Tramlines Festival returned to Sheffield with a bang this year, bursting with brilliant music and local pride.
Now a firmly established cornerstone of the social calendar, Tramlines has proved itself to be a multi-stage celebration of music sprawled across Hillsborough Park.
This year the festival felt even more local than ever before, with two out of three headliners hailing from the steel city itself.
But it wasn’t just about the headliners, each and every act delivered impeccable sets to roaring crowds. Complete with a blazing sun and a cheeky England win, it was definitely a Tramlines to remember.
Day One
Friday kicked off in the most Sheffield way possible – John Cooper Clarke taking to T’Other Stage and delivering an hour long set jam-packed with his charming, witty and hilariously inappropriate poems. Signing off with “I Wanna Be Yours”, the iconic poem that inspired the Arctic Monkeys, we were ready to take on the festival.
Hot Chip really got the party started with an electric DJ set, whilst Fat White Family performed to a packed-out Leadmill Stage just before the one we’ve all been waiting for began their set. That’s right, Pulp.
Walking through the grounds it was clear to see the majority of festival-goers were here to see Pulp, with every other punter sporting a piece of their merch. And their set did not disappoint one bit.
From the opening riffs of “Spike Island” to the belting choruses of “Disco 2000” and “Common People”, Jarvis and co. fused their past legacy with a defiant nod to the present. With Richard Hawley invited for the encore and “Sheffield: Sex City” finally getting its live hometown debut, it was the kind of show you’d write home about – if you weren’t too busy screaming the lyrics back.
An iconic Tramlines moment that we won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Day Two
Back again to Hillsborough Park, perhaps not so bright eyed and bushy-tailed, but did that stop us? Absolutely not.
Saturday brought another day of unbeatable local energy, Rotherham lads The Reytons headlined the Sarah Nulty Main Stage with swagger that felt both underdog and overdue. Whilst Franz Ferdinand had the field fizzing with guitar drama and singalongs to “Take Me Out”, but not before nostalgic icon Natasha Bedingfield could perform her catalogue of anthems from “These Words” and “Pocket Full of Sunshine” to “Unwritten”. We’re going to blame that one on losing our voice.
And if you weren’t at The Reytons, then you were most likely at the Rizzle Kicks who are back and boy oh boy aren’t we glad they are. The crowd’s electric reaction to “Get Down With The Trumpets” got us all asking, why did they ever leave in the first place?
Day Three
Last but definitely not least, Sunday brought a day of proper laughs courtesy of Russel Howard kicking things off at T’Other Stage followed by Irish legend CMAT who had the crowd enamoured by both her flawless singing voice and immaculate stage presence.
Scouting For Girls brought the nostalgia to the main stage closely followed by The Last Dinner Party who underlined their position as one of the best girl groups in the country right now.
And of course, as we were all bopping our heads to this myriad of fantastic music the Women’s England squad were playing Spain in the Euro’s Final. Just before Kasabian exploded onto the stage, the penalties were played to a sea of adoring fans which can only be described as electric. A perfect way to set up the last act of the night.
Opening with “Club Foot” and closing with “Fire”, Kasabian turned the park into a celebration of national pride which can only be described as something really quite special.
So, Tramlines 2025? A weekend which showcased an incredible array of British music, with an undeniable focus of Sheffield’s roots and musical prowess. We’ll absolutely take that.
Tramlines 2026 will return from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 July, tickets go on sale this Friday and you can grab yours here.
Read more:
Featured image – The Sheff
