Fatboy Slim headlines unforgettable opening day as surprise grassroots appearance, city-wide performances and sunshine set the tone for the weekend.
Over 38,000 music fans packed Hillsborough Park today as Tramlines Festival 2026 got underway in glorious sunshine, with a programme bringing together global music icons, Sheffield favourites and the city’s thriving grassroots scene.
Friday’s opening day saw standout performances across the festival site, building towards a spectacular headline set from Fatboy Slim, who closed the Sarah Nulty Main Stage after performances from Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines, The Coral and Vanessa Carlton. Across the festival, audiences also enjoyed performances from Black Honey, The K’s, Starsailor, Etta Marcus, Westside Cowboy, as well as the all-female Pattern + Push takeover at T’Other Stage featuring Lavelle, Aziza Jaye and DJ Kyla C, and many more.
Before taking to the main stage for his biggest ever outdoor show in Sheffield, Fatboy Slim also made headlines with a surprise intimate DJ set at Sheffield’s Gut Level, celebrating the venue’s recent community ownership through Music Venue Properties’ Own Our Venues initiative. The appearance highlighted the importance of protecting grassroots music venues.
Beyond the music, festivalgoers were treated to a packed programme of comedy, food and all round entertainment. Headline comedian Reginald D Hunter brought big laughs to the T’Other Stage, while the festival’s food offering showcased the best of Sheffield and beyond, from local favourites like Proove Pizza and Yorkshire staples including As Tha Got Beef and the now-famous Yorkshire Burrito, to a wide range of global flavours spanning Japanese, Korean and Jamaican jerk cuisine. Adding to the atmosphere was a lively performance from The Ogretones, undoubtedly the UK’s only 9-piece Shrek tribute brass band alongside a DJ set from Ellie Coulton of BBC Radio Sheffield, who brought her breakfast show energy to Tramlines for the second year running.
Elsewhere across the city, live music took to Sheffield’s tram network for the first time, bringing performances directly to passengers and giving festivalgoers an unexpected soundtrack to their journey. Dubbed ‘Tramlines on Track’, this feature is a nod to the much-loved Buskers Bus from Tramlines’ early years, which turned the streets of Sheffield into a moving stage for emerging artists.
Tramlines continues on Saturday with headliners Courteeners, as fans prepare for the festival’s first-ever fancy dress day, with attendees encouraged to come dressed as anything beginning with the letter ‘T’. Wolf Alice will close the festival on Sunday, alongside hundreds of artists performing across Hillsborough Park and the wider Tramlines Fringe.
