Tramlines is always a highlight of the Sheffield calendar, but for plenty of people the Fringe is every bit as exciting. It’s where you’ll find up-and-coming artists, packed-out pubs, new venues to explore and live music around almost every corner of the city. It’s busy, a bit chaotic, and exactly what makes Tramlines weekend feel like Sheffield at its best.

We’ll be previewing some of the artists playing the Fringe later this week, along with their own recommendations of what not to miss. But for now, here are our picks for the Fringe events you should have firmly on your radar.

Cheap Dates - Cheaplines

If your idea of a perfect Fringe weekend is loud guitars and great cocktails, then Cheap Dates should be high on your list. The Orchard Square dive bar has quickly become one of the Fringe’s best places to spend an evening, with brilliant drinks, friendly service and a knack for putting on seriously good entertainment.  

Its Cheaplines Fringe weekender is free all weekend and packed with some of the most exciting names on the local DIY scene. Friday’s headline set from X2 Fast promises a frantic start to the weekend, joined by the likes of Imaginary Friends, Reckoner and Concrete Fuzz. Saturday brings Sheffield riot grrrl favourites Skint Knees, whose fierce, politically charged punk has made them one of the city’s standout live bands, alongside Period Drama, Ratpack and Lavender Gray. Sunday rounds things off with Heaven Unknown, plus Displacer, Mouthparts and Confyde.  

The Washington – Washinglines

You can’t really talk about Sheffield’s grassroots music scene without mentioning The Washington. It’s earned its reputation as one of the city’s great live music pubs, and every Tramlines weekend it pulls together a line-up that proves exactly why. This year’s Washinglines is so packed they’ve even added an extra Thursday night to kick things off.

Across four days there’s plenty to get excited about. Thursday features Juke, Lies Lies Lies and Tropical Deathboy, before Friday brings Cruush, whose dreamy indie sound has been making serious waves, alongside Aqualine and Nightschool. Saturday’s bill is headed by local favourites Oslo Twins, with The Tivolis, Paid By Cash and Humane The Moon, while Sunday closes the weekend in style with the brilliantly named Captain Avery & The Cosmic Triceratops of Intergalactic Peace, plus The Willy Yates Experience, Shugacoma and more.

With free entry, DJs keeping the beer garden going throughout the day and live music running into the early hours, the Washy is definitely embracing all the fringe fun. 

Sidney and Matilda - The Other Festival 

Sidney & Matilda has become one of the Fringe’s heavyweight venues in recent years, and The Other Festival is back with another stacked programme spread across its Gallery, Factory and Basement spaces. With free entry, food from Street Dogs and more than 60 acts across the weekend, it’s definitely a place to be.

There’s plenty of quality wherever you look. Friday includes the always entertaining The Pearl River Band, local favourites Femur and indie newcomers Alphabet, while Saturday is packed with highlights including Life Aquatic Band, Floodhounds, Khamra, Family Art Club, Flat Moon and April Tapes. Sunday might be the shortest bill, but it’s a strong one, with Buffalo Ghost, End of Life Care Plan, Freezer and Sons of the City rounding off the weekend. Throw in late-night DJs and takeovers from some of Sheffield’s best promoters, and The Other Festival is another essential stop on the Fringe trail.

Network – Venture x DRL Presents Tramlines Fringe

If you’re after wall-to-wall grassroots music, Network should be firmly on your Fringe map. With DRL as one of the promoters – the team behind the hugely popular Bring The Noise Festival – this three-day event brings together a brilliant mix of emerging Sheffield artists in one of the city’s best live venues.

There are standout names across the weekend, from The Kellows, The Now and The Last Pioneers on Friday, to a huge Saturday bill featuring 2X Fast, The Public Eye, The Publics, Crook on the Wall and Spires. Sunday keeps the momentum going with Snowdrop, The Ariston, Bumwave, Orchidelia and Hunch Power. If you want a snapshot of just how healthy Sheffield’s grassroots scene is right now, this is a pretty good place to start.

Arundel Emporium Tramlines Fringe

Arundel Emporium is one of our city’s newer spaces but anyone who’s been to a gig there knows it’s a really great music venue. With superb sound, an intimate room and a commitment to showcasing the city’s thriving grassroots scene, it’s always worth making the trip.

This year’s Fringe line-up is packed with local favourites and rising names. Friday features Sons of the City, Nova Falls and Orchidelia, while Saturday brings False Flag, Stained Glass, Calves in the Dark and Disco Lizards. Sunday’s marathon bill includes The Kaleidoscopes, The Curfew, Scarlett Kirwan, DOE, Fork and Suva. Check out the stores while you’re down there too! 

