One of the biggest nights of the week YEAR - It has to be the opening party!

In a festival first, our opening party will be hosted at the legendary Yellow Arch Studios, which has nurtured the talents of many Sheffield musicians and artists.

Enter the world of wax and vibration in this hands-on vinyl workshop. Learn mixing, cueing, and beatmatching while exploring analogue sound and storytelling across genres.

Please Note: There are 2 workshop times to choose from

Join us for an evening of exploration across art, photography and more as we meet the artists behind a wide array of inspiring pieces exhibiting at this year’s festival.

Curated by Nate Coltrane, this ‘Sunday Dub Session’ brings together sound system culture, performance and movement to explore the enduring impact of Caribbean heritage in the UK.

Ultimate Breath - an immersive music performance exploring migration and climate change.

Windrush Day 2026 with Migration Matters Festival, The Root brings people together to share records, tracing sonic lineages across Caribbean and Africa, honouring Windrush. Curated by Ella Barrett, linking space, sound and collective life.

Immersive screening of an award-winning shadow puppet, documentary short film about Jamaican steelworker Joe Philips.

25’s Cijin White Roses Chronicle is a soundscape documentary music theatre inspired by the 1973 Cijin ferry disaster in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. A 2025 MUSE Award winner, the production is presented here in its touring version.

A multi-sensory, participatory celebration of food, culture, and creativity.

Migration Matters Festival proudly presents our 2026 headliner: Fuse ODG

In a celebration of our festival theme and a first for our 11-year old festival, we will be hosting an outdoor stage at Kelham Island Museum featuring music, dance, poetry and food performed and produced by Sheffielders from across the globe!