Where: Sheffield, across 4 main stages and 70 venues
£: Free
What is it?
Tramlines Festival takes place in Sheffield across 4 main stages and 70 venues, it will feature over 200 bands and acts with an expected 175,000 attendees. The festival, now in its third year, transforms Sheffield’s city centre into a massive showcase of live music across a wide variety of genres with a new music stage and a world music stage.
The Blues and Ale Trail is a feature of the festival, returning in 2011 after a successful launch in 2010. It features rhythm and blues artists playing live in some of Sheffield’s best real ale pubs over the Tramlines weekend. The Blues and Ale Trail also includes a main stage in Shalesmoor hosted at CADS (Creative Arts Development Space) which will feature The Dale Storr New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Band, The Hummingbird Blues Band, Billy Martin Jr., The Natchez Burning, Bluestown, M&J Blues, Jonny 7, Green Onions & The Red River Rebels. The blues and ale trail is funded in part by sales of the ‘Tramlines’ Beer brewed by The Sheffield Brewery.
The Sheffield pubs participating in the trail are The University Arms, The Bath Hotel, The Harlequin and from the Shalesmoor/Neepsend region, The Gardeners Rest, The Kelham Island Tavern, The Fat Cat and The Riverside. The Kelham Island Tavern was recently awarded CAMRA Real Ale Pub of the Year, twice in a row, an accolade that The Fat Cat has also won.
The main stage of the Blues and Ale Trail is in a brand new venue, CADS (Creative Arts Development Space). The event takes place from midday til midnight on Saturday 23rd July. CADS is in the centre of a disused industrial site in warehouses originally used to make and finish cutlery. With the help of funding aimed at regenerating the area, CADS now contains 2 music venues, an art display gallery and many studios for artists. It’s a social enterprise working with artists, musicians and creative businesses to build a community of artisan productivity.
The Tramlines Ale brewed by the Sheffield Brewery is a mild and mellow pale ale, ideal for festivals and is already on sale in the pubs listed above and in The Wick At Both Ends. The brewery give a contribution to the festival from every barrel sold which goes directly into funding the Blues and Ale Trail. This ensures that the event is free to the public and can be enjoyed by all.
More info: Tramlines