The weather is (slowly) staying above freezing, the nights are getting shorter and now we've got a bunch of festivals to look forward to.
Over in Sheffield, Tramlines Festival is gearing up for another great year.
Sheffield’s biggest party reckons this is 'its biggest first announcement to date' with three main stage headliners and over 50 artists from near and far already set to appear on Friday 26 July - Sunday 28 July 2024.
Friday night will see Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini take to the Sarah McNulty main stage; Jamie T on the Saturday and Snow Patrol will close the festival on Sunday.
The festival will also see Yorkshire's own Human League, Everly Pregnant Brothers and Yard Act taking to the stage alongside Bombay Bicycle Club, Tom Grennan, The Charlatans, Holly Humberstone and plenty more.
Along with the revival of Murder On The Dancefloor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be coming to Tramlines in 2024. Plus, The Snuts, The View (Special Guests), Example, Maximo Park (Special Guests), Soft Play, Annie Mac, Anthony Szmierek, Miles Kane, NewDad, Peace, The Mysterines, Corella, The Magic Gang, Willie J Healey and Sprints.
The festival also announced that it has signed a five-year lease with Sheffield City Council securing the longevity of the festival, and has kept prices at a competitive rate of £45 per day.
Image: Supplied
Operations Director of Tramlines Festival, Timm Cleasby commented “I’m delighted to release the first wave of acts for Tramlines 2024. There are some great bands on the line up! Securing headliners like Paolo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol is a fantastic testament to the reputation of Tramlines - and the hard work of our booking team - and, as always, they’re joined by top Sheffield talent including The Human League, Everly Pregnant Bros, Coco, and Otis Mensah, with many more to follow.
As always, we’re incredibly grateful for the support of the people of Sheffield following the challenges of 2023. We were blown away by the Sheffield spirit over the event weekend and have been overwhelmed by the amount of sign ups we’ve had for our ticket presale, launching on Thursday 25th at 12pm. We’re very happy to have reached a new 5-year deal with Sheffield City Council, preserving the future of the festival. We are working hard with SCC on improvements to Hillsborough Park to ensure it remains an excellent public space throughout the year.
Keep your eyes peeled as we launch the 2024 Tramlines Trust grants later this year. Sending over £50k back into Hillsborough, Sheffield and South Yorkshire projects in 2023 was a great feeling. I’m always blown away by the way our region produces creative solutions to societal issues and can’t wait to see the 2024 applications.”
Images: Supplied
How to get tickets
Now we all heard about the demand for tickets this year - here's how to bag yourself some of the last remaining tickets.
The 24-hour ticket Presale will go live on Thursday 25 January at midday. A limited number of weekend tickets will be available from £130 whilst day tickets will also be available from only £45, plus booking fees.
Any final remaining tickets will go on general sale on Friday 26 January at 12pm.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Mumford & Sons add new Leeds show at the First Direct Arena to sell out UK tour
Clementine Hall
Two new arena dates have been added to their forthcoming UK tour, after selling out the entire run within two hours.
Ahead of dropping their fifth studio LP Rushmere at the end of the month, the cult favourite folk-rock outfit announced a brand-new European tour in support of the record, including a limited UK leg.
The now sold-out arena run starts in Europe in November before now arriving in Leeds on Sunday 30 November.
The significance of the band’s return can be found in the title of the new album, as Rushmereis the spot where it all began for the boys: a pond located on Wimbledon Common in south-west London where Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane first hung out.
However, the multi-award-winning acoustic-driven British rockers and folk revivalists are now a trio following the departure of Winston Marshall, who quit the band back in 2021 following controversies surrounding his right-wing beliefs.
Image: Supplied
With that in mind, it’s rather fitting that they have insisted that beyond just a place and a title, Rushmere is alsothebeginning of a new phase.
Following an intense period of creativity, the project was produced by fellow nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb and recorded at the famous RCA Studio A in Nashville, as well as in Savannah, Georgia and back home at Marcus’ studio in Devon.
The album itself drops on this Friday 28 March and judging by the little that we’ve heard so far, they’ve been well worth the wait.
As for the arena show, tickets will go on sale this Thursday 27 March at 10am.
Best of all, they’re donating £1 from every ticket sold straight to War Child UK – this sort of stuff should be standard for any big act as far as we’re concerned.
Sophie Smith -
23rd January 2024 
