TRAMLINES DAY TWO: AN INTRODUCTION TO ODD, OBSCURE MOSH PITS

FESTIVAL REVIEW | TRAMLINES DAY TWO, SHEFFIELD | 25th July 2026 by Morgan Hermiston

The second day of Tramlines 2026 saw a return of the sun, but an introduction to strangely timed mosh pits. Planning my day around an interview with Seb Lowe, I didn’t manage to catch as many acts as I’d have liked, partially down to the typical stage clashes. However, the four full sets I did manage to catch were nothing short of memorable.

Freddie Halkon

Doncaster local Freddie Halkon was the first act of the day for me. He took on the Sarah Nulty Main Stage, and amassed a huge crowd doing so. His seven-song setlist was a bright and motivating start to the day, with catchy choruses and vibrant vocals that filled the park effortlessly. Freddie debuted his most recent release ‘Chinese Takeaway‘ for the first time live during this set too. He amped up the crowd in a way that probably prepared them for the other captivating songs that were yet to come. Closing with 2024 single ‘Girl In The Smoking Area‘, it was the perfect end to what was an already memorable beginning set.

Keyside

I managed to get into the Leadmill Stage before it became packed to the brim. I’ve never managed to see Keyside before their Tramlines set, but I’m glad this was the first performance I caught. I recently interviewed Keyside’s guitarist and drummer, Ben Cassidy and Oisín McAvoy and we had a chat about their upcoming debut record. This new album provided the foundation of their setlist, with fan-favourites ‘Angeline‘, ‘Lemon & Lime‘ and ‘Nikita‘ forming the first three songs of the set. With bassist Max Gibson and frontman Dan Parker excuding further energy, this was such an enjoyable band to finally see live.

Rick Astley

After interviewing Seb Lowe, and two of his bandmates, I made my way back into Hillsborough Park and managed to catch some of Rick Astley‘s set. An artist of his calibre needs no introduction, and his performance was nothing short of monumental. I managed to see him during their cover of Raye‘s ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!‘, where Rick showed off his additional talents as a drummer too. Following this were his own rendition of ‘Whenever You Need Somebody‘, and of course ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ as the closing song. While colloquially dubbed “Uncle Rick“, he’s a generational talent that provides not only much need nostalgia, but he performs a set that leaves everyone feeling uplifted, whether you’re aware of his lesser known material or not.

Blossoms

Rick Astley’s set wouldn’t be the last we’d see of him that weekend. During one of Blossoms‘ recent releases, ‘Joke About Divorce‘, Rick appeared again to help close the song out. Alongside the aforementioned recent single, Blossoms performed ‘Meet Me In Love‘ for the first time in front of a live audience. There was the perfect amount of merging of older and newer material. From 2024 album Gary, the title track opened the set, and there were feel good moments such as ‘I Like Your Look‘ and ‘Perfect Me‘. This then ranged all the way back to their debut, self-titled record including tracks like ‘Getaway‘ and ‘Charlemagne‘, with the latter one ending the performance.

I’ve seen Blossoms countless times now over a few years, and whenever I think they’ve reached their peak in performing, they just get better and better. Frontman Tom Ogden‘s presence on-stage only continues to grow. This set was packed with fun, upbeat and catchy choruses that left such an impression on me, even after all the times I’ve watched them live. This was definitely a highlight of the Saturday, and one of my top picks for set of the weekend.

Blossoms (Gracie Erskine/Northern Exposure)

Courteeners

Marking the end of what was already a dynamic day, Courteeners headlined the main stage. In a modern musical world, I don’t think the band need much of an introduction as to their impact. Like Blossoms, I’ve seen them countless times and they always bring energetic and eclectic crowds in their masses. I was really impressed at the ability to maintain a momentous engagement engagement through the fluctuation between older, instantly recognisable tunes, and much more recent releases.

‘Sweet Surrender‘, their collaboration with Brooke Combe from 2024’s Pink Cactus Café, ignited the remarkable set. Other tracks in the setlist from this body of work included the title track, ‘Solitude Of The Night Bus‘, and ‘Weekend Shy Of A Feeling‘. The final of these three also featured in a two-song acoustic section later on with frontman Liam Fray performing solo renditions of this track and ‘The Rest of the World Has Gone Home‘.

The Courteeners (Gracie Erskine/Northern Exposure)

It’s not a Courteeners set without the classics, and with the inclusion of some bizarrely timed mosh pits, these were obviously well-received. While they did leave out fan-favourite ‘Acrylic‘, there was still some hearty choruses to sing along with. ‘The 17th‘, ‘Summer‘, and ‘Bide Your Time‘ continued a mighty momentum within the crowd. Their encore included four songs, all huge hits with the loud audience. As the highly anticipated ‘Not Nineteen Forever‘ began to play, Fray joked, “I hope nobody is in that ferris wheel“, before everything erupted into the moment we all knew would come. Ending on ‘What Took You So Long?‘, the night came to close, and what a way to end a Saturday night.