Situated in the up-and-coming Cultural Industries Quarter, Sidney&Matilda combines underground basement bar, art gallery, grassroots music venue and social hangout.
Taking visual cues from Berlin to Brooklyn, this innovative venue is housed in a century-old former paper factory. Opening back in August 2018, visitors have been wowed by events featuring hundreds of regional, national and international artists and creatives.
Before the pandemic hit, the venue had built itself up as a popular gigs and events space in the city centre.
Undeterred by recent pandemic problems, the venue re-launched in collaboration with soon-to-be demolished Cafe Totem last summer with an eclectic line-up of cultural events including live music, comedy, football and more – providing a ray of hope for the city’s social scene during a difficult period and giving us all a glimpse of its potential for the future.
It’s been a tough year, but owner Al Daw tells us he is optimistic about the future. “Having worked on the building for almost two years, converting a damp factory with one lightbulb into a fully-fledged grassroots live music venue, we won’t let a pandemic stop us. We are in a great location, a five-minute walk from the station and a stones’ throw from the Leadmill. There’s so much potential and creative talent in this city that we want to host and promote; we are ambitious and really want to push our presence beyond the region, inviting not just artists but also fans from further afield.
“There’s so much potential and creative talent in this city that we want to host and promote”
With live music currently set to return as of June 21st, when the government’s roadmap removes all previous social restrictions on events, the venue have announced a host of new gigs and a mini-festival for July with lineups to be announced soon. Head to their Facebook page and website (below) for more info on what’s in the pipeline.
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