Fuse ODG

FOUNDRY - THURSDAY 25 JUNE
Fuse ODG is a groundbreaking Ghanaian-English afrobeats recording artist who has achieved huge commercial crossover over the last decade. Today he is one of the most successful artists of his genre to hit the mainstream.

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MMF Comedy Night

THE MONTGOMERY - SATURDAY 20 JUNE
Migration Matters Festival proudly presents this exceptional lineup of the UK’s most exciting comedic talent including Desiree Burch, Sikisa & Ignacio Lopez.

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Sunday Dub Session with Aba Shanti-I

SADACCA - SUNDAY 21 JUNE
Curated by Nate Coltrane, this special event brings together sound system culture, performance and movement to explore the enduring impact of Caribbean heritage in the UK.
Headlined by legendary sound system operator Aba Shanti-I, playing on Sheffield’s own Sinai Sound System.

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QUO VADIS, AIDA?

SHOWROOM - WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE
Written and directed by Jasmila Žbanić.

The award-winning director of 'Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams' returns with a powerful drama focused on one of the most shameful moments of recent European history.

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THE HORSE OF JENIN

TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE - THURSDAY 25 & FRIDAY 26 JUNE
Written and performed by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada, The Horse of Jenin tells a universal story of resilience and imagination.

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KHALIDA POPAL IN CONVERSATION

TANYA MOISEIWITSCH PLAYHOUSE - TUESDAY 23 JUNE
For Khalida Popal, with Liz Ward, football is a force for good.

The co-founder of the Afghanistan women’s national football team empowers refugee and migrant girls and women through her movement for equality.

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Bienvenido

•

Salut

•

Privet

•

Khush Amdeed

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Bine ati venit

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Yōkoso

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Huānyíng

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Ahlaan bik

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Willkommen

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Welcome

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Witamy

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Mwaiseni

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Karibu

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Bienvenido • Salut • Privet • Khush Amdeed • Bine ati venit • Yōkoso • Huānyíng • Ahlaan bik • Willkommen • Welcome • Witamy • Mwaiseni • Karibu •

Migration Matters Festival is a 9-day annual celebration of sanctuary, cultural identity and migration in Sheffield, taking place from 19th–27th June.

It is the largest Refugee Week festival in the UK, bringing together a vibrant programme of events that platform underrepresented communities, particularly people with lived experience of displacement, seeking asylum and forced migration.

2026 Programme

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85k+

Audience members

491

EVENTS

1,062

artists/event leaders supported

10

FESTIVALS

Grab A 2026 Festival Pass!

Coming to multiple events? Getting a Migration Matters Festival Pass offers the best value.

Our Festival Passes are available in four price brackets:

£90 - General
£70 - Low Income
£30 - Unwaged
£140 - Solidarity Pass

For more information about our Sliding Scale ticketing system, visit ‘Tickets & Passes’

BUY FESTIVAL PASS

MIGRATION MATTERS STORIES

Apr 27, 2026

Meet our 2026 festival guest programmer Nate Coltane

Apr 27, 2026

Nate Coltrane is the guest programmer for Migration Matters Festival 2026

Apr 27, 2026

‘Fierce’ lineup, new theme and director for 2026 festival

Apr 27, 2026

Sheffield’s Migration Matters Festival is back for 2026, with a new director, theme and lineup.

Apr 27, 2026

Jun 2, 2025

Meet our guest curators for 2025’s Migration Matters

Jun 2, 2025

Meet the new and exciting guest curators for Migration Matters Festival 2025.

Jun 2, 2025

May 30, 2025

‘Being in the festival makes me feel part of Sheffield’

May 30, 2025

People share how the Migration Matters Festival has impacted their lives, work or artistic practice over ten years.

May 30, 2025

Jun 11, 2024

Last minute changes to some of our event venues or times

Jun 11, 2024

May 30, 2024

Our 2024 Guest curators

May 30, 2024

Meet our guest curThree incredible guest curators are bringing their fresh festival perspectives to the Migration Matters Festival this year.ators

May 30, 2024

May 17, 2024

Volunteer as a 2024 event model or photographer

May 17, 2024

Apr 30, 2024

‘Our best lineup ever’ - the 2024 festival makes the news

Apr 30, 2024

Jun 2, 2023

New Sheffield children's festival launches this month

Jun 2, 2023

A new children’s festival launches in Sheffield this month - bringing an energetic mixture of events chosen by young people themselves to the city.

