Babyshambles, Embrace, Gurriers and The Molotovs are among the new names added to the line-up for Sheffield’s Rock N Roll Circus 2026. Find all the details below.
- READ MORE: Babyshambles tell us about reuniting for UK tour: “We have to do this now”
They join previously announced headliners Wunderhorse, The Streets and Richard Ashcroft, as well as acts like Baxter Dury, Mercury Prize-winners English Teacher and former NME Cover stars Fat Dog, who are set to perform at this year’s edition of the Steel City event between August 27 and 30.
The series will take place at the South Yorkshire city’s Don Valley Bowl, and you can find any remaining tickets here.
Now, the full line-up has been unveiled, with the aforementioned acts joining alongside The Kooks, Milburn, Miles Kane, The Fratellis and Everly Pregnant Brothers.
Casisdead, The Clause, Villanelle, Hak Baker, KhakiKid and Ellur also join the line-up, as well as Spanish Horses, Cruz Beckham and The Breakers – marking the latter’s first festival announcement of the year.
Babyshambles performance sees Pete Doherty return to Rock N Roll Circus, having previously featured with The Libertines at the festival’s Newcastle debut in 2022, before delivering an acoustic set with Carl Barât last year.
“There’s something about Rock N Roll Circus that sticks with you,” Doherty said. “It’s not just the music, it’s the whole world they build around it. We’ve had some brilliant moments there before, so bringing Babyshambles into that tent feels like coming back to something special.”
Check out the full line-up below.
After long teasing a comeback tour, the current line-up of Babyshambles – made up of Doherty, guitarist Mick Whitnall, bassist Drew McConnell and drummer Adam Ficek – kicked off their long-awaited reunion shows in Hastings back in November.
Speaking to NME about the timing of their return, Doherty explained that the reunion only became possible once he and Whitnall had both been clean for a number of years. He also revealed that original guitarist Walden – who passed away last June – was meant to be involved in the comeback.
The singer-songwriter said Walden’s death was “a real trigger to get it done”. “My first thought was of just seeing his face up there while we’re playing and that’ll be an important part of it,” he continued.
“There was always talk about it; there was always a desire to play those songs again,” Doherty told NME, “but the centrifugal point of it was addiction really, and the danger that me and Mick would be an unhealthy influence on each other. So it was people around us not wanting to meet up and probably us both knowing that it wasn’t a good idea.”
The band also recently released a 20th anniversary reissue of ‘Down In Albion’. The remastered and expanded edition will feature numerous session tracks, rarities and B-sides from that era.
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