The weather is (slowly) staying above freezing, the nights are getting shorter and now we've got a bunch of festivals to look forward to.
Over in Sheffield, Tramlines Festival is gearing up for another great year.
Sheffield’s biggest party reckons this is 'its biggest first announcement to date' with three main stage headliners and over 50 artists from near and far already set to appear on Friday 26 July - Sunday 28 July 2024.
Friday night will see Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini take to the Sarah McNulty main stage; Jamie T on the Saturday and Snow Patrol will close the festival on Sunday.
The festival will also see Yorkshire's own Human League, Everly Pregnant Brothers and Yard Act taking to the stage alongside Bombay Bicycle Club, Tom Grennan, The Charlatans, Holly Humberstone and plenty more.
Along with the revival of Murder On The Dancefloor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be coming to Tramlines in 2024. Plus, The Snuts, The View (Special Guests), Example, Maximo Park (Special Guests), Soft Play, Annie Mac, Anthony Szmierek, Miles Kane, NewDad, Peace, The Mysterines, Corella, The Magic Gang, Willie J Healey and Sprints.
The festival also announced that it has signed a five-year lease with Sheffield City Council securing the longevity of the festival, and has kept prices at a competitive rate of £45 per day.
Image: Supplied
Operations Director of Tramlines Festival, Timm Cleasby commented “I’m delighted to release the first wave of acts for Tramlines 2024. There are some great bands on the line up! Securing headliners like Paolo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol is a fantastic testament to the reputation of Tramlines - and the hard work of our booking team - and, as always, they’re joined by top Sheffield talent including The Human League, Everly Pregnant Bros, Coco, and Otis Mensah, with many more to follow.
As always, we’re incredibly grateful for the support of the people of Sheffield following the challenges of 2023. We were blown away by the Sheffield spirit over the event weekend and have been overwhelmed by the amount of sign ups we’ve had for our ticket presale, launching on Thursday 25th at 12pm. We’re very happy to have reached a new 5-year deal with Sheffield City Council, preserving the future of the festival. We are working hard with SCC on improvements to Hillsborough Park to ensure it remains an excellent public space throughout the year.
Keep your eyes peeled as we launch the 2024 Tramlines Trust grants later this year. Sending over £50k back into Hillsborough, Sheffield and South Yorkshire projects in 2023 was a great feeling. I’m always blown away by the way our region produces creative solutions to societal issues and can’t wait to see the 2024 applications.”
Images: Supplied
How to get tickets
Now we all heard about the demand for tickets this year - here's how to bag yourself some of the last remaining tickets.
The 24-hour ticket Presale will go live on Thursday 25 January at midday. A limited number of weekend tickets will be available from £130 whilst day tickets will also be available from only £45, plus booking fees.
Any final remaining tickets will go on general sale on Friday 26 January at 12pm.
MIles Kane is back in Leeds and he is better than ever before.
“Good evening Leeds, how the f*** are we?"
Everyone's favourite scouser came onto the stage wearing a perfectly fitted leather jacket, and it's safe to say the crowd roared.
It's been a few years since I’ve been in a Miles Kane crowd, the last time I saw him he was supporting Blossoms at Millenium Square back in 2023 and my gosh it's good to be back.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
His whole energy is just utterly infectious and makes him a complete joy to watch. I’ve always been a Miles Kane fan and I just love where he's taken his 2025 album ‘Sunlight in The Shadows’.
We were blessed with a whole stream of songs from over the years, my personal favourite, ‘Rearrange’ was played second and was such a treat. Kane got the crowd to sing back to him “let it out, let it out, let it all out” which soon made me realise you were standing side by side with true fans.
Throughout the setlist we heard bangers from over the years and mid-set Miles screams out “Leeds on a Thursday, come on” and to say it was grey and very wet outside, we all definitely brought the energy.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Supporting Miles on his 2026 tour is Villanelle, you know Gene Gallagher’s band? Some could say nepo-baby but we say, when they were doing their own Leeds dates, they were class. Such a grungy, punk twist they’ve got and it's safe to say Gene has the Gallagher stance behind the mic.
As the set drew to a close Kane said “thank you so much and don’t forget who you are" which brought us to his last three songs, ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’, ‘Sunlight In The Shadows’ and the ultimate bopper and most played song on Spotify ‘Come Closer’ which just never, ever gets old.
In the words of Carrie Bradshaw 'and just like that' my first gig at Project House (can’t believe its taken me so long) was over.
As an overall venue, Project House really had it all, Kirkstall brews, a spacious cool environment and really fantastic acoustics.
And it was time to walk back to the train station along the canal on a lovely Miles Kane high and debrief the evening. Hopefully see you soon Miles, rather than leaving it three years again.
Jason Derulo at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American chart topper Jason Derulo is visiting Leeds for a night of radio bangers that will get stuck 'In My Head' and yours too.
Known for soundtracking the early 2010s and beyond, Derulo is heading back to Leeds playing out at the iconic First Direct Arena.
The Florida-born performer has five UK number one singles to his name, so it's safe to say his setlist will be stacked with massive hits sure to 'Take You Dancing' all night long.
His latest effort The Last Dance is an eight track EP featuring collaborations with INNA and Melody as well as the bouncy lead single 'Sexy For Me'.
This leg of shows is titled after this project and Derulo is asking anyone going to wear their best futuristic or metallic attire and accessories - You might end up being his 'It Girl'.
Jason Derulo gig guide
Jason Derulo is coming to First Direct Arena Leeds on 6 February / Credit: Supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Jason Derulo UK tour dates
Fri 30 Jan - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
Sat 31 Jan - London, UK - The O2
Mon 2 Feb - Cardiff, UK - Utilita Arena
Tue 3 Feb - Brighton, UK - The Brighton Centre
Thu 5 Feb - Bournemouth, UK - Bournemouth International Centre
Fri 6 Feb - Leeds, UK - First Direct Bank Arena
Sat 7 Feb - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Mon 9 Feb - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Jason Derulo tickets for First Direct Arena gig
If you want to see Jason Derulo 'Talk Dirty' to a huge 13,000 arena crowd over some 'Trumpets' then you'll want to get tickets to this event.
Luckily there's plenty of opportunities for you to see Mr. Derulo 'Wiggle' right in front of your eyes as there's tickets available HERE.
Jason Derulo setlist
Although the tour hasn't kicked off yet, here's one of the Pop/ R&B champs latest sets from September last year which contains some 2010s classics and big belters.
Swalla
Wiggle
Take You Dancing
Acapulco
Savage Love
Whatcha Say
Who Hurt You
Tip Toe
Breathing
In My Head
Ridin' Solo
Spicy Margarita
Love Tonight
The Other Side
Dame Un Grrr
Talk Dirty
Want to Want Me
Don't Wanna Go Home / Shots
Who Hurt You
What are the stage times for Jason Derulo in Leeds?
The 'It Girl' hitmaker is visiting the UK for his The Last Dance Tour / Credit: Supplied via Wikimedia Commons
First Direct Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning as much as we ′Don't Wanna Go Home', at least we'll be tucked up in bed before the early hours.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6.30pm with a kick-off time expected to be 7.30pm with support from Czech rising star THERA and Manchester EDM group LZ7.
How to get to first direct arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Sophie Smith -
23rd January 2024 
