Life in Sheffield
Sheffield is England's fourth-largest city, with the wealth of facilities you would expect to find in a major city, yet it's compact, welcoming and accessible.
About Sheffield
Sheffield is a vibrant, green, modern city with real character. It is a major city with a strong sense of community. A cultural centre on the edge of the Peak District national park.
Sheffield has everything you'd expect to find in a major city and more. Though it's big, it's pretty easy to get around. You can walk across the city centre, from the train station to our campus, in about 20 minutes, or you can just hop on the tram.
The city is bursting with creativity. Sheffield is known for its music, art and digital scenes, and has one of the largest regional theatre complexes outside London.
We have more parks and woodlands than any other UK city. 60 per cent of the city is green space: over two million trees, 250 gardens, parks and woodland areas and a third of the city lies within the borders of the Peak District national park.
Self-guided City Tours
Fancy exploring Sheffield at your own pace? You can follow our self-guided city tour leaflet.
Download our self-guided city tour
Food and drink
Certain corners of Sheffield are defined by the food and drink they offer. London Road has a huge range of different cuisines. Sample Greek, Malaysian, Japanese, Mexican and more all within a five-minute walk. Head to Kelham Island for a craft ale trail and independent restaurants. Or to the Devonshire Quarter for independent coffee shops and US-inspired deep-fried chicken and doughnuts. There is a great variety of vegan and vegetarian food across Sheffield.
There are over 20 cafes to chose from across the University campus offering tasty, convenient and ethically sourced options.
Arts and culture
Museums and galleries
Museums Sheffield offers six great venues in the city, including the Millennium Gallery bringing the best of art and design to Sheffield and the Graves Art Gallery has work from a variety of artists including Avinash Chandra, Gwen John, Tess Jaray, Isaac Julien, Grayson Perry, Bridget Riley and Mark Wallinger, alongside a programme of regularly changing exhibitions. Next to the University you can explore natural history, art and events from Sheffield's social history in the Weston Park museum.
Next to the Peace Gardens and the Millennium Gallery you will find Sheffield's award winning Winter Garden where you can explore 2,500 plants from around the world.
Sheffield is home to a number of theatres, including the Crucible, Lyceum and the Playhouse in the city centre.
Festivals
Sheffield hosts a number of festivals throughout the year, including, Tramlines music festival which is held over a weekend each summer. It hosts some of the biggest names in music from a broad spectrum of genres. Off The Shelf is a festival of literature and ideas featuring some of the world's leading authors, poets and thinkers and Doc/Fest showcases the art of the documentary. The Festival of the Mind brings together the University's academics and professionals from Sheffield's cultural creative and digital industries to bring our research to life in entertaining and innovative ways.
The outdoor city
As one of the greenest cities in Europe and with the Peak District National Park, Sheffield is known as the outdoor city. The Peak District offers the opportunity for a range of outdoor activities such as climbing, cycling, walking and running. A third of the city is in the Peak District, meaning its paths, hills and crags are easily accessible by bus and train.
Shopping
Sheffield is a major city, so you'll find most of the big national brands represented. You'll also find quirky, independent originals as well as high end designer stores.
For high street shopping, the city centre is host to well-known retail names. Meadowhall, one of the largest shopping centres in Britain, is a short ride from the city centre by bus, tram or train.
Sheffield has a great range of independent stores, from local makers to designer boutiques.
Activities at Sheffield University
There are many social and networking opportunities at the University, both within departments and across faculties. In addition, there are lots of events happening throughout the year which University staff can take part in or attend.
See the University website What's on for up to date information about events or follow them on twitter @ShefUniWhatsOn
Places of worship
The Belief, No Belief and Religious (BNBR) Life Centre is here for all staff and students. Chaplains and religious advisers provide a listening ear and pastoral support to all people whatever their identity, religion, belief or no belief. You can find a list of places of worship in Sheffield on each of the belief-specific chaplaincy pages.
University prayer rooms
There are a number of prayer rooms situated on campus. Visit the University of Sheffield Islamic Circle webpages for a map and directions.