The world’s biggest podcast festival
Crossed Wires announces first wave of acts for July 2026
Jo Whiley & Zoe Ball, Blindboy, Elizabeth Day and Zack Polanski amongst first shows with much more to be announced in the new year
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NOW FOUR DAYS LONG
2nd-5th July 2026, Sheffield
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Sign-up for your pre-sale code now at CrossedWires.Live
Pre-sale tickets release on Wednesday 10th December
General sale release on Thursday 11th December
“buzzy, zippy, great fun”
– The Sunday Times
Wednesday 3rd December 2025, UK – Crossed Wires podcast festival reveals the first wave of acts for 2026, plus expanded Fringe from BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4, for its exciting move to a four-day event.
After doubling footfall in its second year, Crossed Wires will curate an extra day of events and activities for 2026, running from Thursday 2nd – Sunday 5th July in Sheffield. It will see 35,000 people descend on the city, further cementing Crossed Wires as officially the biggest podcast festival in the world.
The appointment of Greg James as Creative Director catapulted the festival into new heights, followed by a gold win at the Audio Production Awards last week, for its outstanding contribution to championing the UK podcast industry.
First wave of acts for 2026 to include:
Dig It with Jo Whiley & Zoe Ball
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
The Blindboy Podcast
If I Speak with Ash Sarkar & Moya Lothian McLean
Northern News with Amy Gledhill & Ian Smith
Bold Politics with Zack Polanski as guest
Plus, Sara & Cardiad’s Weirdos Book Club, Nick Cope’s Family Show, Story Shed, Get A Grip: Bras Off and The Screen Rot Podcast all heading to Sheffield in one packed-out weekend, and plenty more to come in the second announcement wave
BBC Sounds return to Crossed Wires in 2026, bringing even more of the BBC’s signature storytelling and household-names to the heart of the festival, for free. New for 2026 is the arrival of BBC Radio 4 who are taking over a new theatre venue at the Montgomery Hall. BBC Sounds will be settling back into Cole Brothers – a former department store building – following the sellout Crossed Wires Free Fringe in 2025.
On Day one of Crossed Wires 2025, Michael Palin brought audiences a world-first Monty Python performance which set the festival up for countless surprises across the weekend, including an exclusive Shipping Forecast reading by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker to an on-stage audience proposal at Help I Sexted My Boss.
2026 promises even more opportunities to discover new favourites, meet fellow fans, and immerse yourself in the thriving podcast scene that now calls Sheffield home. From intimate pop-ups to immersive storytelling, Crossed Wires is constantly evolving.
Expect live podcast recordings, a buzzing Fringe, after-parties, and one-off events across Sheffield’s most iconic venues including City Hall and the Crucible, all within easy walking distance.
Whether you’re a podcast connoisseur or just curious, there’s a place, and a moment, waiting for you here.
Sign up at CrossedWires.Live now to access pre-sale on Wednesday 10th December. General sale on Thursday 11th November 2025.
Greg James, Creative Director of Crossed Wires: “Last year I ended up on stage with comedy hero (and Sheffield local) Michael Palin, which was a dream come true. That set an outrageously high bar for my new job as Crossed Wires’ Creative Director. The whole weekend went by in a flash but was so enjoyable and the city was at its very best. I loved it so much. And because we had such a great time, we’re going bigger in 2026. Four days means more show, more silliness, more surprises and more chances for people to fall in love with something unexpected. Get yourself to Sheffield – it’s going to be fun.”
Dino Sofos, co-founder of Crossed Wires: “We’re thrilled to see so many of the UK’s biggest podcasters and platforms joining us next summer. The shows are bigger than ever, and our partners are growing their presence. It’s brilliant to see BBC Radio 4 taking over its own venue and filling it with their biggest talent – all for free! And this is only the first wave; there’s plenty more to come. There’s nothing else like Crossed Wires in the world – like the Edinburgh Fringe, this is becoming a magnet for podcast fans and the industry alike.”
Notes to Editors
Crossed Wires 2026 podcast festival takes place from 2nd – 5th July in Sheffield.
Tickets are available now at crossedwires.live
Crossed Wires is founded by some of the most respected names in British podcasting and live events, including Alice Levine (Co-host My Dad Wrote A Porno and British Scandal); Dino Sofos (Founder and CEO, Persephonica) and James O’Hara (Co-founder, Tramlines and Day Fever) with Greg James (Host, BBC Radio 1 Breakfast) joining the board in 2025 as Creative Director.
Sharing a vision for a significant and inspiring national festival outside London, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will again be Crossed Wires’ regional partner and host sponsor. Sheffield City Council have awarded funds for a second year to help keep the festival firmly on the UK’s cultural calendar.
