Tramlines Festival

"Tramlines" redirects here. For other uses, see Tramline (disambiguation).

Tramlines Festival
GenreRock, indie, pop, electronic, dance, hip hop, folk, experimental, metal, world, reggae
DatesEnd of July
Location(s)Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, England
Years activeAnnually since 2009
Capacity50,000
Websitewww.tramlines.org.uk

The Tramlines Festival is an annual music festival held in Sheffield, UK.[1] The festival was originally free to attend, but now requires tickets. The line-up consists of national and local artists. The festival was curated and organised by a panel comprising local venue owners, promoters and volunteers.[2] The name of the festival is inspired by the city's tram network. Tramlines held its first festival in 2009, which attracted 35,000 fans and was seen as a huge success, and 2010's event doubled that figure. The success of Tramlines Festival 2011 led to the event winning 'Best Metropolitan Festival' at the UK Festival Awards.[3] Superstruct Entertainment, the live entertainment platform backed by Providence Equity Partners, owns the festival after it entered definitive agreement for the acquisition of several live music and entertainment festivals from Global Media & Entertainment and Broadwick Live.[4]

Venues

The festival took place at over 70 venues and four main stages in the city centre, including Devonshire Green, The Leadmill, The Viper Rooms, The Fat Cat, O2 Academy Sheffield, Barkers Pool, The University of Sheffield, The Harley, The Bowery, the Peace Gardens, Yellow Arch and the main stage at Ponderosa Park with a capacity of 8,000 until 2017. In January 2018 it was announced that the festival would be moving out of the city centre to a new venue in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, and would consist of four stages including a main stage. The new venue would allow the capacity at the main stage to be around 40,000, with the capacity reduced to 30,000 for the 2019 event.

Festivals

2009

Tramlines held its first festival in 2009. Notable artists such as Rolo Tomassi, Just Jack, Toddla T, Pixie Lott, Little Boots, Example, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The XX and Reverend and The Makers, who headlined, played at the festival. The festival was a huge success,[5] attracting 35,000 fans.[6] The organizers, as well as councillors and Sheffielders, praised the festival. The festivals popularity, along with positive reviews, led to the 2010 event being announced. The festival-goers had to queue to get wristbands, which gave them access to the different stages.

2009's festival recycled 400 litres of paper, 2080 litres of plastic and 560 litres of aluminium in the outdoor venues alone.[7] This led to an environmental campaign in 2010 in which the festival seeks to reduce its environmental impact.

2010

Tramlines Festival 2010 was held from 23 to 25 July.[7] 250 artists performed, and several venues were added, including Sheffield University's Octagon Centre, Tudor Square, The Leadmill, O2 Academy Sheffield, Winter Gardens and the main stage at Devonshire Green increased in capacity from 5,000 to 8,000. Headliners were Echo and the Bunnymen, Mystery Jets, Simian Mobile Disco DJ set, Professor Green, Tinchy Stryder, Future of the Left, Darwin Deez, Macka B, The King Blues, The Hoosiers, Craig David, Dum Dum Girls, Annie Mac and Toddla T.

The festival remained free, and the wristband system was scrapped, replaced with a first-come-first-served turnstile system. The festival attracted 65,000 people.[1][8] New events at the 2010 festival included a Youth Music Festival, Blues trail and a Ceilidh.[8][9]

The festival also focused on reducing its environmental impact in 2010. This pledge included a solar powered headphone disco on Devonshire Green, major recycling areas at all of the outdoor stages, and cheap accommodation via Unite.[7]

2011

Tramlines 2011 took place from 22 to 24 July, with an estimated 175,000[10] revellers in attendance. Over 70 venues took part, with four main stages and at least 200 live acts. Headliners and other notable acts included Ash, Olly Murs, Pixie Lott, The Futureheads, Heaven 17, Dananananaykroyd, David Rodigan, Dry The River, Michael Prophet, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Los Campesinos!, Rolo Tomassi, Dead Sons, Skint & Demoralised, The Crookes and Toddla T. New additions were made to the festival, including 'The Folk Forest', a folk music event taking place in Endcliffe Park, 1.5 miles from the city centre.[11]

2012

Tramlines 2012 took place on Friday 20 July to Sunday 22 July.[12] Headliners included Reverend & The Makers, Roots Manuva and We Are Scientists, with Spector, Ms Dynamite, Mr Scruff, Julio Bashmore, Toddla T, Koreless, Ifan Daffyd, Clock Opera and Dead Sons also playing over the weekend, amongst others. Weston Park hosted a stage for the first time in the festival's history.

2013

Tramlines 2013, took place from Friday 19th to Sunday 21 July.[13] For the first time in the history of the festival, an entry fee was charged at £6 per day, though the event retained a large free fringe element.

2014

The main headlining acts were Katy B, Public Enemy, The Cribs and Annie Mac. The fee was increased to £12 per day, and early bird tickets were available in advance at £28 for all three days.[14]

2015

Tramlines 2015 took place on Friday 24th to Sunday 26 July. The main stage moved from Devonshire Green to Ponderosa Park to increase the venue capacity.[15] Tickets cost £30 for the weekend. Headliners included Sugar Hill Gang, Neneh Cherry, Slaves, The Charlatans, Basement Jaxx, and Buzzcocks.