Alder - Reglines, Fringe and Kelham Film Club Family Films

Alder has quickly become one of Kelham’s most interesting music venues, and this year’s Reglines, curated by Private Regcords, is shaping up to be one of the Fringe’s most adventurous events. Friday at Alder showcases everything the label does best, bringing together indie, post-punk and experimental sounds in a venue that’s become a real champion of Sheffield’s DIY scene. The festival then continues with Fringe at Alder on Saturday before moving to The Harlequin on Sunday.

Friday’s bill features Bathing Suits, Kiosk, Normal Village, Vehicle, Elwell, Clive, Speedway Star, Troutflies and Bedworm. Saturday sees Double Time Jazz Orchestra, Amba, Floral Pattern, Amon Ra Collective and Nova Sol take over the venue, with a live graffiti battle from Lick of Paint adding something a little different. Then, after a weekend of music, Alder rounds things off on Sunday by hosting Kelham Film Club’s relaxed afternoon of nostalgic family-friendly films – the perfect antidote to a busy Fringe weekend.

Shakespeare's - Shakelines 

For plenty of Sheffield gig-goers, Shakelines is the Fringe. Shakespeare's has been at the heart of Tramlines weekend for years, and its annual takeover has become something of a tradition, drawing packed crowds and some of the best grassroots acts around. 

Things get underway on Friday with Midnight Creatures returning to what they call their “spiritual home”, joined by Collective Faces, Magnum Opus II, Wireland, Step Over, Clive and Contrail. Saturday sees Jarred Up return for another edition of Shakelines, with a huge bill featuring James Ewantait, Bird House, Spook Muziek, Strixen, Million, Maximilian Tanner, Tradwife, Flat Stanley, Hard As Nails and Gaydar. Sunday takes a more laid-back turn, with resident artist The Thin Man curating an afternoon of acoustic performances from the likes of Charlie Kondras, Adam Hopper and Bee B McGuire. Throw in the legendary West Bar Punch and you’ve got another Fringe institution that never disappoints.

The Hallamshire Hotel

The Hallamshire Hotel has become one of the city’s best places to catch live music, and its upstairs Music Hall is a brilliant space for a gig. With live bands across all three days of the Fringe and DJs keeping the atmosphere going downstairs, there’s plenty to check out.

Friday’s line-up includes Malah Palinka, Speed For Lovers, Bonk!, Stepover and I’m Being Serious. Saturday is curated by Midnight Creatures and features The Red Stains, Cordelia Gartside, Wench, Shindig, DOE, Paul Party and Floral Pattern, before Sunday rounds things off with Fever Dream Kills, Archi & The Astronauts, Wire Land, X2 Fast, Polat and Meridian.

Haggler's Corner Fringe Festival

Hagglers Corner has carved out its own niche on the Fringe, serving up a weekend where funk, soul, punk and groove collide. With its buzzing courtyard, DJs and effortlessly cool atmosphere, it’s the sort of place where you head in for one band and somehow end up dancing until closing time.

Friday’s Grassroots Fringe brings Kiziah and the Kings, Honey Trap, Bad Actors and Take Four, before Saturday’s yard party turns things up another notch with Yarni Ensemble, Franz Von, Goldvox, Malah Palinka and Shugacoma, followed by a Funky Drummer takeover into the early hours. Sunday rounds things off with a soulful, folk-inspired afternoon featuring Speedway Star, Lou Gold, Alistar Gordon and Masha Jana

Yellow Arch Fringe Festival - Tonelines, Jetfest and Hardlines

Yellow Arch is one of Sheffield’s most iconic music venues, and its Fringe weekend reflects the breadth of the city’s alternative scene. Across three days you’ll find everything from metal and hardcore to indie, emo and punk, with each day putting a different community in the spotlight and free entry throughout.

Friday’s Tonehenge kicks things off with Dead in Latvia, Slugfut, Mild and Baosbheinn. Saturday sees JetFest, curated by Jetski, bringing together Suds, Pale Sailor, Displacer, Dadvans, Sorebones, Cartoonhead, Precious Metals, Jumper Boy, Safeguard and Ugly Jumper, before Sunday’s Hardlines rounds things off with Prozpekt, Void of Life, Head Dent, Target Man, Dysthymia, Tripwire, Cease to Exist and Hard Facts.

Of course, with this guide, we’ve only scratched the surface. There’s plenty more happening across the city, including the official Devonshire Green Main Stage, Clamlines at Delicious Clam, HATCHlines at CADS Arley Street, Tramplines at The Lughole, plus events at Head of Steam, The Bath Hotel, Jabbarwocky, Plot 22, Gardeners Rest and many more.

However you tackle the weekend, there’s no shortage of great music waiting to be discovered.