Applications are now open (until 28 January) for Tramlines Festival’s 2026 Apply to Play programme. The annual initiative offers emerging and unsigned artists the chance to perform at one of the UK’s most-loved city-based music festivals, set to take place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield.

Alongside a paid slot at Tramlines 2026, the overall winner of Apply to Play will also perform at Truck Festival, Y Not Festival and Victorious Festival. For the first time, Tramlines has partnered with Epiphone, one of the most iconic guitar brands in the world, to offer a major prize package. The winner will receive an official endorsement, a professional electric guitar, 12 months of artist relations support, access to Epiphone’s London showroom and a performance slot at the Gibson Garage. They will also get £500 in studio credit from Pirate Studios and a slot at the This Feeling industry showcase. Finalists will receive paid performance slots at Tramlines and a second artist will be chosen through a public vote from a shortlist of 100 entries. That artist will also receive the full Epiphone package and secure a guaranteed place in the final selection.

Since its inception, the Apply to Play scheme has helped launch the careers of multiple new artists. Previous winners and alumni include Harri Larkin and Hannah Rowe who have continued to grow their profiles through further bookings and festival appearances. The 2025 edition saw Long Island take the overall prize, with other standout acts such as The Rolling People, Fear of Marko and Montello also selected to perform. It will be fascinating to see who comes through in 2026 as Tramlines continues to nurture the stars of the future. 

Tramlines was awarded ‘Best Festival for Emerging Talent’ at the UK Festival Awards following its 2023 edition, and continues to be recognised for its grassroots impact and investment in the local scene. Apply to Play is one of the key pathways for new acts to get involved, with past applicants going on to secure national attention and return to bigger stages within the festival.

Timm Cleasby, Operations Director at Tramlines, said: “Apply to Play is one of the things at Tramlines I’m proudest of. Every year we get blown away by the talent coming through, not just from Sheffield but from all over the UK. We’ve had artists start out on a small stage and come back a couple of years later to play a packed tent. That kind of journey means a lot to us and shows emerging artists there is a pathway for them to grow. It’s why we do it and I can’t wait to see who steps up in 2026.”

Applications are now open – click here.