Jun 2, 2023

May 23, 2023

Amina Khayyam - Breaking Barriers and Celebrating Diversity

May 23, 2023

Amina Khayyam Explores the Artistic Challenges Faced by Migrant Communities and Advocates for Embracing Migration

May 23, 2023

Marta Marsicka - Migration Matters Stories

May 23, 2023

Unveiling her Truth: Marta Marsicka, Our Esteemed Guest Curator, Explores Misconceptions About Migration, Culture, and Her Vision for Change

May 23, 2023

Livia Barreira - Migration Matters Stories

May 23, 2023

Livia Barreira's Path to Joining the Migration Matters Team as Audience Development Manager.

May 23, 2023

May 3, 2023

Migration Matters Festival returns to Sheffield for 2023

May 3, 2023

Acts from around the globe will star in a growing Sheffield festival hailed as a ‘cultural sanctuary’ amid national anti-migrant rhetoric.

May 3, 2023

Apr 5, 2023

The festival hailed as a ‘cultural sanctuary’

Apr 5, 2023

The Migration Matters Festival is the biggest UK festival of its kind - with 12,000 people taking part in 2022 - and runs this year between June 16 and 24.

Apr 5, 2023

Mar 31, 2023

What Do We Take Away?

Mar 31, 2023

Guest Curator Howl reflects on a challenging and unusual year, and asks ‘Where do we go from here?”

Mar 31, 2023

Partnership With Arts Catalyst: School Of Broadcasting

Mar 31, 2023

Radio Arts Catalyst: An opportunity to be a part of their School of Broadcasting

Mar 31, 2023

Migration Stories - Susan Morley

Mar 31, 2023

I'm really looking forward to people from all of Sheffield's different communities, cultures and walks of life coming together to celebrate what an amazing place we live in!

Mar 31, 2023

Migration Matters Online Festival Is Here!

Mar 31, 2023

We are so excited to announce our first batch of amazing artists and organisations who will be taking part in our online festival this year with performances, workshops, gigs and theatre with plenty more still to be announced!

Mar 31, 2023

Howl Yuan: Thought's On A Spinning World

Mar 31, 2023

We are human beings before we become art makers

Mar 31, 2023

Doorstep Stories: Meet Merve

Mar 31, 2023

From Turkey to Sheffield via Oxford and Cambridge

Mar 31, 2023

Around The World In 40 Days: Help Refugees

Mar 31, 2023

Our volunteer Maddy talks about how she came to be fundraising for this amazing cause during lockdown

Mar 31, 2023

Statement On George Floyd And Systemic Racism

Mar 31, 2023

STATEMENT ON GEORGE FLOYD AND SYSTEMIC RACISM

Mar 31, 2023

How To Write A Musical During Lockdown: A Look At Benny And The Greycats

Mar 31, 2023

Maya Productions give us the inside scoop on their musical Benny and the Greycats

Mar 31, 2023

Doorstep Stories: Meet Malcolm

Mar 31, 2023

Doorstep Stories: Meet Ismail

Mar 31, 2023

Ismail’s journey from Bangladesh to London

Mar 31, 2023

Introducing: Guest Curator Howl Yuan

Mar 31, 2023

Migration Stories - Lwehla Say

Mar 31, 2023

It was a big culture shock as I went from sleeping in bamboo and leaf houses to comfy soft beds. From eating rice and fish paste on a regular basis to bread and butter.

Mar 31, 2023

Jun 19, 2019

Interview With The Lord Mayor Of Sheffield Magid Magid

Jun 19, 2019

Magid talks to us about everything migration, art and politics in this incredibly candid no-nonsense interview

Jun 19, 2019

Jun 12, 2019

Migration Stories - Tchiyiwe Chihana

Jun 12, 2019

MIGRATION STORIES - TCHIYIWE CHIHANA: My heart dances to a more complex rhythm of identity which I gloriously embrace

Jun 12, 2019

Jun 7, 2019

Migration Stories - Saziso Phiri

Jun 7, 2019

It excites me to see 1st and 2nd generation migrant children embracing their culture from a young age with the help of a much more positive media representation.

Jun 7, 2019

About

Opportunities

FESTIVAL MERCH

Kick off the festival season with our latest merch! Pick yours up at the merch stall at key events including the Migration matters Opening and Closing party.