More than a Festival: Tramlines 2025 backs local people, projects and places
Tramlines Festival returns to Hillsborough Park this weekend with over 100 acts performing across multiple stages from 25 to 27 July. For the 3rd year running, the Little Hillsborough area of the event will bring a mix of local traders and independent makers into the heart of the festival including newcomers for 2025, St Luke's Hospice.
Tramlines also works with a wide array of charities and initiatives from local projects to international charities including Sheffield Mind, Strut Safe, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation. Tramlines also aims to ensure that the festival is accessible to everyone by giving passes to Tickets for Good, Sheffield Young Carers and to many residents who live close to Hillsborough Park.
Little Hillsborough brings a slice of Sheffield’s independent spirit into the heart of the festival. St Luke’s Hospice will be trading on site with a curated selection of second-hand festival fashion, raising funds to support their citywide care services. Long supported by Tramlines through previous fundraising, their presence this year marks a new chapter in the partnership. Also onsite in this area is local artist Luke Horton, known for his Sheffield-inspired artwork. Little Hillsborough offers festivalgoers the chance to discover unique items, meet independent makers and engage with local organisations as part of the wider weekend experience and hopefully, they’ll keep coming back to Hillsborough throughout the year. In this same vein, Tramlines is also encouraging people to visit Hillsborough businesses in advance of the event through their, ‘Hillsborough Hotspots’, campaign. More details including participating businesses will be announced later this week on the Tramlines website.
Tramlines continues its commitment to creating a safe and inclusive space for everyone attending the festival. In partnership with the Association of Independent Festivals, the event supports the Safer Spaces campaign and Charter of Best Practice, which encourages active bystander awareness and promotes a culture of care across the site. Returning to the festival this year are Strut Safe volunteers, who will be present on site throughout the weekend and also available via a national phone line. Strut Safe provides a phoneline which anyone travelling alone can call for companionship and comfort as they make their way home.
Sheffield Mind will once again provide a calm and supportive space near the Welfare tent, with trained staff and a dedicated Sensory Area for anyone needing a moment of respite. Peequal, the women’s urinal system first introduced last year, will also be back to improve access and reduce waiting times across the site. These measures form part of a broader commitment to making Tramlines as welcoming, accessible and safe as possible for everyone involved.
Other organisations joining the festival this year include Médecins Sans Frontières, who’ll be raising awareness of their frontline medical work, and Sheffield’s own Tickets for Good, who are helping people access culture and live events regardless of barriers. Free tickets have also been donated to Sheffield Young Carers whilst Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity will also be on site with a few surprises as they look to celebrate 150 years in 2026.
The memory of Sarah Nulty, Tramlines' much-loved former director, continues to shape the festival each year. The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundationwas set up in her name and funds local music-based projects across Sheffield, especially those that work with young people and underserved communities. At this year’s festival, they’ll be raising funds through merch, donations and a dedicated ‘Nultys’ bar, helping to keep those projects going and growing.
Alongside that, the Tramlines Trust continues to support local organisations through small grants, with over £30,000 handed out to community groups, schools, charities and social enterprises in the past year alone. Whether it’s music sessions for young carers, new kit for grassroots sports teams, or creative projects in care homes, the Trust helps make things happen for people doing good work across the city. It’s part of what makes Tramlines feel local, even when the stages are massive.
Tramlines runs from 25 to 27 July at Hillsborough Park. More information is available at tramlines.org.uk whilst the full line-up including timings is available on the official app. Tickets for event have sold-out although a few remain available from the Tixel, the official resale partner - https://tixel.com/uk/festival-tickets/tramlines-tickets