Three-day festival planned in Sheffield ahead of MOBOs 2024

A series of festivities are set to take place in Sheffield next month in anticipation of the MOBO Awards, which are taking place in the city for the first time.

• READ MORE: MOBO founder Kanya King on the awards’ new genres – “This felt like the right year to do it”

MOBO Awards Sheffield – The Fringe will be a three-day event featuring workshops, a customised market, a talent showcase at the Crucible Theatre and expert panel discussions, all celebrating the Black, African and Caribbean culture of the Yorkshire city.

The announcement follows the news yesterday (January 19) from the show’s organisers that comedian Babatúndé Aléshé and presenter Indiyah Polack will host the awards from the Utilita Arena in Sheffield on February 7. Tickets for the show are available here.

.@1ndiyah and @BabatundeComedy spill ALL the tea ☕️ 🤭

See how it went down when our hosts linked up ahead of this year’s #MOBOAwards 🔥🔥🔥

Tune into the 26th #MOBOAwards on Feb. 7 @sheffieldarena and get your tickets at https://t.co/prsuDmmCWO pic.twitter.com/eizWZkwmFC

— MOBO Awards (@MOBOAwards) January 19, 2024

Speaking about the Fringe event, Sheffield city councillor Martin Smith said: “It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean and is a testament to the power of the music and culture on offer in our city. MOBO Awards Sheffield – The Fringe is going to be an unforgettable experience for Sheffield and our communities, and I hope everyone is able to get involved and enjoy what’s on offer.”

The festival has been organised by Sheffield City Council, in collaboration with MOBO and members of the local community.

Local schools will take the chance to explore the impact of Black music and culture in the city, while there will be a celebration of Sheffield’s Black culture at the city’s Winter Garden on the day of the event too, with over 25 stalls and music acts.

The 26th edition of the ceremony will also feature live performances from DJ Spoony, Byron Messia and Soul II Soul, with many more live acts still to be announced.

The nominees for the ceremony were announced in December, with Little Mix and Stormzy leading the way with four nominations apiece. Central Cee, PinkPantheress, J Hus and Raye have received three nominations each. See the full list of nominees here.

Little Simz, Knucks, Central Cee, PinkPantheress and the late Jamal Edwards were among the winners at last year’s event which was staged at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.