Get Together Festival returned to venues across Kelham Island on Saturday 16 May, celebrating the sixth edition of one of the city’s favourite music, arts and culture festivals.
As ever, the multi-stage event sprawled across genres, disciplines and geography, with everything from book talks in The Victoria and new bands in bars and breweries to huge headliners on the main stage at Peddler and DJs into the night at Yellow Arch.
There was a lot to get around and, as always with Get Together, it was impossible to catch it all. Even a smattering of drizzle – which later developed into a full-on shower – couldn’t dampen spirits across Kelham Island. Here’s how we made the most of another huge day for Sheffield’s favourite inner-city festival.
We actually started the day away from the music and as a family, taking the kids to artist Tom Newall’s poster workshop at Cutlery Works. Tom also curated an exhibition in The Victoria’s Curious Thoughts space, featuring posters from ten different artists inspired by acts playing this year’s festival, as well as previous editions.
The related workshop invited everyone to create their own gig posters, and it turned out to be a genuinely lovely way to ease into the day. Once finished, our efforts were proudly displayed around the walls of Cutlery Works. There were some suspiciously polished-looking entries among them too, including a particularly strong Lizzo-inspired effort by Josephine Dallow.
Arts-and-crafts hour complete and the kids safely handed over to my partner’s parents, it was time to properly begin. Spanish Horses were our first musical stop, bringing their scrappy, youthful indie energy to an early slot at Heist Brewery. Despite a snapped string and the temporary disappearance of a Telecaster midway through the set, the young Sheffield outfit handled things with good humour. The sound in Heist never quite did them justice, but there’s clearly something exciting brewing with this lot.
With a long day ahead, a quick change of pace came via author and journalist Daniel Dylan Wray, who was interviewed about his excellent book Groovy, Laidback & Nasty: A History of Sheffield Music. Covering everything from the city’s DIY spirit and independent venues to the stories behind some of Sheffield’s most influential artists, the conversation was a fascinating deep dive into the culture that has shaped the city’s musical identity for decades.
Wray spoke warmly and insightfully about the process of making the book, uncovering forgotten stories and documenting Sheffield’s weird, often overlooked musical lineage. Funny, thoughtful and full of genuine affection for the city, it provided the perfect breather.
Back to the music then, and one of the real joys of Get Together over the years has been stumbling across bands you’ve never heard of before. Discovery is built into the fabric of the festival. That feeling hit perfectly when, sheltering from the first signs of rain, we wandered into Neepsend Social and caught a set from Australian country/folk outfit Any Young Mechanic. Their set was warm, loose and instantly engaging, opening with a heartfelt message of solidarity with Indigenous and First Nations Australians before launching into a whirlwind of folk harmonies and easy-going charm. Their upcoming album is out 5 June – which they might have mentioned once or 50 times.
The weather, meanwhile, had properly settled in at this point, so we grabbed some food from the open-air vendors behind Peddler Warehouse. Keen to avoid turning our burgers into soup, we retreated into Grafters for shelter and a quick reset before the evening run of bands.
After a brief wander into Yellow Arch to catch a glimpse of Plantoid’s hypnotic prog-funk in the main room, we headed over to the Antiques Emporium stage for City Parking. Fronted by Jade Cook, the band delivered one of the weekend’s sleeper highlights – sharp, emotional songwriting wrapped in shimmering guitars and post-punk textures. There’s a confidence to their live show now that feels ready for much bigger rooms. After a recent break, we’re glad they’re back.
Timing unfortunately only allowed us one song of Lime Garden over in Peddler Warehouse, but even in that short window the Bristol group’s effortless cool was in plentiful supply. Their wiry art-pop grooves and deadpan charisma suggested we missed out by not getting there earlier.
Alongside Erol Alkan later in the night, Fat Dog were the act we’d most been looking forward to – and they absolutely delivered. Peddler Warehouse descended into messy chaos almost immediately. Early album highlights like Running, King of the Slugs and All the Same went off, to the point where this review isn’t really objective, as I was in the pit for most of it. New material aired during the set also hinted that album number two could be something seriously special.
Rather than heading to see The Horrors, Silver Wing Killer or Dead Dads Club, I opted instead for the pulsing electronic grooves of Factory Floor – and was pretty happy with the decision. Their hypnotic rhythms and industrial dance textures provided a perfect bridge between the live bands and the late-night DJ sets beginning to emerge across the festival. Meanwhile, my partner reported back that Dead Dads Club had apparently been equally excellent.
DEADLETTER provided a fitting conclusion to the live music side of the day, headlining the outdoor stage at The Victoria. The rain had eased off by the time the Yorkshire-via-London outfit delivered their angular grooves and tightly wound frustration to a packed crowd. Tracks like Binge and Fit For Work already feel tailor-made for festival singalongs, and by the end of the set the audience was yelling every word back at them.
Then it was back into Yellow Arch for a dance.
Manchester producer and DJ Tom Sharkett eased the room deeper into the night with a beautifully curated set full of shimmering electronics. A self-described sound designer, producer, engineer and songwriter, Sharkett demonstrated exactly why he’s become such a respected selector. Some very lovely noises!
Finally, Erol Alkan took control – and when Erol Alkan is involved, you know you’re in safe hands. The electroclash pioneer blended indie sleaze, electro-pop, acid house and disco into a set that somehow felt both nostalgic and completely fresh. Every transition landed perfectly, every bassline felt enormous, and by the closing stretch Yellow Arch had fully transformed into a sweat-soaked rave.
Get Together once again proved why it occupies such a unique place in Sheffield’s cultural calendar. More than just a festival, it feels like an area-wide celebration of creativity – one built equally on discovery, community and the joy of bouncing between venues with absolutely no idea what you might find next.
Far from being a damp squib, Get Together 2026 was another massive success. Same time again next year.
