Rock N Roll Circus Day 5: James bring festival to a close with iconic set in Steel City
James close proceedings at the 2025 Rock N Roll Circus with an iconic set in the ‘Steel City’.
The final day of Rock N Roll Circus in Sheffield delivered everything fans could have hoped for, as evergreen Mancunian rockers James topped the bill at a packed Don Valley Bowl, bringing five days of exceptional music to a triumphant close.
Frontman Jack Hardwick brought his trademark high-tempo energy, opening with the soon-to-be-released Breathe-a genuinely catchy number that immediately caught the crowd's attention. The audience were soon singing and dancing along to Good Life, setting an upbeat tone for the festival's finale.
On the Main Stage, Sleeper drew an impressive early crowd as lead singer Louise Wener bounded onto the stage with a beaming smile and arms aloft to thunderous applause.
Statuesque and Delicious were warmly received, while their spirited cover of Blondie's Atomic had the tent singing in perfect harmony-a moment that showcased both the band's enduring appeal and the audience's enthusiasm.
The Electric Carousel Stage buzzed with activity throughout the day. Liverpudlian rockers The Kairos impressed with their high-energy, frenetic performance, with frontman Tom Dempsey's soaring vocals particularly shining on crowd favourites Punchline Fistfight and Squeeze, which were met with rapturous approval from the receptive audience.
Canyon Blu, making their live debut, proved they were certainly a band to watch on the BBC Introducing Stage. Fronted by Frankie Beetlestone, they drew a substantial crowd and delivered standout performances of Inevitable and Rome that suggested bright futures ahead for these newcomers.
However, it was Doncaster-born Freddie Halkon who truly turned heads. Following a string of impressive festival slots and a support tour with The Reytons, Halkon has garnered rave reviews across the country, and it's easy to see why.
His commanding stage presence and anthemic string-driven ballads wouldn't look out of place on a stadium tour. Girl in the Smoking Area and Come Around Again proved particularly popular with the packed Electric Carousel Stage crowd.
Wigan indie-rockers The Lilacs continued their impressive trajectory with frontman Ollie Anglesea walking onto the Main Stage radiating charisma and sporting a beaming smile.
Sticky Dancefloors, Grace, and Vicarage Road had the crowd dancing with arms aloft and singing in unison, demonstrating the band's knack for creating genuine moments of collective joy.
Jamie Webster delivered another impressive performance, giving new song Across the River a welcomed airing alongside familiar classics Voice of the Voiceless, Going Out, and Weekend in Paradise.
"We all have so much going off in our lives, but it's days like today when I look at this crowd, and it makes me truly thankful for what I've got," declared an appreciative Webster, capturing the festival's community spirit perfectly.
West Yorkshire rock icons Embrace had the tent bouncing with hits spanning their expansive back catalogue.
While relatively new track We Are It received its airing, it was classics like Gravity, Ashes, and the anthemic Nature's Law that had the Bailiff Bridge five-piece's devoted fans in raptures.
Ocean Colour Scene proved as impressive as ever, drawing from 36 years of material while wisely sticking to beloved classics.
Opening with The Circle and swiftly moving through One for the Road and Fleeting Mind, the band built to the moment everyone was waiting for-when the opening bars of The Riverboat Song rang out, the tent erupted in thunderous applause.
Travellers Tune and The Day We Caught the Train prompted mass singalongs that epitomised the festival's celebratory atmosphere.
Shortly after 9pm, James frontman Tim Booth walked onto the stage to a tremendous ovation.
Opening with Waltzing Along from their seventh studio album Whiplash perfectly set the tone for a masterfully curated set.
Lesser-aired gems like Stay, Sometimes, Shadow of a Giant, and Way Over Your Head were welcomed additions scattered throughout a performance featuring iconic songs from four decades of music-making.
"We love Sheffield!" Booth declared. "We wrote two albums here and my brother lives here. Thanks for having us for all these many, many years."
The crowd reached fever pitch during Sit Down and Come Home before James concluded with Laid, prompting another mass singalong that continued as fans vacated the venue-a perfect ending to five brilliant days of Rock N Roll Circus that showcased Sheffield's enduring love affair with exceptional live music.