TRAMLINES 2025: BEST LINE UP YET?
Sheffield’s biggest festival is back for 2025, with a banging line up that might just put past years to shame. Tramlines has been delighting steel city with some of the UK’s best musicians since 2009, with a mix of national and local acts rocking the stages; past headliners including Sam Fender, Stereophonics, Paolo Nutini. This year (25th, 26th, 27th July), the hard working team at Tramlines have magicked together an insane line up that will get everyone up to Hillsborough Park.
I feel like many will agree that sometimes festival line ups can all merge into one these days, which isn’t always bad thing, but when an event promises something unique and different from the rest, it’s electric. Tramlines slot on Friday (25th) this year is ‘a day curated by Pulp’; the Sheffield legends homecoming and they will be bringing some friends along with them. This includes Warwickshire rock band Spiritualized, indietronica beast Baxter Drury and Parasian folks the Oracle Sisters, who supported Pulp at their seaside gig in Scarborough in 2023 (amongst other talented friends of the band). There is also the addition of a mysterious ‘special guest TBA’.
As most of the other bands included in this curated line up are bands that have previously supported Pulp, we can take a guess that it may be one of the supports from a different tour (and they are a master at picking banging support acts). Our speculation at Northern Exposure is perhaps we’ll see Wet Leg being added to that bill (Wet Leg supported Pulp in 2023), which would fit as the band have been popping up across line up’s this coming summer Or, maybe Jarvis Cocker could do what Jarvis Cocker does best and pull out a complete wild card. Regardless, Friday will be a cracking homecoming for Pulp and the city of Sheffield. So if you were thinking about getting a ticket, well, tough luck – as Friday tickets and weekend tickets are already SOLD OUT!
Saturday is simply banger after banger, name after name in terms of line up. With Reytons popping over from Rotherham to headline, and other big name acts like Franz Ferdinand, Rizzle Kicks and Jake Bugg to follow, Saturday promises to be a hard day to follow (you’ll want to see them all). Natasha Bedingfield and Heather Small are bringing some much needed feminine energy to Saturday’s line up alongside rising indie pop girls Chloe Slater and Daisy Peacock. Tramlines is the festival for everyone. From attending last year, my main takeaway was that literally anyone with any music taste, of any age, could show up and have a great time.
There are simply too many amazing acts playing on Saturday to cover, but some of my personal highlights and recommendation to run to see are The K’s, Daydreamers, She’s In Parties, The Everly Pregnant Brothers and The Leadmill Studio Orchestra – a must see to revel in Sheffield’s incredible, lively culture.
Kasabian are your final headliner of the festival, finishing off what promises to be an insane weekend of music with some classics. Excellent up and comer’s The Last Dinner Party follow, as well as indie favourites The Lathums and my personal favourite, Irish princess CMAT. Sunday 27th is an incredible indie melting pot, with other acts like The Sherlocks, Red Rum Club, Royston Club and special guest Scouting for Girls also joining the party.
Again, like the previous days, there are too many amazing names to cover here, so please check out the line up yourself and prepare to have your card ready for tickets (trust me, you’ll want them). Sheffield is a brilliant city, pulsing with live music and great culture and Tramlines is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s family, students and people who like a good cider in the sun friendly with some of your favourite acts gracing the stage, what is not to love.
Final Saturday and Sunday day tickets can be found HERE
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