Canal charity prepares to welcome back Sheffield Waterfront Festival this weekend

15th September 2021

Final preparations are underway for the return of Sheffield Waterfront Festival this Saturday, September 18. For the first time, the festival will be held at two locations along the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal.

Final preparations are underway for the return of Sheffield Waterfront Festival this Saturday, September 18.

For the first time, the festival will be held at two locations along the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal – Attercliffe Don Valley Moorings, 11am-3pm, and Victoria Quays, 10am-4pm. 

The free family-friendly event will activities for all ages to enjoy - boat trips, canoe and paddle boarding taster sessions, drumming and circus workshops, arts & crafts, stonemasonry, face painting, live music and performances, stalls, street food and much more.

Special reduced rates at partners iceSheffield (near to Attercliffe) and Curious Kids Town (near to Victoria Quays) are also new additions to this year’s Sheffield Waterfront Festival, to help people enjoy a fabulous day out by water.

There will also be self-guided walks, that will also take the canal’s striking Street Art Trail, a project made possible thanks to support of players of the People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL). 

Jade Wilkes, community roots engagement and one of the co-ordinators of the Sheffield Waterfront Festival, said: “It’s been a very busy few weeks getting the programme in place. We really missed the festival last year and we can’t wait to see people again. Thanks to funding from the Economic Recovery Fund via Sheffield City Council we’re able to make this year’s Sheffield Waterfront Festival bigger and better, with free activities across two sites.” 

She added: “We know a lot of people have been making the most of the canal during the pandemic as a place to get escape from their homes and exercise. The festival is a great way to show the many ways you can enjoy being by water – from towpath walks and trails to getting afloat by boat, canoe or paddleboard.  We’ll also be sharing ways people can get involved in caring for the canal and helping our charity make it a great place for both people and wildlife.”

The Attercliffe site is at Don Valley Moorings (near S9 3TU), and for Victoria Quays, the nearest tram stop is Ponds Forge. There is also parking at Victoria Quays, North Quay Drive, Sheffield, S4 7SW.

Activities confirmed include: 

Attercliffe Don Valley Moorings, 11am-3pm
• Bollywood dancing workshops, SuNriT Culture Group
• Drumming workshops, Unbeatable Energy
• Circus skills workshops, Greentop Circus 
• Storytelling
• Canoeing (7+ years old)
•  Bushcrafts
• Face painting
• Live acoustic acts and gospel choir
• Ice skating at nearby Ice Sheffield (special discount available)
• Stalls
• Street food

Victoria Quays, 10am-4pm
• Canoeing (7+ years old)
• Paddle boarding, DC outdoors (8+ years old)
• Boat trips, with A&G passenger boats (limited availability given on first come first serve basis)
• Theatrical walking tours, Rusticus
• Arts and crafts, My Arty Party (ideally 5-12 yrs old)
• Stonemasonry carving taster workshops, Ryan Johnson James, RJJ Sculptor (ideally 8+ yrs old)
• Storytelling
• Magic show, Steve Faulkner
• Climbing Wall
• Live music stage
• Curious Kids Town 
• Stalls & street food

Registering your attendance online is advised, although you are welcome to turn up on the day.

Victoria Quays

Sheffield Waterfront Festival Victoria Quays Tickets, Sat 18 Sep 2021 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

Attercliffe

Sheffield Waterfront Festival Attercliffe Tickets, Sat 18 Sep 2021 at 11:00 | Eventbrite 

For more details, also visit Facebook and search “Sheffield Waterfront Festival”.