Rock N Roll Circus 2026: The Streets Announced as First Headliner

It's that time of year, festival lineups are coming thick and fast and Rock N Roll Circus have confirmed the first treat for Sheffielders for 2026. Rock N Roll Circus will return to Don Valley Bowl from Friday 28th August to Sunday 30th – and the first headliner for this year’s event will be The Streets on Friday 28th.

Mike Skinner and company will be performing their historic album A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full, along with other hits from their decades in the industry. This announcement follows hot on the heels of The Streets’ newly revealed 2026 UK tour, where the band will take their renditions of this album up and down the country for the first time in full.

The news marks a another huge step for the Steel City and this festival's place as part of the annual event calendar, as Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield gears up for its fourth edition. Safely established as one of the most unique and exciting live music events in the country, the festival has become synonymous with huge performances, incredible production and an atmosphere unlike anything anywhere else.

Last year saw huge performances from Bryan Adams, James, local heroes Reverend & The Makers and international icons Queens Of The Stone Age. We were there for much of the weekend and it was a highlight of ours in 2025, with QOTSA and Rev putting on unforgettable shows that we find ourselves thinking about regularly. Our experience of 2025 has made us so excited to see how the organisers plan to top it in 2026. This announcement is certainly a good sign.

As part of this announcement, festival Director Ali O’Reilly said: “We’ve listened to fans and brought Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield back to the August Bank Holiday weekend - the perfect way to see the summer out in style. The Circus has always had something special in Sheffield. The crowds, the energy, the welcome - it’s electric every single year. To have The Streets opening the weekend under the Big Top is going to be incredible. It’s one not to be missed.”

Since launching in 2023, Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield has hosted an array of heavyweight artists from the Steel City including Richard Hawley, Self Esteem, Milburn and the aforementioned Reverend and the Makers. This alongside a host of rising stars from the area and further afield. Each year has seen the festival grow in ambition and scale - with extended opening hours, expanded staging, and ever more dazzling circus performance. This year will surely be no different.

The Streets’ A Grand Don’t Come For Free remains one of the defining British albums of the 21st century. Released in 2004, it entered the UK charts at Number One, achieved multi-platinum status and spawned some of the biggest anthems of this century including 'Dry Your Eyes', 'Fit But You Know It' and 'Blinded By The Lights'. Unapologetically raw and British, revered for its storytelling and cultural impact, the record captured the humour, heartbreak and chaos of everyday life with unmatched honesty, cementing Mike Skinner as one of the UK’s most important voices.

Speaking about the upcoming shows, Skinner said: “A Grand Don’t Come For Free was a moment in time – for me, and for everyone who grew up with it. I wrote it as a story from beginning to end, and bringing that whole journey to life on stage is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Sheffield’s Big Top is going to be one for the books.”

As ever, this year's festival will offer much more than a standard music festival. Alongside headline performances, fans can expect a packed weekend of acrobatic displays, fire performers, aerial artists and interactive experiences, all set within a vibrant food and drink village featuring gourmet street food, craft cocktails and local favourites.

With The Streets now confirmed for Friday 28 August 2026, organisers promise more headline and lineup announcements in the coming weeks. Keep locked in to both our and Rock N Roll Circus' socials for news as it comes. Presale for the Friday date opens Wednesday 19th November 2025 at 10am, with general sale from Friday 21st November 2025 at 10am. For tickets & info head to www.rocknrollcircus.co.uk.