2016

Tramlines 2016 took place on Friday 22nd to Sunday 24 July. Headliners included Dizzee Rascal and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

2017

Tramlines 2017 ran from Friday 21 July 2017 to Sunday 23 July 2017. Headliners included The Libertines, Metronomy, Primal Scream, The Coral, Kano and All Saints. 2017 also saw the return of the Devonshire Green stage, alongside the Ponderosa Park stage and The Folk Forest.

Friday 21 July Saturday 22 July Sunday 23 July

2018

Tramlines 2018 ran from 20 July 2018 until 22 July at Hillsborough Park. Tickets were sold in six tiers with the first and second tier being sold out within days. Weekend admission tickets to Hillsborough Park cost £79. The line-up consists of Stereophonics, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Craig David's TS5 as well as other acts including Stefflon Don, Mabel, Blossoms, De La Soul, Jake Bugg, Clean Bandit, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets, Shed Seven, Milburn, Reverend and The Makers. The new capacity of the event was 40,000[16]

The festival's namesake Supertram network went on strike for the duration of the 2018 festival, over pay and working conditions; free tram replacement buses were provided as shuttles between festival venues as a result.

Over £30,000 was raised at the festival in 2018 for both Cavendish Cancer Care and Weston Park Cancer Charity.[17]

Friday 20 July Saturday 21 July Sunday 22 July

2019

Tramlines 2019 was held from 19 July until 21 July in Hillsborough Park, headlined by Two Door Cinema Club, the Courteeners and Nile Rodgers & Chic. Other acts included the Manic Street Preachers, Rag'n'Bone Man, Doves, Happy Mondays, Reverend and The Makers, Johnny Marr, Sleeper, Peter Hook and the light, Miles Kane, Circa Waves, Lewis Capaldi and Shame. The main stage was renamed to Nulty’s Main Stage in honour of the late Festival Director, Sarah Nulty, who died just three weeks before the festival's 10th Anniversary in 2018.[17]

Tramlines won the "Best Metropolitan Festival" award at the UK Festival Awards 2019,[18] the second time the festival had won this award.

Friday 19 July Saturday 20 July Sunday 21 July

2020 (cancelled)

Tramlines 2020 was set to return to Hillsborough Park, Sheffield from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August 2020. On 7 May 2020 it was announced that the festival had been cancelled as a result of the social distancing measures that were in place to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The line-up consisted of headliners Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Madness, as well as The Kooks, Dizzee Rascal, The Hives, DMA's and Pale Waves. For the first time the second stage, t'Other was to be open for the full three days of the festival.

Friday 31 July Saturday 1 August Sunday 2 August

2021

The festival returned in 2021, with the festival taking place between July 23rd-25th.[19]

Friday 23 July Saturday 24 July Sunday 25 July

2022

Tramlines 2022 ran from Friday 22 July to Sunday 24 July. The lineup was revealed in November 2021 and expanded in March 2022.[20]

Friday 22 July Saturday 23 July Sunday 24 July

2023

Tramlines 2023 ran from Friday 21 July to Sunday 23 July. The initial lineup was revealed on 31 January 2023.

Friday 21 July Saturday 22 July Sunday 23 July

Additionally, the festival featured comedy performances by Jonathan Pie, Omid Djalili, Myq Kaplan, Tom Wrigglesworth and Jarred Christmas amongst others.

2024

Tramlines 2024 took place from Friday 26 July to Sunday 28 July. The initial lineup was revealed on 23 January 2024.

Friday 26 July Saturday 27 July Sunday 28 July

2025

Tramlines 2025 will take place from Friday 25 July to Sunday 27 July. The initial lineup was revealed on 25 November 2024.

Friday 25 July Saturday 26 July Sunday 27 July

References

  1. ^ a b "Tramlines Frequently Asked Questions". Tramlines Festival. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Tramlines Festival Returns". ClashMusic. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  3. ^ "…And the winners are…!". festival awards. November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Superstruct Entertainment buys big with UK Festivals". Gig Addict. 17 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Music City festival 'Sheffield at its best'". The Star. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Sheffield Tramlines back on track with Echo and the Bunnymen". The Star. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  7. ^ a b c "Tramlines Home Page". Tramlines Festival. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Tramlines '10". efestivals. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Tramlines Home Page". Tramlines festival. p. 3. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Tramlines: Here to stay after 175,000 attended Sheffield's 'urban Glastonbury'". Sheffield Star. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Tramlines Free Festival – The Folk Forest". Folk Radio. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  12. ^ "Tramlines Website". 17 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  13. ^ "Tramlines Website". 17 February 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Tramlines Festival 2021 | Hillsborough Park". Tramlines.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Huge new Main Stage". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  16. ^ "Tramlines festival to move from city centre to Hillsborough". BBC. 5 December 2017.
  17. ^ a b "We're renaming our Main Stage in Memory of Our Late Festival Director, Sarah Nulty". Tramlines.org.uk. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Winners – UK Festival Awards 2019". Festival Awards. 10 December 2019.
  19. ^ "Tramlines 2021: Fans 'making up' for missed years". BBC News. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Tramlines 2022 lineup: Who is playing Sheffield festival so far including Madness, Sam Fender and Kasabian". The Star. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
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