Open Up Artists' Studios
An open studio festival in May showcasing over 140 emerging and award-winning artists and makers at 83 exciting venues in and around Sheffield.
Sharing skills and knowledge, Open Up gives visitors the opportunity to meet creatives and inventive people at the places where they work across the city and beyond.
A social event, popular with groups and families, Open Up is free to enter and makes for a great day out exploring the culture of the city through the medium of arts and crafts.
More than just an exhibition, Open Up is an opportunity for anyone interested in arts, crafts and creativity to meet local artists in their studios, find out more about how they make their work and what makes them tick.
Organised by the artists and makers themselves, this well-established event is now in its 28th year and showcases a wide range of art forms in interesting locations. With many studios gathered in natural clusters across Sheffield and beyond, and with free entry, they’re ideally located for a tour.
Artists welcome students in Children’s University and will register visits for credits.
Open Up Artists’ Studios 2026
With 144 artists taking part, Open Up Sheffield is one of the largest open studio events outside of London and helps showcase some of Sheffield's finest creative talents.
Open up is always the first May Bank Holiday and following weekends:
2nd, 3rd & 4th May and 9th & 10th May.
Open Up 2026 Guide
Plan your days of exploration with a comprehensive and extensive guide to all the studios and their locations.
The Open Up website lists the studios, neighbourhoods and artforms and what you can expect to see. Download your free event guide here or collect your hard copy from a participating artist, local library or any public hub listed on the site.
sign up for their mailing list here
Discover more
Watch an artist at work
Here is a short videos to give you a flavour of what to expect from this year's artists and makers.
Roger Nowell
Roger Nowell at work in his studio.
Sharing skills and knowledge
Seeing and talking about the work on display, visiting an open studio is a great way to get creative inspiration. Sharing skills and knowledge is at the heart of Open Up’s ethos, and there are demonstrations that take place as well as the opportunity to ask experienced artists and makers for advice on how to get involved yourself – whether that’s pointers on the best crafts and supplies or learning about useful techniques and materials.
Studios, tools and machines
Many of the studios are kitted out with the makers tools and either based in old buildings steeped in history, inspirational creative hubs of art or even the artists’ own homes and gardens! It’s all about experiencing art and the making process at its source, engaging with passionate creatives and, most importantly, having plenty of fun while you’re doing it!
Kate Jacob, abstract artist and co-founder of Open Up in 1998
"I love going to open studios. You can visit an artist in their studios, gardens or home, in their own setting; sometimes having a cup of tea and always chatting to people, it’s such a nice way for artists and audience to meet and people are fascinated by how and where artists work."
