British indie favourites The Kooks will headline the opening night of this year’s Rock N Roll Circus festival in Sheffield, bringing two decades of guitar pop to Don Valley Bowl.
Formed in Brighton in 2004, The Kooks were part of the mid-2000s British indie explosion that also gave rise to The Fratellis – who will also play Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield – Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight and Bloc Party.
Ahead of the headline appearance, frontman, guitarist and songwriter Luke Pritchard reflected on the band’s early connections with the city.
“Yeah, some of our first gigs outside Brighton were in Sheffield. We played The Leadmill last year, which was where we had one of our first ever gigs. There were so many bands at the time – it was an exciting scene.”
“Sheffield’s got such a rich history. I think it’s a bit of a landmark. I wouldn’t have even known that growing up, but the music has obviously inspired me since. The city punches above its weight musically, for sure.”
With hits including ‘Naïve’, ‘She Moves in Her Own Way’, ‘Ooh La’ and ‘Shine On’ among their best-loved songs, the band have built a large following since breaking through with their multi-million-selling debut album Inside In/Inside Out. In 2026, The Kooks are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the record that propelled them to international fame.
Luke recalled: “It’s like another life. We were working with Tony Hoffer. It was such a good combination on that record because he’s an insanely meticulous, disciplined producer who knew all his gear and everything, and then there were these mad teenagers just with loads of energy running around.
“To be doing these bigger shows 20 years in, is amazing. I don’t see it as just being about us either. With the 20th anniversary of Inside In/Inside Out, for me it’s about celebrating the whole scene.”
Released last year, Never/Know became the band’s highest-charting release since 2008, with influences from soul, Motown and new wave. Asked about the record’s reception among fans, Luke said:
“I think the best thing was that people liked the positivity. We had a song called Sunny Baby, which is just sunshine 60s pop with some rock ’n’ roll guitars. It’s got that kind of Buddy Holly thing.
“People really loved it. I thought maybe it might turn people off but I think they liked that it was a bit of positivity. People need it at the moment.”
As well as headlining arenas and festivals across the country, The Kooks are working on their next album.
“We’re very nearly done,” explained Luke. “We’ve been working with Tony Berg, who is a genius. It’s been amazing to be in the presence of a genius while doing this record. So, I’m very excited to just it finish off. We’re pretty close. It’s going to be a special one.”
Asked how he feels about The Kooks being the festival’s opening-night headliners, Luke said: “We feel very excited to be on top of that bill. Yeah, we’re honoured. It’s going to be great.”
For tickets and further information, visit the Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield website.
