The full programme for No Bounds Festival 2025 has been revealed, with more than 100 performances, talks, screenings and installations confirmed across Sheffield and Rotherham from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 October. Headlined by UK dance innovators Interplanetary Criminal and Joy Orbison, the weekend will bring world-class electronic music, groundbreaking art and film, and a strong community strand rooted in South Yorkshire’s cultural life.

Following a successful pilot in 2024, the festival has expanded into Rotherham with a specially curated Sunday programme led by artists Mark Fell and Rian Treanor. Centred on the historic Empire Theatre, which is set to reopen for the festival after decades of closure, the Rotherham events feature international electronic pioneers RP Boo, Beatrice Dillon and Mat Steel, plus a headline live set from Rainy Miller. Alongside music, the day includes panel discussions hosted by Rotherham Friends of Palestine and performances involving local schools and community groups.

In Sheffield, the Friday and Saturday programme spans landmark venues including Sheffield Cathedral, Peddler Warehouse, Dryad Works, SADACCA and Showroom Cinema. Across these spaces, audiences can catch heavyweight live shows from These New Puritans, Factory Floor and The Black Dog, club sets from Big Ang, Silva Bumpa and Josey Rebelle, and wide-ranging contributions from Sheffield crews such as Off Me Nut Records, Wub Club, Pattern & Push and Gut Level. The arts programme will also see installations, performances and premieres at Sheffield Hallam University, Gloam Gallery, Hedge, and SADACCA’s G-Mill space. 

The arts programme adds another layer to the weekend, with premieres, installations and performances across Sheffield. At Sheffield Hallam University, Amy Carter Gordoncurates “Switch Room”, a project exploring community, activism and regeneration, staged in Castle House and the new Igloo immersive space. Damian Hale of Treatment Studio collaborates with Sheffield Creative Industries Institute on a special premiere there. Gloam Gallery hosts ‘Saltwater Crossing’, a new dance work by Dani Abulhawa, while Hedge Sheffield presents an open studio on protest and the environment curated by Mikk Murray. SADACCA welcomes the IKLECTIK collective with their powerful sound system for workshops and live sets, while Arts Catalyst present Rashad Becker and Bint Mbareh in a participatory performance exploring folklore, resistance and the power of collective sound.

Beyond music, the festival unveils its first dedicated cinema strand, with new commissions from Nam Huh and Aura Satz, and a major reactivation of Tales From A Hard City, the cult Sheffield documentary of 1995. A new discourse strand will explore creativity and resistance, featuring speakers from Warp Records, the National Literacy Trust, and local labels and collectives.

Weekend and day passes are available now at noboundsfestival.co.uk. Many events are 18+ but daytime talks, screenings and art installations are family friendly. Rotherham is easily reached from Sheffield by tram-train with services running until late, and regular bus and rail options available across the weekend.

Liam O’Shea, No Bounds Festival Director, said: “This year’s theme of Grit and Graft is about resilience, creativity and the communities that hold us together. We are incredibly proud to take the festival further into Rotherham, making good on our mission to explore the culture and creativity across all of South Yorkshire from our base in Sheffield.  We are working with artists and local partners to reopen the Empire Theatre and celebrate the town’s culture. No Bounds is a festival made in South Yorkshire but open to the world, and this year feels like a real step forward.”

The festival is supported by Sheffield City Council, Rotherham Council, Sheffield BID, Sheffield Hallam University, Harmony Works, Arts Catalyst, IKLECTIK, the Oram Awards, the National Literacy Trust and Pattern and Push.

Listings, tickets and full line-up click here.