The Leadmill in Sheffield is reopening in time for freshers' week – and lots of events are lined up

The nightspot will return on September 21 with two special parties for university freshers, meaning those arriving in Sheffield to study will still get the chance to enjoy the rite of passage that is a trip to The Leadmill.

The club closed in March after lockdown was imposed when the coronavirus pandemic worsened. Since then it has been added to the Music Venue Trust’s nationwide register of ‘at risk’ places and has been fundraising to stave off the risk of redundancies and debts – most prominently, more than £100,000 was generated by raffling off a Fender Stratocaster guitar gifted by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, who played the instrument at one of his band's early Leadmill appearances.

Visitors to The Leadmill can expect a changed experience from this month, however. The venue will be operating as a late bar; to comply with social distancing restrictions, events will be run on a table service basis and attendees will need to stay seated throughout.

On September 21 there will be two freshers’ specials celebrating the music and fashions of 2010. The following days will bring Abba parties, Club Tropicana Bingo, a ‘sit down’ version of The Leadmill's indie night Sonic, and an ‘icebreaker quiz’ for new students.

Then from September 28 drag performances and live shows will be making a comeback. The first comedian booked in is Russell Kane, who will be delivering two sets on October 4.

The Leadmill should have spent this year marking its 40th anniversary – instead it has been forced to endure the longest period of closure in its history.

The club said its upcoming events would be ‘a reminder of life before lockdown’, adding: “Looking to the future, the team at the venue feel positive that steadily we’ll be able to get back to enjoying quality entertainment once more in the environments we love and know so well.”

See https://leadmill.co.uk/events/ for further information and details of how to book.

Thank you to all who support local journalism with a digital or print subscription to The Star. The events of 2020 mean trusted, local journalism is more reliant than ever on your support. We couldn't do it without you. Subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions so we can keep campaigning on your behalf. Stay safe.