Tramlines 2024 was, we'll admit, slightly different to the year before. For us, there are a number of reasons for this: the artists included some of our all-time favourites, there were new hotspots to check out, we made our first magazine to preview it... Oh, and the fact the weather, was actually really good.
The weather undoubtedly plays a huge part in any person's enjoyment of an outdoor festival and the contrast is clear just looking at the reaction to both this and last year's festival. After Tramlines 2023, there were calls that the festival should move, that it should not have gone ahead, along with some pretty grim photographs of Hillsborough Park in the aftermath. The reaction to this year's has seen no such photographs or calls for it to move and it appears, for the most part, that attendees had a much better experience. We know for us at Sheffield Magazine that this festival was a weekend that will live long in our memories.
Friday began rather slowly, we arrived in time to kick off the weekend with indie icon Miles Kane. The singer-songwriter is no stranger to putting on a stellar show for the people of Sheffield, having performed at multiple editions of Tramlines, multiple sold-out shows at The Leadmill and, of course, forming a band with one of Sheffield's most famous sons in Alex Turner. He was well worth a slot on The Sarah Nulty Main Stage with his showmanship and catalogue of bangers like 'Inhaler' and 'Come Closer' being a fantastic start to our weekend.
We could hardly just stay at The Main Stage all day so headed over to T'Other Stage for the first (and only) time this weekend to catch Dylan John Thomas. Tipped to be Scotland's next breakthrough artist following hot on the heels of artists like Gerry Cinnamon, Paolo Nutini and The Snuts (more on the latter two later). Dylan looks ready for that next step to us as he put an accomplished set filled with energy, charm and even an ABBA cover for good measure.
Our personal main event of the weekend was up next on The Sarah Nulty Main Stage in the form of Bombay Bicycle Club. Our Editor's Pick in our recent Tramlines magazine and one of our all time favourite bands, we have been awaiting a Bombay Bicycle Club set at Tramlines for years, and it did not disappoint. They are the perfect festival band and the perfect band to have playing in the sunshine, we saw them at The Octagon in February after a day of snow and they made us forget all about the cold. They are a band at the top of their game right now, producing a feel-good energy in every set, made for moments like this. The hour flew by with hit after hit, from their 15-year old debut album to their 2023 release My Big Day, culminating in a huge singalong to their timeless classic 'Always Like This'. One for the Tramlines history books in our view.
Last up on the first day was a much-anticipated set from Main Stage headliner Paolo Nutini. The singer-songwriter was billed for a 2 hour slot but it didn't feel that long at all. Nutini's skill of weaving from one song to the next seamlessly to the point where the entire set almost felt like one great medley was a wonder to observe. Within that there were countless standout moments, there was something magical about seeing 'Acid Eyes' live while the sun was setting and 'Candy' and 'Last Request' gave us all chills with their beauty. Nutini's vocals are as strong as ever and haven't lost their charm with age, but have given his songs new emphasis which has unlocked new avenues for the artist to explore with his music, he is simply a must-see for any music fan.
Saturday was by far our busiest day in terms of music. The day kicked off by catching exciting singer-songwriter Nieve Ella overcome some rare grey skies to bring her brand of grungey indie pop to an eager Main Stage crowd. Balancing Act were next for our first foray into The Leadmill Stage. This is a band everyone needs on their radars. They stated that this was "the biggest crowd [they] have ever played to" but they did not seem phased by that at all. Balancing Act are destined for the biggest stages, with charisma, charm and an already impressive collection of bangers including 'She Plays The Theremin', 'All Yours' and 'Laylow' showing a full array of what this band can do.
The Snuts were next on the Main Stage with a sun-soaked fun-filled 45 minute set, complete with a marriage proposal in the crowd. Lead singer Jack Cochrane joked about the fact it was the "Scottish lads bringing out the sun", but that's just how The Snuts make you feel. Their latest album is full of summery indie blockbusters perfect for festival season, and that only serves to enhance their incredible existing back-catalogue. They're a band continuing to go from strength to strength and another easy standout of the weekend.
A sprint from the front of the Main Stage up to The Leadmill Stage was a must-do in order to catch the newly Mercury-nominated English Teacher. There is a buzz around this band unlike anything surrounding most of the other artists at this year's Tramlines, and rightly so. We caught their most recent Sheffield performance at last year's Float Along Festival and we've been obsessed ever since. The tent was heaving to see this prodigiously talented group of musicians for an awe-inspiring performance. We are of course biased in thinking Sheffield produces Yorkshire's best musicians, but with English Teacher, we have to begrudgingly admit that Leeds are giving us a run for our money.
