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Apply to Play

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED! All shortlisted artists have been contacted by [email protected]

Public voting for Apply to Play 2024 is now OPEN! Hit the button below for more information and to cast your vote!

MORE INFO

Apply to Play returns!

We’re offering the opportunity to up + coming artists and bands from across South Yorkshire and the UK to have the chance to share the stage with our world-class headliners. 

With a recent win at the UK festival awards for ‘Best Festival for Emerging Talent’, Tramlines is no better place to be! We‘re so proud to be able to host unsigned artists and support them in their journey to become the headliners of tomorrow.  

This year we’ve partnered up with some brilliant brands to offer all of our finalists an extra special prize, PLUS an incredible prize package is up for grabs for a very lucky Winner! 

Once you’ve submitted your application, the Tramlines team and a panel of tastemakers will shortlist Artists and Bands, with a selection of you put forward to a public vote! 

Read more below on the prize package and 2024 panelists 👇

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“The privilege of getting to choose the winner of Apply To Play is not just discovering loads of brilliant new talents and being able to give them a leg up the ladder but seeing the positive impact the scheme can have on artists’ mental health.’ John Kennedy, Panel Member. 

 

“Winning the Tramlines competition has given us a massive career boost in and outside of Sheffield, headlining a stage at Tramlines is a great talking point when applying for gigs. We made loads of contacts off the back of our summer of festivals. Part of the prize was the opportunity to play a showcase for ‘This Feeling’ in London. We brought our A game and ended up being one of their “Big in 2024” picks leading to further festival and showcase opportunities in 2024”. – Harri Larkin, 2023 Winner

 

“We’re all about giving new acts the opportunity to thrive so to be involved in ‘Apply to Play’ with some of the biggest festivals in the UK, we jumped. Harri Larkin, SANTÙ & 88 Miles all won slots last summer and blew us (and packed tents!) away. We’re now working with all three as ‘Big in 2024’ picks and looking forward to developing these outstanding new talents further. It’s a massive chance to crack on in a notoriously tough industry so if you’re a new band, apply to play now!” – Mikey Jones, This Feeling, Panel Member + Partner

The Winner of the 2024 Apply to Play Competition receives:

  • Paid festival slot at Tramlines and the opportunity to perform at Truck Festival in Oxfordshire, Y Not Festival in Derbyshire and Victorious Festival in Portsmouth.
  • Industry support from John Kennedy.
  • £500 worth of rehearsal + recording studio credits at Pirate Studios.
  • Interview feature with Rock Revival hosted by John Kennedy.
  • Interview feature with Exposed Magazine.
  • Media interviews with new talent advocate Shell Zenner on Amazing Radio.
  • Performance opportunity at This Feeling industry showcase event in front of music industry professionals.
  • Professional press shots taken at Tramlines 2024.

The Finalists receive:

  • Paid festival slot at Tramlines
  • £100 Pirate Studio credit each 

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED! All shortlisted artists have been contacted by [email protected]

Public voting for Apply to Play 2024 is now OPEN! Hit the button below for more information and to cast your vote!

MORE INFO

The panel picking the 2024 Apply to Play finalists are:

 

  • Amazing Radio
  • This Feeling
  • BBC introducing
  • The Rock Revival
  • Waterbear college 
  • Exposed Magazine
  • Pirate.com
  • Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation

 

Shell Zenner, a self-proclaimed advocate for grassroot talents,  joins the panel from Amazing Radio. Amazing Radio, is a radio platform that prides itself on helping new and emerging artists get discovered across the UK and the USA. 

 

This Feeling strives to be an organisation supporting emerging talent by helping band get their foot in the door, providing spaces to perform, hosting gigs – ultimately creating an amazing platform giving artists a true chance to crack the industry.

 

BBC Introducing is an industry renowned platform showcasing upcoming talent, where the likes of George Ezra and Everything Everything have had their start in the music industry.

 

The Rock Revival is an online space dedicated to promoting bands artists. Their site is jam- packed with interviews with artists big and small, alongside album and concert reviews spanning the indie-genre. The Rock Revival will host the winners interview with the one and only John Kennedy!

 

Waterbear – The College of Music, founded by Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson, is a college run by professional musicians and creatives actively-working in the music industry. They are dedicated to supporting musicians and artists, focusing on building them sustainable and long-term careers.

 

Exposed Magazine is the definitive entertainment, lifestyle and listings magazine for Sheffield. Established in 2003, it is the essential guide to culture, clubbing, food & drink, fashion, music reaching over 17,000 people weekly. This year our lucky winner will be invited to take part in an interview feature with our friends at Exposed.

 

Pirate.com is the artist go-to for 24/7 studio space, boasting over 700 purpose-built, 24-hour studios across the UK, US and DE. They have curated a vast community of artists and help progress their careers through free events and workshops online and in their studios. All finalists receive a whopping £100 credit for Pirate bookings.

 

The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation is right at the heart of Tramlines and the Sheffield Community. Their work enables, encourages and guides socially and economically disadvantaged people in Sheffield to develop musical abilities.

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