This year’s Tramlines Music Festival and The Fringe at Tramlines provided a combined £7.3 million boost to the city’s economy.
Tramlines is one of the UK’s longest running, city-based music festivals and a highlight in Sheffield’s year-round calendar of events and festivals.
Whilst Tramlines in Hillsborough Park is a ticketed event, 2024 also saw the return of the Fringe at Tramlines – in Association with Sheffield BID – a free, city centre event taking place in Sheffield’s outdoor spaces, pubs, bars and music venues.
A report, to be discussed at an Economic Development and Skills Committee meeting next week (Thursday 12th December), has now revealed some of the major benefits of the festival to both the city and its residents.
Following a review, the main Tramlines event in Hillsborough Park, which took place earlier this year in July, has been estimated to have generated around £5.45M for the economy, with over 108,000 people attending the event over the course of the weekend.
In addition, The Fringe at Tramlines is estimated to have generated approximately £1.86M of economic benefit, with approximately 45,000 attendees.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skill Committee at Sheffield City Council, said:
“Events like Tramlines are hugely beneficial to the city.
“They bring visitors from across the country and beyond, and this in turn brings a boost for Sheffield based businesses. Whether it’s seats in restaurants, cups of coffee, beds in hotel rooms or even people ordering taxis, it is all for the benefit of the Sheffield economy and the people of Sheffield.
“On top of that, the festival helps to raise much needed funds for Sheffield-based charities, and organisers offer work placements to local people and students, donate tickets to local communities and offer a paid opportunities to local and emerging artists.”
The Tramlines Trust – the festival’s official charity and fundraiser – also raised over £62,000 at the 2024 event. £32,000 will be granted to Sheffield and Hillsborough charities, with over 50% to go directly to Hillsborough.
Some of the organisations to benefit, include, A Mind Apart, which provides inclusive theatre education, and Kids Plant Trees, a group dedicated to enhancing local green spaces through youth-led tree planting.
Holme Lane Community Garden received funding to expand its urban garden, while Hillsborough Pumas Under 12s, Hillsborough Arena Sports Association and Hillsborough Hornets Disability FC will use grants to boost facilities and opportunities for youth in sports. Full list can be found in the report to committee.
This year, the festival also continued to shine a spotlight on Hillsborough’s businesses through the ‘Hillsborough Hotspots’ guide, showcasing where to visit before heading to the main event.
In addition to promoting these local businesses online and at the festival, Tramlines provided heavily subsidised stalls for local traders in their ‘Little Hillsborough’ area, with all infrastructure provided by the festival.
In total, they worked with 125 local businesses with over 1200 local staff working the event.
The Fringe also did its bit to support local businesses, bringing business to 40 venues across the city.
Diane Jarvis, Head of Business Operations at Sheffield BID, said:
“The Fringe at Tramlines is a vital component of Sheffield’s vibrant cultural landscape.
“It not only enhances the festival experience for attendees but also significantly boosts the city centre economy. By drawing thousands of visitors to the city centre, the Fringe supports our businesses, from independent shops to hospitality venues, and provides a platform for nearly 400 local and emerging artists.
“This event exemplifies the collaborative spirit of Sheffield, showcasing the best of what our city has to offer and reinforcing our commitment to fostering a thriving business community. The estimated economic benefit of £1.86m represents 9.7% of the total spend in the city centre during July and is a very welcome uplift to the trading environment.”
Both events also support local, upcoming talent. Local groups were offered the opportunities at this year festival through the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Trust.
Since moving to Hillsborough Park in 2018, Tramlines has offered 296 slots to local artists and since 2022, they have welcomed 47 young artists through their development programmes, providing a platform to connect the artists with their aspirations of performing on a major stage in front of thousands of people.
On top of this, The Fringe at Tramlines provided opportunities for almost 400 local and emerging artists and groups to take to the main stage at Devonshire Green.
