Rock N Roll Circus Coming to Gunnersbury Park
First major event to be announced since blanket permission granted
The festival has previously been held in Sheffield and Norwich. Picture: Rock N Roll Circus
September 14, 2026
With permission now secured to hold events for the next three years at Gunnersbury Park, the first in what is expected to be a series of announcement of planned festivals, has been made.
Next July, Rock N Roll Circus is coming to London for the first time. The independently run event, which blends major live music with circus performance and emerging talent, has previously held festivals in Sheffield and Norwich.
No details have been released of acts booked to perform from 22-25 July but those who have performed at previous events include Queens of the Stone Age, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Streets, Richard Ashcroft and Self Esteem. The festival says it aims to also champion new artists, with acts such as Wunderhorse gaining early exposure on its second stage.
Instead of a single weekend ticket, The Circus operates as a series of individual show days, each with its own headline acts and programme. Festivalgoers can choose the day—or days—they want to attend, making the experience flexible for families, groups of friends and music fans of all generations.
Although the festivals held in Sheffield and Norwich were deemed a success by the organisers, they were not without challenges. At Sheffield’s Don Valley Bowl, the festival has drawn large crowds and strong reviews, but residents have raised concerns about noise levels—particularly bass vibration carrying across the valley—and late-night disturbance during pack-down. Traffic congestion and informal parking on residential streets have also been recurring issues, with taxi queues and crowd movement causing temporary disruption after headline shows. Ground impact has been another concern, with wet weather years leaving grassed areas churned and requiring extended restoration.
In Norwich, Earlham Park has hosted the Circus since 2023, attracting thousands of visitors. While the event has been praised for its atmosphere and programming, local feedback has highlighted environmental pressures, including littering and surface damage to the park following heavy footfall and vehicle access during set-up and pack-down. These issues have prompted calls for tighter post-event restoration commitments and clearer communication with park users.
Despite these challenges, both cities have continued to welcome the festival, and organisers have worked with local authorities to refine noise management, traffic planning and ground protection measures.
The organisers are promising a carefully managed event with a major part of the cultural programme will be delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Circus Arts, one of Europe’s leading circus training organisations. Festivalgoers will be able to take part in hands-on circus workshops, while the collaboration will spotlight emerging circus talent—many of whom trained at the Centre’s Hoxton base, which supports more than 500 professional artists each year.
Artists from the National Centre for Circus Arts will hold workshops.
Picture: Rock N Roll Circus
Ali O’Reilly, Festival Director, said the London debut marks a milestone. “Bringing Rock N Roll Circus to London is a huge moment for us. Gunnersbury Park is a brilliant setting and gives us the opportunity to create something really special for London. We’re incredibly proud of what Rock N Roll Circus has become in Sheffield and Norwich, and London isn’t replacing either of those events—it is an exciting addition which means that in 2027 the Circus will have three homes.”
David Bowler, CEO of Gunnersbury Museum and Park, welcomed the announcement. “Gunnersbury has a proud history of bringing people together, and we look forward to working closely with the Rock N Roll Circus team as they bring their established mix of live music, performance and entertainment to West London.”
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