Rock 'n' Roll Circus
Rock 'n' Roll Circus returns to the UK's best place to live next month with its biggest Norwich event yet. James, The Streets, The Kooks, Madness and more than 40 live acts set to take over Earlham Park as rock n roll circus returns with a bigger site, a bigger big top, a brand new circus spectacular and an experience unlike anything else on the UK festival calendar.
Returning to Earlham Park from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 August, the award-winning festival will welcome around 40 live artists and 40 circus acts as it transforms the city into one of Britain's most exciting destinations for live music, immersive entertainment and contemporary circus.
Following its acclaimed debut last summer, Rock N Roll Circus returns with a bigger festival site, a larger Big Top, expanded hospitality areas, a brand new GA+ experience and an ambitious new circus spectacular, building on the momentum of a city recently crowned the national winner in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide 2026.
At the heart of the festival sits the iconic Big Top, where every headline performance takes place beneath canvas, creating an atmosphere that feels somewhere between a major arena show and an intimate live performance.
This year's programme opens with Manchester legends James, before Friday welcomes one of the hottest tickets of the summer as The Streets perform A Grand Don't Come For Free in full in a show that has already completely sold out.
Saturday delivers an extraordinary celebration of British indie music with The Kooks, The Vaccines and The Fratellis all performing classic albums in full, joined by Sheffield favourites Milburn celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Well, Well, Well.
The weekend concludes with a huge finale led by Madness, alongside Ocean Colour Scene, The Wailers, The Selecter and David Rodigan, bringing together generations of British ska, reggae and pop across one unforgettable closing night.
Alongside those headline names sits one of the festival's strongest ever emerging artist programmes.
Rock N Roll Circus' second stage, the 'Discovery Stage' - will once again champion Norfolk's next generation of musicians alongside exciting new acts from across the UK, reinforcing Rock N Roll Circus' commitment to discovering tomorrow's headliners.
Artists including The Molotovs, The Clause, Tom A. Smith, Tiny Umbrellas, Grace Calver, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers and Spanish Horses, featuring guitarist Albert Cocker, son of Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, all demonstrate the festival's commitment to celebrating both musical heritage and the artists shaping its future.
Beyond the music, Rock N Roll Circus continues to create an experience unlike any other.
More than 40 circus acts will appear across the weekend, with aerialists, acrobats, stilt walkers, fire performers and roaming theatrical characters bringing every corner of Earlham Park to life.
Making its Norwich debut is a spectacular life-sized mechanical elephant, while acclaimed high-wire artist Ellis Grover, who has been part of Rock N Roll Circus since the very beginning and now tours internationally with Gary Barlow and Take That, returns for another year.
For the first time, Norwich audiences will also experience a spectacular new large-scale circus production, adding another layer of theatre and spectacle between the headline performances.
Food and drink has become an attraction in its own right at Rock N Roll Circus, with organisers once again bringing together some of Norfolk's best independent traders alongside award-winning street food from across the country.
Festivalgoers can tuck into bold Mexican flavours from Flaming Cactus, much-loved local institution Zaks, acclaimed Thai street food specialists Phat Khao, crowd favourite The Hen House Kitchen and authentic Mediterranean dishes from Hide & Greek. Together with independent bars, expanded hospitality areas and the new GA+ experience, the food offering has become every bit as much a part of the festival as the music itself.
The festival also continues to challenge many of the conventions of traditional events.
With gates opening from 4pm on Thursday and 3pm on Friday, audiences can finish work before heading straight into an evening of live music and entertainment, while carefully planned programming means fans never have to choose between favourite artists performing at the same time.
No clashes. No compromises. Just the chance to experience every headline performance while discovering something new in between.
Festival Director Ali O'Reilly said: "Norwich embraced Rock N Roll Circus from the very beginning and coming back this summer with a bigger site, a bigger Big Top and an even more ambitious programme feels incredibly special.
"To welcome artists like James, The Streets, The Kooks and Madness alongside around 40 live acts and 40 circus acts shows just how far the festival has come.
"People come for the music, but what we've created is so much bigger than that. You can discover incredible local food, watch world-class circus performers, find your new favourite band on the BBC Introducing Stage and then spend the evening watching some of Britain's greatest artists beneath the Big Top.
"Norwich has an amazing cultural energy and we're proud to be part of it. We can't wait to welcome everyone back to Earlham Park for what promises to be an unforgettable four days."
Rock N Roll Circus Norwich takes place at Earlham Park from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 August 2026.
Tickets and information are available now at rocknrollcircus.co.uk/norwich.
