With its full line-up finally revealed, Rock N Roll Circus’ wild and off-kilter world feels bigger, bolder, and just a little more unpredictable.
At the top of the latest announcement sits Babyshambles, a name that still carries a certain mythology. Fronted by the ever-enigmatic Peter Doherty, their return feels less like a booking and more like a continuation of a story that’s been quietly threading through the festival’s history. Alongside them, Casisdead brings his shadowy, cinematic edge, while The Clause and Gurriers underline the event’s knack for catching momentum at just the right moment.
Friday leans into that contrast. Heritage and future colliding under canvas, as The Streets roll out A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full, a record that still hums with restless energy. Elsewhere, names like Hak Baker and KhakiKid hint at a line-up unafraid to blur its own edges.
Across the weekend, the festival maintains its reputation for championing new acts alongside the icons. Spanish Horses, featuring Albert Cocker, and Villanelle, suggest the next wave isn’t just arriving, it’s inherited. Even Cruz Beckham and the Breakers step into the frame, carrying a name that inevitably draws attention, but with something to prove.
By the time Richard Ashcroft closes Sunday, flanked by The Fratellis and Cast, the picture feels complete: not just a festival, but a snapshot of British guitar music in flux.
And, as ever, it all unfolds beneath the Big Top: part gig, part performance, part beautifully controlled chaos.
Full Line Up:
Thursday 27 August
The Kooks (Inside In / Inside Out in full)
Milburn (Well, Well, Well in full)
Miles Kane
Spanish Horses
Cruz Beckham and The Breakers
The Clause
Day We Ran
The Kairos
Friday 28 August
The Streets (A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full)
Babyshambles
Casisdead
Hak Baker
KhakiKid
Ellur
Sweets
Saturday 29 August
Wunderhorse
Baxter Dury
English Teacher
Fat Dog
Gurriers
Basht.
The Molotovs
Bleech 9:3
The North
Goo
Heidi Curtis
Theatre
Sunday 30 August
Richard Ashcroft
The Fratellis
Cast
Embrace
Everly Pregnant Brothers
Villanelle
Ist Ist
M60
Sofy
Tidetied
Sundress
Sonni Mills
Tickets & info: rocknrollcircus.co.uk