Next was Tom Grennan, and the main takeaway for us was that we will forever be indebted to the person who brought and held up the sign asking Tom to play 'Gillette'. It truly was the best a man can get and we love Tom for giving the people what they want, even if it was just a snippet. His whole performance was electrifying and drew one of the biggest crowds of the festival, a future headliner for sure.
Headlining The Leadmill Stage on Saturday was indie darlings Peace, a band who had been out of the game for a moment of time but are now returning to form. They looked as good as ever, performing a string of their best and most popular work to date with highlights for us including, '1998 (Delicious)', 'Bloodshake' and 'From Under Liquid Glass' which brought a tear to Editor Sophie's eye.
To close Saturday we were honoured with the second ever main stage headline performance from Jamie T, on the back of his first at Truck Festival the night before. He was extremely grateful and seemed in shock that so many had turned out so see him and returned the favour by delivering a high-octane set that was a pure indie disco from start to finish, with a raucous end in 'Sheila', 'Sticks n Stones' and 'Zombie' leaving both the crowd and himself breathless by the end. It was an opportunity that had been a long time coming for Jamie and he seized it with both hands.
And just like that, we were into the last day, equally exhausted and excited for what it would hold. It was a shorter day for us so we didn't need to wait for long to find that out, as Example immediately let us know what we were in for with a riotously genius 45 minute set. He had just arrived from Australia, the first artist to fly direct from Australia to a Tramlines set apparently, and he brought all of his success to his Main Stage performance. It was an unbelievable show, full of energy, showmanship and joy and after all his tunes he closed with a distinctly Example version of 'Mr. Brightside'. It was clear throughout that he was having as good a time as we were.
The Human League were next up on the Main Stage for their much-anticipated homecoming set. The storied '80s icons delivered in every way, using their wealth of experience to craft a memorable performance in their own backyard, literally since Philip Oakey used live "200 yards away". They also managed to generate probably the biggest sing-along of the whole weekend when they performed their legendary number one single 'Don't You Want Me', rivalled only by Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 'Murder on the Dancefloor' on Friday, or by Snow Patrol's rendition of 'Chasing Cars' later that evening.
Closing the festival on The Leadmill Stage was The Magic Gang, a staple of our teenage years and here in Sheffield, performing their last ever gig. Emotions were running high both on the stage and in the tent and every piece of that emotion came across over their 45 minute set. The crowd were loving every second, savouring it all before it never happened again. The boys got the longest round of applause of the weekend for sure and it was genuinely quite a poignant and emotional moment seeing an artist that has soundtracked parts of your lives leaving the stage, knowing it's for the last time.
Finally, to round out a truly special weekend on The Sarah Nulty Main Stage, Snow Patrol brought Tramlines 2024 to rousing conclusion. It was the perfect close to the weekend, a bucket list band for many and worthy of that mantle for sure. They laid on a brilliant spectacle, brimming with sing-alongs, new work and beauty. We toyed with the idea of getting on the new ferris wheel at the back of the park in time to catch 'Run', but we didn't want to risk it. The swelling emotion felt at several points during their set was almost overwhelming, but we made it through to experience 'Just Say Yes' as the final song of the festival, a joyous moment of pop brilliance, we couldn't think of a better final song.
Away from the music, there was a fantastic new tent addition in the form of Pint Corner, and a new ride for the funfair in the previously mentioned ferris wheel. Pint Corner offered valuable shade from the sun and refreshment in the form of beers from three different local breweries: Bradfield, Thornbridge and Abbeydale. The addition of Pint Corner also brought seating, and lots of it. One of the main complaints after last year was the lack of seating that wasn't the grass (or mud), it is positive to see that Tramlines has taken on this feedback to bring in an extended seating area, we loved it.
The food options were also plentiful around the grounds, our particular highlights came in the form of the chips from Poptata, a British Duck Wrap from The Duck Shed, Vegan and Gluten Free pizza from Proove and, returning from last year, the Fully Loaded Doner Potatoes from V OR V Grillhouse.
Tramlines 2024 was a joyous weekend altogether packed full of sunshine, sing-alongs and showmanship from one of the most consistently brilliant lineups of artists we have seen at Hillsborough Park. Super Early Bird Tickets for Tramlines 2025 go on sale at 12pm on Friday 2nd August. You can sign up for priority access now here, a super limited run of tickets will start at £89.50 and Tramlines Trust applications are still open until the 5th August. But, if the 2025 festival is anything like this year, we couldn't recommend securing those early tickets enough.
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