Published
Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 09:00
- The venue cited gentrification and the cost-of-living crisis as contributing factors.
Leeds multi-purpose event space Sheaf St has announced its permanent closure.
The venue broke the news on Instagram yesterday, October 30th, citing factors such as gentrification, poor ticket sales and the cost-of-living crisis as contributing to its demise.
"The Aire Park development, which completely surrounds us, has had a devastating impact on our trade," the post read. "The cafe has been forced to close since January this year, losing a vital stream of regular income with no compensation for the disruption."
The statement went on to highlight "a real crisis" that the industry faces post-pandemic, due to a combination of "low attendances, rising costs, increasing fees, significantly reduced spend per head, and skyrocketing utilities and stock costs, all on top of trying to recoup huge pandemic losses."
The immediate closure means that scheduled parties with the likes of Blasha & Allatt, Greg Wilson, Kornél Kovács and Paramida will no longer go ahead as scheduled. Most of these events will be cancelled, while some may be relocated, the statement confirmed.
A cafe, bar and multifunctional event space, Sheaf St opened its doors in 2017. The city centre venue is attached to co-working space Duke Studios.
Read the statement in full.