Culture in Norwich: Rock N Roll Circus

15 July 2025

Culture in Norwich: Rock N Roll Circus

We’ve got an exciting summer coming up here in Norwich- not least thanks to the city’s first Rock N Roll Circus event arriving in Earlham Park this August (14th – 16th)!

This is a heady mix of stellar headliners and thrilling circus performance. With names like McFly, Courteeners and Olly Murs alongside acrobats, aerialists and even fire breathers, you’ll certainly leave on a high. Plus, there’s a huge food and drink village and you can try it yourself with a series of fun circus workshops.

Here we speak to Events Director Ali O’Reilly about the inaugural Norwich Rock N Roll Circus!


Rock N Roll Circus expertly blends music and circus performance

Rock N Roll Circus started in Sheffield- tell us your story.

Rock N Roll Circus brings the best of live music and circus entertainment together for an unforgettable show – there is nothing else like it in the UK!

Much like a travelling circus, we’re excited to be bringing the event to a new location here in Norwich, whilst also bringing the event to Sheffield later in August. We’re passionate about creating an incredible few days of brilliant music – from amazing headliners as well as the impressive emerging talent that comes from the region. There are multiple stages, VIP areas, a huge food and drinks village, circus workshops and lots more – something for everyone to enjoy!

When did you come up with the concept of music and circus together? What a marvellous mix!

We wanted to bring a more experience-led event to the festival scene – and the combination of the fun, chaos and energy of the circus alongside brilliant musicians is a perfect combination. The artists love it- for them it’s a completely different event from something they usually play and the same goes for the fans. I don’t think anyone knows what to expect and are blown away when they arrive to the show!

Norwich’s first headliners are McFly, Courteeners and Olly Murs!

So, welcome to the City of Stories, we are pleased to have you here in Norwich. This is your first event here- what was it that drew you to our fine city?

We’re thrilled to be bringing Rock N Roll Circus to Norwich, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received already from the region. There’s a vibrant culture and music scene here and a proven love for live events, so what better spot to bring the travelling circus? Earlham Park is just minutes from the city centre which makes it a great location due to easy access for fans to get to the shows too!

Which headliners and artists are you most excited about?

I am excited to see Courteeners on Friday 15th– they’re a band that I love and have been a fan for a long time. I think the atmosphere underneath the Big Top will be unrivalled too for a huge day of indie anthems.

As well as that, I’m really excited for Olly Murs and McFly – I think they’ll bring something special to the show. There are also some brilliant emerging artists that I can’t wait to listen to including Macie Nyah and Gabby Rivers.

Be entertained with amazing circus performances- including fire breathing, acrobats and aerialists

Apart from an amazing music line-up, there’s a whole lot more fun to be had. Tell us about your circus performers!

The circus performers are essential to the identity and atmosphere of Rock N Roll Circus — they’re not just extras; they’re core to what makes the experience so unique.

From the moment you arrive at the show, you’ll be blown away by the incredible performances from fire breathers, acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and many more! As well as the ground-based acts, we have phenomenal aerial artists who perform inside the big top – imagine a band tearing it up on stage, and above you there’s an aerialist spinning through the air. It’s chaos, but the best kind.

And there’s the chance for us to get involved too- what can we expect from your circus workshops?

The circus entertainment is an integral part of the show and we’re delighted to offer people the chance to give it a go themselves for free! We’ve teamed up with OAK Circus Centre, East Anglia’s premier circus training hub, who will be offering drop-in skills sessions throughout the festival. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, these hands-on workshops are open to all ages and abilities.

You can try your hand at a variety of circus disciplines, including juggling, hula hoops, flower sticks and more, all led by expert coaches. For the thrill-seekers, there’s even the chance to test your courage on the cradle swing!

For couples, families and friends- a day out at Rock N Roll Circus is sure to be a memorable one

We hear there’s going to be a huge range of food and drink. Norwich is known for its delicious eateries. Will there be any local favourites to grab a bite?

Yes- welcome to the Rings of Flavour, the vibrant heart of the Rock N Roll Circus Food Village!

We are blown away by the incredible local food available within the region and have a brilliant line-up of vendors for people to enjoy. We also have the very brilliant team from Zak’s Diner who will be serving in the VIP area- if you need an excuse to upgrade, this is it!

Here’s an idea of who will be joining us: East Coast Pizza, The Tapas Truck, The Cabin Tacos, Flavour Bakehouse and more!

Finally, how much are tickets and what age group is this festival for?

Rock N Roll Circus is open to all ages and we have plenty of activity going on to keep everyone occupied, from the music to the circus entertainment and lots more!

Ticket prices:

Rock N Roll Circus is at Earlham Park from Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 August. Book day and weekend tickets via their website.