Tramlines Festival 2026 | Day Two Review

Let's have a closer look at what happened on day 2 of Tramlines Festival...

The Courteeners, Blossoms, Rick Astley and so much more...

Author | Ajay

Rick Astley drew one of the biggest crowds of the weekend at Tramlines and delivered a hugely entertaining set. Opening with “Together, Forever” in a dusty pink suit, he immediately turned the festival into a party before surprising fans by taking to the drums during a brilliant cover of RAYE’s “Where The Hell Is My Husband”.

The highlight, inevitably, was “Never Going To Give You Up”, which prompted a huge Sheffield rickroll. Astley’s energy, warmth and obvious enjoyment of the performance made it a standout set and one well worth catching live.

Stockport five-piece Blossoms arrived at Tramlines following a busy period that has included announcing their next album, “Songs From The Wedding Cake”, releasing “Jokes About Divorce” and appearing at several festivals. They opened their set with “Gary” to a huge reaction, with the stage bathed in yellow-orange and a giant gorilla providing an eye-catching backdrop.

READ MORE | Tramlines Day One Review

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A standout moment came when Rick Astley returned to join them for “Jokes About Divorce”, earning a brilliant reception. The live debut of “Meet Me In Love” was another highlight, while “There’s A Reason Why” proved a personal favourite, with the music, staging and Blossoms’ stage presence combining to make for a memorable performance.

Other standouts

Before that, Freddie Halkon delivered a great set. Freddie has been turning more and more heads in the last year or so, impressing South Yorkshire band The Reytons, and evidently, the whole Tramlines team. 

For Lucy Spraggan, the atmosphere was electric. She was engaging with the crowd throughout, proving herself a natural storyteller, while the number of loyal fans singing along was clear to see.

The Courteeners finish the day on a massive high

It was time for Saturday’s Main Stage headliners, Manchester’s own Courteeners.

The band arrived to a wall of cheers, chants of “Liam, Liam, Liam!” and plenty of anticipation, opening with “Sweet Surrender” from their latest album, a collaboration with Brooke Combe. There was no appearance from Combe, who was performing at Tramlines the following day, but the band more than did the song justice.

That was followed by fan favourites “Are You In Love With a Notion?” and “Cavorting”, the latter sending the crowd into overdrive. It was a cracking start to the set.

The highlight was the always euphoric Not Nineteen Forever...

Overall, it was a fantastic performance. The setlist had been given something of a shake-up, while Liam Fray’s stage presence remained as commanding as ever. The Courteeners have a knack for putting on a brilliant show in Sheffield, whether they are playing a festival stage or a more intimate venue.