A diverse range of live shows and special guests will make up this year’s Crossed Wires festival in Sheffield, running from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 July.
The festival’s programme highlights collaborations and first-time live performances, including the debut live show of Bad Chat with Greg James and Alice Levine at City Hall. T
he podcast, which launched in May, will open the festival with its unique blend of humour and audience interaction.
Miquita Oliver, co-host of Miss Me? and TV presenter, will join Elizabeth Day for a live edition of How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, focusing on the importance of learning from setbacks.
Drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash is set to appear on Bold Politics with Zack Polanski, discussing their journey from Ru Paul’s Drag Race to the London Fashion Week runway, as well as their work as an author and recording artist.
That Boxing Show’s ‘Ingle Gym Special’ will feature seven boxing figures, including world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson, musician and photographer Andy Nicholson, undefeated WBC world champion Dalton Smith, Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke, former IBF welterweight world champion Kell Brook, former featherweight world champion Kid Galahad, trainer Dave Coldwell, and rising fighter John “Busta” Keaton.
The panel will share stories, analysis, and predictions from inside the sport.
Other headline podcasts across the weekend include Get A Grip: Bras Off with Angela Scanlon and Vicky Pattison, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, The Elis & John Show, The Blindboy Podcast, Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, Weirdos Book Club with Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd, If I Speak with Ash Sarkar and Moya Lothian McLean, British Scandal with Matt Forde and Alice Levine, Uncanny: Cold Cases with Danny Robins, and the All My Friends After Party.
Loose Lips returns to Leah’s Yard, showcasing ten South Yorkshire podcasts, including Ramble Rave with DJ Tat and Surviving Horror Podcast, alongside seven other local shows.
Barkers Pool will host the Centre Stage, offering free, family-friendly live entertainment. Activities include The Nice Type’s vintage typewriter compliments, live music from Tracks, Rise Yoga’s morning flow, Neighbourhood Voices’ community choir, magician David Linacre, an all-female Morris dancing team, and Little Sounds Garden’s Musical Storytime for young children.
The BBC Sounds Fringe returns to Cole Brothers, featuring Radio 2 Book Club with Sara Cox and Lisa Jewell, Dilly Carter with Sort Your Life Out Unpacked, the making of Traitors: Uncloaked with Minah Shannon, and a special Newscast with Chris Mason and Henry Zeffman.
BBC Radio 4 will also bring flagship shows to The Montgomery, including Woman’s Hour, In Our Time, What’s Up Docs, Political Thinking, The Archers Podcast, Sixty Years of Hurt with David Baddiel, Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley, and more.
The festival, which drew 25,000 attendees in 2025, returns with a packed schedule of live podcasts, special guests, and community events throughout Sheffield.
All tickets available now via CrossedWires.Live.
