Tramlines 2023: Music festival is underway as floodgates open for swathes of fans in Sheffield

And we’re off! Tramlines 2023 has begun, with the gates opening at Hillsborough Park at midday today. 

Crowds have been building throughout the afternoon, and the sea of bucket hats growing by the hour. Those still searching for the source of the plastic ponchos have been thoroughly drenched by half an hour of torrential rain, but the laughs coming from the comedy tent prove the mood has not been dampened.

The first artists on the schedule are always going to have the toughest job to get the crowds going, especially in weather like todays. But Amaroun, who opened the main stage for the weekend, had no trouble building a crowd throughout her set. She shared her inspirations for each song and shouted out her wife-to-be who was dancing at the barrier.

Delilah Bon, Harry Stachini, and Mookie were all first up on The Leadmill, T’Other Stage, and The Library stages early this afternoon. 

The Enemy drew a massive crowd, not hurt by the sun finally coming out, and told the early crowd members, who brought high energy right from the first song, that they were special: “The rest of you are alright, but they’re special.”

Jonathan Pie took to T’Other Stage at 2.15pm for everyone’s Friday politics fill. He received raucous applause at the end of his set, leaving the stage in a rush, as he’d been having “far too much fun” and lost track of time. Pie, created and portrayed by actor and comedian Tom Walker, received international coverage in 2016 when his comments on Trump’s victory went viral. 

Circa Waves, Rachel Chinouriri, and DMA’s are among those taking to Tramlines’ stages in the early evening, before Bloc Party and headliner Richard Ashcroft end day one with a bang tonight, from 8.45pm.

Exact timings of the lineup are easy to find on the Tramlines app. It has information including transport tips, a map of the park, and a ‘clash finder’, where you can build your own schedule for the weekend and make sure you are not missing any of your favourites, or running between stages in a panic.

For those heading home on the tram tonight, be sure to get on at Leppings Lane, where a dedicated service will head into the city centre with no stops in between. These changes are expected to be in place between 10-11pm today. This afternoon, normal tram services seem to coping easily with the staggered arrival of festival goers, with most of us even getting a seat.

If you’re now regretting missing out on tickets, some are available on the official resale site Tixel, with Sugababes, Kaiser Chiefs, The Courteeners, Kate Nash, and Blossoms all still to come over the weekend.