One of Sheffield’s most iconic independent venues is entering a new era. The Green Room on Devonshire Street, a cornerstone of the city’s music and social life for over two decades, will relaunch in June 2026 now run by WaterBear – The Music College as the The WaterBear Greenroom.

The move will see the venue’s future secured following the retirement of its long-standing operator, who has overseen the space since the early 1990s. The new chapter honours the Green Room’s past while opening up new possibilities for live music in Sheffield, at a time when many grassroots venues across the UK face uncertain futures.

The WaterBear Greenroom will operate as a fully public live music venue in the evenings while also serving as a vital daytime space for WaterBear’s Sheffield students to rehearse, collaborate and develop their craft. 

Patrick Flynn – current Green Room owner said: “It doesn’t feel like it’s been nearly 23 years since we opened the Green Room. Time flies when you’re having fun. I’ll take away lots of amazing memories with me and look forward to seeing what Waterbear do with the venue. We have always championed grassroots music over the years and it’s very important that it continues. It couldn’t be in safer hands.”

Eve Massaad, Chief Marketing Officer at WaterBear, added: “Sheffield has always been a city that backs its own – and The Green Room is part of that story. We’re proud to be preserving what people already love about this space, while reimagining it as The WaterBear Greenroom: a place that champions grassroots artists, welcomes the public through its doors and gives emerging talent a real stage to grow on. At a time when venues like this are under real pressure across the UK, securing its future feels genuinely meaningful – for the city, for the scene and for the next generation of musicians.”

The WaterBear Greenroom marks another important step in the college’s Sheffield journey. Since opening its second UK campus in the city in 2023, WaterBear has worked to embed its students into Sheffield’s wider music ecosystem, building partnerships, offering one to one mentoring and providing opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. The college’s Brighton home already includes two public venues, both designed to function as live stages, social spaces and artist development hubs. The Greenroom will now join that model in Sheffield.