Madness have been announced as the first headliner for Rock N Roll Circus when the festival makes its London debut at Acton’s Gunnersbury Park next summer.
The legendary Nutty Boys will perform on Saturday 24 July 2027, with Fat Freddy’s Drop, Big Special, The Wailers and Hollie Cook also confirmed for the day.
Organisers say it will be Madness’s only outdoor summer show in London next year, with further acts still to be announced.
EALING.NEWS reported earlier this month that Rock N Roll Circus will come to Gunnersbury Park, which is jointly owned by Ealing Council and Hounslow Council, for the first time from 22 to 25 July 2027.
The four-day event will combine live music with circus performances, food and drink, following established Rock N Roll Circus events in Sheffield and Norwich.
Formed in Camden in the 1970s, Madness went on to become one of Britain’s best-known bands, with hits including It Must Be Love, Baggy Trousers, Our House, House of Fun, Wings of A Dove, My Girl and One Step Beyond.
The Gunnersbury Park appearance comes as the band approaches five decades of making music.
Madness frontman Suggs said: “Calling all Madheads and madhatters, join us next July in the great outdoors for Rock n Roll Circus. Bring your friends, bring your family and come dance in Gunnersbury Park London. Yes London we are back!”
Rock N Roll Circus festival director Ali O’Reilly said: “Madness is a part of London’s musical history and a band whose songs have been passed from one generation to the next. That really fits what Rock N Roll Circus is about.
“To have Madness headlining our first London edition at Gunnersbury Park, during such a landmark period in their career, is incredibly exciting. And with Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Wailers and Hollie Cook joining them, we’re already building a fantastic day of music and circus!”
Rock N Roll Circus will also work with the National Centre for Circus Arts, which is based in London and trains professional circus performers. A number of its graduates already perform with the Rock N Roll Circus company.
National Centre for Circus Arts chief executive Dan Cowdrill said: “We are really excited to be working with Rock N Roll Circus as they bring their amazing event to London.
“To see an event that celebrates the circus in this way, coming to the capital after its success in Norwich and Sheffield, is really positive, and that their company already features a number of National Centre graduates makes working together a natural fit.”
Residents will be given the first opportunity to buy tickets in a special pre-sale on 29 September 2026. A wider pre-sale opens on 30 September 2026, with general sale starting on 2 October 2026.
