The tenants of the iconic Leadmill venue in Sheffield have been ordered to move out of the premises within three months.

• Read More: If Sheffield’s Leadmill – the venue that helped break Arctic Monkeys – goes, we all lose something

Electric Group, the owners of the 900-capacity venue’s building, served an eviction notice to their tenants The Leadmill Ltd in March 2022, which sparked an outcry across the music industry and from gig-goers. The Leadmill Ltd own the trademark for the venue’s name – meaning a new venue in a different building could retain the name and branding of the original.

Sheffield’s Leadmill lost its eviction court battle with its landlord, leaving its future uncertain. However, the iconic venue has issued a statement promising that it will continue to fight on.

Now, this past Wednesday (February 19), Justice Sir Alastair Norris ruled in favour of the Electric Group, and has given The Leadmill Ltd about three months and 21 days to leave the site (via BBC). Bosses of the Leadmill have shared that they will be exhausting “every possible legal avenue to secure our future, retain our staff and protect our venue,” (via The Star).

A spokesperson for the Electric Group previously commented on the ruling to NME: “We welcome the court’s consideration and careful decision to award a possession order for the Leadmill; an important ruling following difficult legal proceedings.

“The successful legal outcome paves the way for a bright future for this venue, ensuring it will receive the substantial investment it needs to thrive. It will continue to be a cornerstone of the live music scene in Sheffield, supporting artists, fans, and community projects for the next 100 years.”

The update came days after The Leadmill’s planning application to demolish certain parts of the venue, if evicted, was rejected. The Leadmill’s Phil Mills previously said he intended to “gut” the premises of its current fixtures and fittings – including the dancefloor and stage – if forced to vacate the building.

Since first opening its doors in 1980, the venue has hosted early shows from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and The Killers, and remains a popular live music and clubbing spot.

Though nothing has been confirmed, The Leadmill’s Phil Mills said in December it could possibly move to a new location if evicted, though that wouldn’t be its primary option despite owning the trademark rights to The Leadmill’s name and branding: “If we found a suitable premises in Sheffield we would effectively be competing against ourselves because The Leadmill’s name and legacy is indivisible in our customers’ minds,” he said.

After news of it coming under threat emerged in 2022, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited The Leadmill and encouraged others to “get behind it. He also echoed the views of countless Sheffield locals, hailing it as “the heart of the city”, as well as the stance held by Arctic Monkeys, Jarvis Cocker and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes among the Sheffield artists to have spoken out in support of the venue.

Sheffield’s Richard Hawley has also been a vocal supporter of The Leadmill for years now – having played a number of gigs there throughout 2022 to raise money and awareness. Some of his shows also saw him joined on stage by fellow Sheffield artists Jarvis Cocker and Rebecca Taylor (aka Self Esteem).

Speaking to NME about the history behind the venue in February 2023, Hawley said that the staff who’ve built up the venue over the years should be allowed to continue running it under the same name.

“The upsetting thing is that if it was a failing business, I’d understand that someone would take it over. What angers me is that it doesn’t surprise me that greedy fuckers buy the land from underneath them. If they threw [the venue staff] out and turned it into flats, it would be an absolute tragedy but slightly easier to accept,” he said.

“The fact that what they’ve basically done is bought the land from underneath them, issued them with an eviction notice, and are going to steal their business. That to me is wildly immoral. If I was running a venue, or even a chip shop, I’d think, ‘Hold on a sec, if they get away with it with these, then who’s next?’ It’s just wrong.”