can rehearse and gain real world experience.
From one of her own performances, Anderson recalled: “ On a nice day, the door’s open, people hear the music, and they come in.
“We did have that footfall that came in who then actually bought our CDs, and became fans. It’s really nice that people who were not going out looking for it stumbled across it, they felt that it wasn’t an imposing place to come in.”
Despite its pending closure, the bar has said it has lots planned in the next few months and encouraged people to continue to support them and give them a good send off.
Anderson said: “I just absolutely hope and pray that whoever takes it on, takes on with the same spirit, we really want to go back and play there again this year.”
She also said she hopes that the venue continues to host a day that showcases original music as opposed to cover bands, to encourage upcoming artists to thrive.
WaterBear College said that they’re proud to be investing in Sheffield’s music scene at a time where independent music venues are facing serious challenges.
The bar has said it will reopen in time for the Tramlines festival in Sheffield this summer on its announcement post here.