Tramlines Opens 2026 Apply to Play Programme with Career-Boosting Prize

Tramlines Opens 2026 Apply to Play Programme with Career-Boosting Prize

Applications are now open (until Jan 28th) for Tramlines Festival’s 2026 Apply to Play programme. The annual initiative offers emerging and unsigned artists the chance to perform at one of the UK’s most-loved city-based music festivals, set to take place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield.

Alongside a paid slot at Tramlines 2026, the overall winner of Apply to Play will also perform at Truck Festival, Y Not Festival and Victorious Festival. For the first time, Tramlines has partnered with Epiphone, one of the most iconic guitar brands in the world, to offer a major prize package. The winner will receive an official endorsement, a professional electric guitar, 12 months of artist relations support, access to Epiphone’s London showroom and a performance slot at the Gibson Garage. They will also get £500 in studio credit from Pirate Studios and a slot at the This Feeling industry showcase. Finalists will receive paid performance slots at Tramlines and a second artist will be chosen through a public vote from a shortlist of 100 entries. That artist will also receive the full Epiphone package and secure a guaranteed place in the final selection.

Since its inception, the Apply to Play scheme has helped launch the careers of multiple new artists. Previous winners and alumni include Harri Larkin and Hannah Rowe who have continued to grow their profiles through further bookings and festival appearances. The 2025 edition saw Long Island take the overall prize, with other standout acts such as The Rolling People, Fear of Marko and Montello also selected to perform. It will be fascinating to see who comes through in 2026 as Tramlines continues to nurture the stars of the future.

Tramlines was awarded ‘Best Festival for Emerging Talent’ at the UK Festival Awards following its 2023 edition, and continues to be recognised for its grassroots impact and investment in the local scene. Apply to Play is one of the key pathways for new acts to get involved, with past applicants going on to secure national attention and return to bigger stages within the festival.

Timm Cleasby, Operations Director at Tramlines, said: “Apply to Play is one of the things at Tramlines I’m proudest of. Every year we get blown away by the talent coming through, not just from Sheffield but from all over the UK. We’ve had artists start out on a small stage and come back a couple of years later to play a packed tent. That kind of journey means a lot to us and shows emerging artists there is a pathway for them to grow. It’s why we do it and I can’t wait to see who steps up in 2026.”

Applications are now open at - https://tramlines.org.uk/explore/apply-to-play/.

Tramlines Festival 2026 takes place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July at Hillsborough Park in Sheffield. Fatboy Slim, Courteeners and Wolf Alice will headline the weekend, alongside performances from Kaiser Chiefs, Blossoms, Wet Leg, Rick Astley, Vanessa Carlton, Reverend and the Makers, and many more across five stages of music, comedy and entertainment. A limited number of day and weekend tickets remain on sale. Full details are available at tramlines.org.uk.

Tramlines Festival 2026

Friday 24 – Sunday 26 July

Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, S6 2AB

Ticket Information

Tier 6 Weekend General Admission tickets are available now for £180 + booking fee, with VIP and upgraded “Fancy Bit” options also on sale. Friday and Saturday day tickets have now sold out, but a limited number of Sunday Tier 2 day tickets remain, priced at £70 + booking fee. For full ticket info and availability, visit tramlines.org.uk

Confirmed 2026 Artists

Friday

Fatboy Slim (Headliner)

Kaiser Chiefs

The Vaccines (Special Guests) / The K’s / The Coral

Starsailor / Keo / Vanessa Carlton / Black Honey / The Clause

Radio Free Alice / Westside Cowboy / Etta Marcus / Saint Clair

Millie Pye / Maximilian Tanner / Bethany Grace

Saturday

Courteeners (Headliner)

Blossoms

Rick Astley / Gabrielle / Freddie Halkon

Everly Pregnant Brothers (Special Guests) / Inspiral Carpets / Sleeper / Lucy Spraggan

Seb Lowe / The Guest List / Quayside / Girl in the Year Above / Creeping Jean / Geider

Day Fever (Disco set) / The Leadmill Orchestra

Sunday

Wolf Alice (Headliner)

Wet Leg

Reverend and the Makers / The Royston Club / The Enemy (Special Guests) / Lottery Winners / Brooke Combe / Florence Road / The Rosadocs / The Lilacs

Femur / Bleach 9:3 / Brooki / Sam Scherdel / Junk

Tramlines is one of the UK’s largest and longest-running inner city greenfield music festivals, held annually in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield. Known for its mix of major headliners, local talent and community programming, Tramlines has become a defining fixture in the UK’s summer calendar.

The 2024 edition (26–28 July) featured headline performances from Paolo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol, and continued its track record of platforming Sheffield voices, with artists like Otis Mensah, Coco, and Everly Pregnant Brothers on the bill. The festival also introduced expanded family areas, comedy programming, and accessibility schemes supported by Tickets for Good.

The 2025 edition (25–27 July) marked a landmark year with Pulp’s first Tramlines performance and stage curation, plus powerful sets from The Reytons, Kasabian, Sigrid, Rizzle Kicks and many others. More than 120 artists played across five stages, alongside grassroots showcases from Pattern + Push, Slambarz, and The Leadmill. 2025 also saw the festival raise funds for local causes via The Tramlines Trust, with over £120,000 donated since 2022.

Now heading into its 17th year, Tramlines continues to blend big festival energy with a strong Sheffield identity, championing new music, supporting creative development, and celebrating culture in all its forms.

For more info visit www.tramlines.org.uk.