Tramlines has been named Inner-City Festival of the Year and awarded Headline Performance of the Year for Pulp’s iconic Friday night show at the 2025 UK Festival Awards.

These wins come just weeks after Tramlines unveiled its 2026 line-up, led by Fatboy Slim, Courteeners and Wolf Alice. With demand at an all-time high, pre-sale tickets moved faster than ever before and general release sales have continued at pace.

The Headline Performance of the Year award celebrates the return of Pulp to Sheffield. For one night only, they not only topped the bill but curated the full main stage line-up, sharing the platform with acts including Spiritualized, Hot Chip (DJ set), Baxter Dury and Oracle Sisters. Their performance was a rare moment of hometown history and was regarded by both festival fans and official reviewers as a standout set.

Winning Inner-City Festival of the Year reaffirms Tramlines’ place as one of the UK’s most loved large-scale city festivals. Hosted in Hillsborough Park, the festival blends big-stage headliners with local artists whilst providing a platform and support for community groups from across the region. Since launching the Tramlines Trust in 2022, the festival has donated over £120,000 to local groups, schools, mental health projects and youth initiatives. Thousands of tickets have also been distributed to community partners through schemes such as Tickets for Good. Tramlines also received this award in 2019 and 2021.

Also at the UK Festival Awards, Shambala Festival was presented with the Sarah Nulty Community Impact Award. Named after Tramlines’ much-missed Festival Director, the award honours festivals that show exceptional commitment to local communities. Sarah’s legacy remains a central part of the Tramlines story, and the award in her name continues to raise the bar for what festivals can stand for beyond the stage.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Tramlines production staff (delivered by METHOD Events) was nominated for Best Operations Team at the Access All Areas Awards in London this week. Recognising the people who make live events happen safely, sustainably and to a high standard, the awards shine a light on the teams who rarely take the spotlight but are essential to the smooth running of the festival.

Timm Cleasby, Tramlines Operations Director, said: “Winning Inner-City Festival of the Year for the 3rd time means a lot. Tramlines is part of Sheffield and this feels like recognition for the whole city. I’m also chuffed that our operations team got a nod at the Access All Areas Awards. They’re the ones who make the whole thing run smoothly and I’m grateful for such a hard-working, professional team. It’s also lovely to see Shambala picking up the Sarah Nulty Award. We’re all very grateful that her legacy lives on and her work remains recognised by the festival and the industry as a whole.”