Get your headphones unplugged and your calendar cleared because Crossed Wires Festival is returning to Sheffield over four days, from the 2nd to the 5th of July 2026. If you haven't been before, it is essentially a massive, city-wide celebration of the stories, comedy, and voices in podcasting.
Here’s our guide to what Crossed Wires actually is, how it works, and ten shows we’re buzzing for:
What is the Crossed Wires Festival, and how does it work?
Crossed Wires calls itself the world’s biggest podcast festival, and after doubling attendance in its second year, the 2026 edition is promising to be even bigger and better.
The festival is split into two parts. You have the main headline shows, which require paid tickets, and then you have the Crossed Wires Fringe, which is partnered with BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4. The Fringe is incredible because every single one of those shows is completely free. You do need to register online in advance to secure your tickets, though.
The format is straightforward. You pick individual shows, turn up at the venue listed on your ticket, and watch a live podcast recording. Some events are held at classic places like Sheffield City Hall, the Crucible, the Playhouse, and Memorial Hall. Some of the Fringe events are held in smaller, more unusual places like Cole Brothers (the old John Lewis building) and the Montgomery Theatre.
There are podcasts from every kind of genre — check out our Crossed Wires Festival listings (or search the scene) and you’ll find comedy, family-friendly shows, internet culture, literature, music, politics, sports, true crime, and more.
Ten shows we’re most excited for
1. British Scandal — Sheffield City Hall
Sunday 5th July · Show: 5:15pm
Alice Levine and Matt Forde dig into the murkier side of British power — phone hacking, Profumo, Liz Truss’s short-lived time as PM, and the ordinary human stories tangled up in the outrage. This is the Sunday evening slot for anyone who likes their history spicy and loves hearing about the absurd and shocking misdeeds of the British elite.
2. That Boxing Show — Playhouse Theatre
Saturday 4th July · Doors: 7:30pm · Show: 8:15pm
Former world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson and ex-bassist for the Arctic Monkeys, Andy Nicholson, bring honest fight analysis, bold predictions, and insider stories. If you’ve ever shouted at the TV during a weigh-in, this one’s right up your street.
3. Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley* — Montgomery Theatre
Sunday 5th July · Doors: 3:15pm
True crime meets history with a twist. Lucy Worsley is joined by Dr Kate Lister (Betwixt the Sheets) and historian Dr Rose Wallis (Victorian Murder Club), with live readings from Clare Corbett, to unpick three dramatic cases where women’s love lives steal the spotlight. It is fascinating, witty, and deeply researched.
4. Dead Ringers* — Cole Brothers
Thursday 2nd July · Doors: 7:00pm · Show: 7:30pm
BBC Radio 4’s hilarious, multi-award-winning satire returns for their 27th series, with Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey and more impersonating celebrities and politicians. Kicking off the festival on Thursday night with great impressions and sharp writing is a belter of a way to start four days in Sheffield. This show is sold out — our listing links to the Crossed Wires festival page for any updates.
5. Northern News — Playhouse Theatre
Saturday 4th July · Doors: 4:15pm · Show: 5:00pm
Comedians Ian Smith and Amy Gledhill, two Northerners living in London who miss the wild stories from home, scour the local papers from the north for the absurd tales you didn’t know you needed. Tales like the World Gravy Wrestling Championships, and a pig in Goole that had to be persuaded off a mini-roundabout with a packet of crisps! There are some gloriously peculiar stories in regional journalism.
6. Dig It with Jo Whiley & Zoe Ball — Crucible Theatre
Sunday 5th July · Doors: 2:00pm · Show: 2:45pm
Friends and broadcasting legends Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball swap the studio for the stage for a live catch-up on the messy reality of attempting to live well while balancing a family, garden, their jobs and their home. Their podcast has become a Monday/Wednesday habit for plenty of listeners; seeing it in the Crucible is a proper treat.
7. Dimbleby: The Interview* — Montgomery Theatre
Saturday 4th July · Doors: 1:30pm · Show: 2:00pm
David Dimbleby — broadcaster, interviewer, and documentary maker — sits down for a live conversation about his life and the new season of Invisible Hands, a Radio 4 history series looking into how the USA became a twentieth-century superpower (and where things have gone since). If you love history or his time presenting Question Time, this is essential.
8. Toby Foster’s Yorkshire Podding* — Montgomery Theatre
Friday 3rd July · Doors: 11:30am · Show: 12:00pm
You might recognize comedian Toby Foster from Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights. This Sheffielder is alongside his BBC Radio Sheffield, Leeds and York presenter, Chelsey Ward, bringing their BBC Sounds podcast to the stage for a real-life Yorkshire chat in hilarious ways, including the stuff they can’t say on live radio.
9. Fun Kids Science Quest — Playhouse Theatre
Sunday 5th July · Doors: 1:15pm · Show: 2:00pm
Fun Kids presenter Dan Simpson brings the weirdest and coolest science to the stage with experiments, guests, and games. British Podcast Awards bronze winner for Best Family Podcast, recommended for ages 5+, with audience participation and live demonstrations.
10. Sport’s Strangest Crimes* — Cole Brothers
Sunday 5th July · Doors: 11:30am · Show: 12:00pm
Investigative journalists Gabriel Gatehouse and James Montague share the theories and sources when doing deep dives into the clandestine world of football, espionage, and American foreign policy, including the disturbing question of whether the CIA has influenced who plays in the World Cup. Two podcasts in one live session — a brilliant Sunday morning for sports and investigation fans.
Fringe shows: what the asterisk means
Shows marked with (*) are part of the Crossed Wires Fringe — the free BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4 programme. That includes:
- Dead Ringers*
- Lady Killers*
- Dimbleby: The Interview*
- Toby Foster’s Yorkshire Podding*
- Sport’s Strangest Crimes*
Disclaimer
We might use affiliate links in this post. If you book tickets through one of those links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the blog going — ta for supporting us!
Crossed Wires Festival 2026 runs 2nd–5th July in Sheffield. See you there!