Day two of Rock N Roll Circus Norwich, which is back for a second year and expanded from three to four days, had a surprise special guest turn up: heavy rain! Yep, that wet stuff we have been craving for many, many days decides to grace us with its presence in no uncertain terms today.
The main stage in the big top busier than usual keeping people dry, but venturing out for food, drinks or the loo etc was the equivalent of a power shower while fully clothed; many in summer stuff, while some packed raincoats. It started about 4.30pm and rained most of the time apart from a couple of brief pauses.
Mike Skinner’s The Streets top the bill today, performing the classic album “A Grand Don’t Come For Free” in full for a sold out show. Friday we caught sets from: Babyshambles with Pete Doherty, Antony Szmierek, Miss Lilly, Hak Baker, and Khaki Kid. Plus some amazing circus action, and the gritty headline set from The Streets.
Over on the second stage, one of the most exciting artists of the first two days of Rock N Roll Circus was Miss Lilly, whose set coincided with a welcome break in the rain. The young rising star opened with her own song, “Margo”, followed by what she advises the crowd is her favourite cover, a pretty decent version of the classic 1965 “My Girl” by The Temptations, co-penned by Smokey Robinson.
Thursday opened with Manchester legends James headlining, Saturday delivers a celebration of British indie music with headliners The Kooks, plus The Vaccines and The Fratellis, all performing classic albums in full, joined by Sheffield’s Milburn celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Well, Well, Well”. The weekend concludes with a 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 the closing night.
Second stage, the “Discovery Stage”, champions Norfolk’s next generation of musicians alongside new acts from across the UK. Artists include The Molotovs, Tom A. Smith, Tiny Umbrellas, and Grace Calver,
This year, the event boasts around 40 live artists and 40 circus acts, with a bigger festival site, a larger Big Top, expanded hospitality areas, 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.
With just two main stages to navigate there are zero clashes of any bands and artists you really want to see. Alternating the acts between the two stages next door to each other. The event has a 9,000 capacity per day, Friday and Saturday sold out, few tickets left for Sunday.
Acclaimed high-wire artist Ellis Grover, who has been part of Rock N Roll Circus since the beginning and now tours internationally with Gary Barlow and Take That, returns for another year. For the live music today, Hak Baker began his set with a small crowd and then the big top filled up when the rain arrived, Hak commenting “It’s looking a bit naughty out there”. As he sipped at a beer, he told the crowd he needed to slow down as this was his seventh, joking that he was here on his own as solo act as he wasn’t paid enough to bring his band.
Hak Baker is a British singer, rapper, and songwriter born in Luton to a Grenadian father and Jamaican mother, now from the Isle of Dogs, London. He blends grime, reggae, punk, and folk into socially conscious “G-Folk” storytelling. A self-taught guitarist who learned in prison, he has released projects including “Babylon”, “Misled”, and acclaimed debut album “World’s End FM in 2023, and 2024’s “Nostalgia Death” EP. Talented chap and an impressive set here.
Mike Skinner and the band made use of the afore mentioned bus stop throughout the set. Mike clutching a pint of beer. He drew in white across the front of the shelter, “Where are you! Let’s Be Havin You”, which is apparently a famous old school football chant sung at Norwich City’s Carrow Road ground back in the day.
It was a powerful set with “A Grand Don’t Come for Free”, sung in full; the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released in May 2004. Wow, 22 years ago.
The green bus shelter being the image on the cover of that record, shot with Mike inside it at night by British photographer Ewen Spencer. This innovative “rap opera and concept album” follows the story of its protagonist’s relationship with a girl named Simone, alongside the mysterious loss of £1,000 from his home (the “grand” in the title).
The same as The Streets’ debut album “Original Pirate Material”, the second album was recorded in a flat in south London, but this time in Skinner’s own flat he had bought with the cash from his music publishing deal.
The album was # one in the UK and dented the US charts too. It birthed four hit singles: “Fit But You Know It” (May 2004 – # four in the UK), the brilliant and timeless “Dry Your Eyes”, released in 2004 and number one in the UK chart. “Blinded by the Lights” (October 2004 – # 10 UK) and “Could Well Be In” (December 2004 – # 30 UK).
We caught The Streets’ same set once already this festival season, when they headlined the Y Not? festival in the Derbyshire Peak District about three weeks ago, at the end of July as the final day’s bill toppers. A superb performance and this one just as strong.
