Building work has begun on Sheffield’s O2 Academy after the venue was forced to close in 2023 over fears concrete in the roof could “collapse with no notice”.

An exact reopening date has not been confirmed, but construction activity has increased in recent weeks, with cranes and repair work visible on the venue’s roof.

The work on the roof suggests the project has been moved into later construction stages with most of the internal work complete. 

Music fan Liam Walton said the reopening would help address Sheffield’s shortage of mid-sized venues.

“There’s a real lack of venues this size in Sheffield so it should hopefully bring in bigger names, because we’re often left off tour schedules,” he said.

The 2,150-capacity venue, which first opened in 1968, shut after unstable reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was discovered in the roof.

RAAC, a lightweight material widely used in the 1950s and 60s, has been identified by the Health and Safety Executive as having ‘crumbly concrete’ and being beyond its intended lifespan.

The UK government’s revised guidance on RAAC in 2023 led to more than 150 schools partially or fully closing, as well as ten music venues and theatres being forced to shut.

Permission to replace the roof was granted in February 2025, with planning documents stating the work would allow the building to “return a vital business back to Sheffield city centre”.

The redevelopment will also enable the opening of STACK, a shipping-container leisure venue planned between the Academy and the Odeon Sheffield on Arundel Gate that was delayed due to the RAAC closure.

The Academy has released little information since closing and did not respond to requests for comment on reopening times, though visible progress suggests the venue is progressing towards a return.