Three days in to Rock N Roll Circus Norwich 2026 and today the headliners are The Kooks, after Thursday’s super set from James and The Streets topping the bill in gritty style on Friday. Madness close the festival on Sunday as headliners.
Second year in Norwich, the festival sold out on all-but day 1 – expanded from three to four days this year. Do check out the coverage of day 1 & 2 in our “Live Zone”, along with fab photos and words about the days’ proceedings.
A unique festival, combining music and all the fun of the circus; this year there is even an elephant attraction, but before protestors flock to the site, fear not. Jagger is actually an amazing mechanical elephant who can be seen wandering the site daily, often with the smartly uniformed ringmaster by his side.
This year, the event boasts around 40 live artists and 40 circus acts – including 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.
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 stages – main stage in the Big Top, and The Discovery stage outside, right next door – there are zero clashes of any bands and artists you really want to see. Alternating the acts between the two stages.
The event has a 9,000 capacity per day.
Today we caught sets from: The Kooks, The Vaccines, The Fratellis, The Clause, Tom A Smith, Milburn, The Kairos, Fletchr Fletchr, and Cruz Beckham and the Breakers. Cruz popping up on the main stage as a surprise guest with Brighton’s The Kooks at the end of their set, sharing vocals with Luke Pritchard; Cruz wearing a striped top in red, white and black colours. Maybe a tribute to dad’s old footie team?
Headliners The Kooks arriving on stage after the packed Big Top is warmed up by recorded tracks such as Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and Neil Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline”, which induced literally every last man, woman and youngster in this rammed tent to joyfully sing every word.
Pitch black to start set with, then an onslaught of white strobes [Yet more strobes after The Vaccines’ lighting guys went a bit OTT!], and lots of red lighting between the songs. The Kooks received the biggest cheer from the crowd so far at this festival when they took their spots on stage.
“Good evening Norwich, it’s so good to be here. It’s great to be back”, Luke says with big a smile on his face. Later shouting, “Welcome to the circus baby”. He talks about how “crazy” the summer has been and that they are celebrating 20 years since the release of “Inside In/Inside Out”, the band’s debut album from January 2006.
He talks about how sometimes he didn’t think they would make it as a band, but they did and now they are here on this stage. A well received set and it seems everyone in this big top knows the words to most of the songs. An excellent set from an excellent choice of headliners.
Cruz Beckham and his band The Breakers thoroughly deserved their main stage spot, and perhaps all possible pre-conceived assumptions of “Nepo-Baby syndrome” were quickly forgotten. Tight set and very decent material. He has a good voice and stage presence. Even if he doesn’t know what time of day it is: “Good evening Norwich”. It’s afternoon, he soon realises.
Son of football legend David Beckham and Posh Spice, Victoria, who sadly were not in the assembled VIPs at the side of the stage, he introduces his band members Daniel on bass, Thomas on guitar and Darius on drums before introducing himself as Cruz Beckham.
Cruz reveals the band released an EP “yesterday”, before performing a track off of it: “Wannabe”. Ahhh, a Spice Girls cover? Nope, but I bet he smiled when they named that track; a catchy song too.
One artist there is a buzz about and may well become a big name in the future: Sunderland’s Tom A Smith. Only 22, he played his first gig when he was eight, and in 2023, did his first tour, supporting Manchester legends James. He also performed at Glastonbury before he was in high school.
A really likeable lad on stage, lots of energy, good songs, a good band and he was; yes, you guessed it: good! Very good. Future headliner maybe. Former Happy Monday’s legendary member Rowetta sometimes pops up as a guest to duet with Tom and it is quite something. Not here today, but Tom and the boys did, er, good without her.
Good value festival band, Brummie lads The Clause had a lot of their young fans in to see them. Frontman Pearce enters the stage and shouts: “Rock and roll circus we love you. We are the Clause”. Telling us,”We have come all the way from sunny Birmingham to be here today”.
The benefit of performing in a dark circus tent early in the day, means the lighting and strobes are really impactful. Maybe a tad too much strobe lads. At the end of a lively set, Pearce promises to see everyone again at the end of the year on their “biggest tour ever”.
Big vocal appreciation for Sheffield indie heroes Milburn, and also for Glasgow’s The Fratellis who both pull a big crowd. The latter band have a ready-made choir of thousands singing their words back to them on almost every song. LOUDLY.
Another band guaranteed to deliver a great set at a festival: West London’s, The Vaccines. The usual rousing reception from the crowd. Faultless performance and 100% crowd pleasers. Lots of singalong stuff.
On the “Discovery Stage”, tinyumbrellas (stylised lowercase and all one word) aka Norfolk-born 20-year-old artist DT (she/they) from Leeds, did a lovely job with their band. One band member says it is their first time playing in Norwich, despite him being from the city.
The Kairos had a huge crowd to see them on this stage. A rambunctious and raw performance from these young Liverpool rising stars. But more bloody strobes – outside in daytime sunshine! Why?
Cornwall-based Fletchr Fletchr are also ones to watch, playing RNR Circus the day after they dropped their second EP. One of their songs in particular stood out: “Passenger”. There was an onstage plug for their return to Norwich, on 1st October for a gig at The Waterfront. Go see them.
* CHECK OUT OUR COVERAGE OF DAY 1 & 2 – DAY 4 COMING SOON *
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Kerry Louise
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