Antony Szmierek is hot property right now, and he bounded onto the stage to blue strobes and a fairly decent crowd. “Norwich I’ve heard good things”, he says. Loud cheers after he asks if anyone likes UK Garage. He and his band brought the energy and he had some quirky moves. “God bless the waterfront”, he says, in reference to the Adrian Flux Waterfront venue in Norwich where he performed in March last year.
Today is the day his second album “Decoding Birdsong” is released, featuring collaborations with Pretty Girl, Los Bitchos,1-800 GIRLS, Imogen and the Knife, and Ellur. It features 13 ethereal dance tracks coated in tongue-in-cheek metaphors and poetic vices.
Merging together traces of disco, electro, house, and techno with Antony’s distinctive spoken-word style, “Decoding Birdsong” takes direct inspiration from artists like Caribou, LCD Soundsystem, Four Tet, and Barry Can’t Swim. A love letter to dance music that surrounded him as a child and teenager, “Decoding Birdsong” offers a fresh perspective and a relentless energy that’s bound to resonate with many.
When it comes to the new record, Antony says: “Decoding Birdsong is about choosing to believe in something. Coincidence as a religion. Making your own luck in the face of loneliness and doubt. The smallest things can feel seminal, seismic and life affirming if you just choose to lean in, but it also asks if this is a dangerous way to live.
What happens when your numbers come in? What are the consequences of luck? Should you listen to the birds, or are you only ever going to hear what you want to hear? To help us explore this: a heron, dice, a plummeting airplane, the late-night TV show Aussie Gold Hunters and a fibreglass replica of Godzilla.”
The new album follows the success of 2025’s “Service Station at the End of the Universe”, which launched him into a whirlwind of Glastonbury, Jools Holland’s BBC TV show, and repeat BBC airplay. He’s sold out venues across the UK and Europe, and in February 2026 performed to 20,000 while closing Solomun’s Alexandra Palace shows.
The former English teacher had been working at a college for special needs students when his blend of spoken-word and dance music started taking off, earning him accolades such as BBC 6Music’s Artist of the Year in 2023, following his “Poems To Dance To” EP, and frequent comparisons to Mike Skinner, Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke.
* After a run of European dates, and ahead of taking his renowned live show — often described as a kind of communion — to the US for the first time, Antony has announced a UK headline tour for this autumn, including dates at London’s O2 Kentish Town Forum and Manchester Academy. If his set in Norwich is anything to go by, go buy (a ticket) fast.
Making its Norwich debut at Rock N Roll Circus is a spectacular life-sized mechanical elephant, called Jagger! A real wow moment for the kids when they first set eyes on it, and for a lot of us big kids too.
A real find is Miss Lilly…
Last autumn, she toured for the first time, with her “In The Making” UK dates in October and November. In December, she took part in the Soho House Future First series and earlier this year her first Sofar gig in Brixton.
She blends her soul vocal talents with “classic grit and next-gen fire”. This young singer, songwriter, and performer is a former dancer and West End talent, and grew up in a family of musicians and now works side by side with her brother Cassellbeats — a 20-year-old producer with more than 200 million streams and a big YouTube following.
Miss Lilly designs her own artwork, styles her look and directs her music videos. The sound, the visuals, the story: all stitched together with her vision. Her songs draw on her Caribbean heritages and British upbringing. She smashed it at Rock Roll Circus in Norwich on day 2. Future headliner?
Pete Doherty leaves The Libertines’ duties aside to don his Baby Shambles hat for this appearance to a very full big top.
Apart from saying “Ladies and gentlemen, we are Baby Shambles”, Pete didn’t speak between songs in a very impressive set that went down enthusiastically.
The main circus spectacular today kicked off with high wire act Ellis Grover walking on the tightrope, followed by some aerialists, and on stage a variety of performers taking it in turns; from a contortionist, followed by performers dancing with fire and even some roller skaters.
Quite the spectacle…But as it all was happening at once, impossible to fully pay your full attention to any one performer. Lots of stilt walkers and hula-hoopers (is that a word? – it is now!) dotted around the site, including performers on top of brightly painted shipping containers.
Like Miss Lilly, young Dublin rapper, 22-year-old Khaki Kid has something special and is well worth checking out if he is new to you. Neat job at RNR Circus Norwich, Kid.
* CHECK OUT OUR COVERAGE OF DAY 1 * Day 3 & 4 COMING SOON *
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Kerry Louise
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