Arctic Monkeys Sheffield gigs: Officials reveal how much cash Hillsborough Park shows brought into city

The band, originally from High Green in the city, performed to 74,000 people over two nights, on June 9 and June 10 at Hillsborough Park, as part of a series of shows on their World Tour.

And Sheffield Council has now announced that the shows brought £4.1million into the city through money spent by fans on hotels, food and drink, and transport, contributing to a boost for Hillsborough and Sheffield as people travelled from across the world to visit the city for the gigs.

As well as visiting Hillsborough for the shows, Arctic Monkeys fans enjoyed visiting famous locations from the band’s early career. The Grapes pub, where the band played some of their first live shows, was visited by some on their fans’ pilgrimage to Sheffield

Coun Martin Smith, economic development and skills committee chairman, said: “It was fantastic to welcome Arctic Monkeys home for two gigs at Hillsborough Park earlier in June. With 74,000 fans attending, some on foot from neighbouring streets and others who had flown across the world to visit our city for the shows, it was a brilliant weekend.

“The boost for local businesses is huge, with an estimated £4.1 million pumped into the city over the weekend. Businesses in Hillsborough, particularly food and drink venues, benefitted from fans enjoying the day and in the city centre, and we saw an uplift in hotel bookings and footfall during the weekend. These events go to show how beneficial large-scale shows can be for Sheffield, bringing both entertainment and economic benefits to the city. It was brilliant to have the band back in the city and we’re looking forward to Tramlines at Hillsborough Park next month.”

The city also saw high profile shows from another iconic Sheffield band, Def Leppard

Music returns to Hillsborough Park this month, with Tramlines festival from July 21 – 23. To reduce the impact on Hillsborough Park, the council has been carrying out maintenance before the Arctic Monkeys shows, including investing in a new path network.

The authority says during the weekend, there was minimal damage to the park which has been returned to its original condition, with repairs paid for by SJM Concerts. After the festival, the council will again work with Tramlines to ensure the park is once again returned to normal for local residents and visitors from across the city to enjoy.

Councillor Smith added: “Thanks to hard work and preparation from the council team, Hillsborough Park only needed some minor repairs after the shows. Thank you to locals for their patience as we return the park to normal and to the teams on the ground making sure Hillsborough Park is looking its best again after the event.”

Janine Lawson from the Hillsborough Tap and the business group Hillsborough Together, said: “The recent concerts in the park were a great boost for us at Hillsborough Tap during what is historically a quiet period in the Hillsborough area. It’s great to see so many new visitors to the area and it allows us to showcase what an amazing area Hillsborough is. The feedback we received from visitors was fantastic and it was great that so many people loved our little business as much as we do! We hope that this will create repeat business for us in a time that is very difficult for independent businesses like ours.”