BBC Sounds and Crossed Wires podcast festival strike major partnership to program extensive free Fringe line-up

BBC Sounds and Audible have joined forces with Crossed Wires, the UK’s biggest podcast festival, taking place in Sheffield between 4th-6th July 2025.

All weekend, fans will be able to attend special live shows featuring some of the BBC’s most popular podcasts and radio programmes, including Football Daily, Newscast and Evil Genius with Russell Kane – all of which will be recorded for BBC Sounds. Literary lovers can settle down with Sara Cox and bestselling author David Nicholls for a live edition of Radio 2 Book Club, and in Radio 4’s Rewinder, Greg James will be joined by a very special guest to dig deep into the BBC Archives and uncover an array of audio gems.

Fans of Radio 4’s epic investigative series will be able to go behind the scenes of their favourite narrative podcasts with Gabriel Gatehouse (The Coming Storm) and Sue Mitchell (To Catch a Scorpion). Whilst Frank Skinner will bring top comedians to Sheffield for two special recordings of One Person Found This Helpful. The festival will also host two of Radio 4’s most iconic programmes; to celebrate 100 years of the Shipping Forecast, announcers Lisa Costello and Viji Alles will host a birthday special, and Gardeners’ Question Time will entertain a live audience of budding horticulturists. For those looking for a moment of tranquility, there will be an immersive session of music and mindfulness with Radio 3 Unwind.

Listeners can have a front seat for live podcast recordings and special sessions in the old Cole Brothers Department Store (formerly John Lewis) in Barker’s Pool, Sheffield. The famous Grade II listed building originally opened in 1963, with Urban Splash appointed as the developer to regenerate it. The ground floor will be transformed into a vibrant BBC Sounds Fringe venue for the weekend, reimagining the historic retail space for an entirely new purpose.

The full schedule can be found at CrossedWires.Live and free tickets will be available from Friday 6th June at 11AM. Sign up now for priority access on Friday 6th June at 9AM.

Podcast fans can also enjoy the BBC Sounds Garden, which offers a relaxed, open-air listening experience on deck chairs and bean bags. The Garden features a photo booth to capture digital memories at Crossed Wires – maybe with one of your favourite podcasters! Positioned at Barker’s Pool opposite Sheffield City Hall, open daily from July 4th to 6th, 11am to 10pm, it is the perfect spot to unwind in between festival sessions. There will also be a festival bar and an eclectic range of food stalls for festival goers.

Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds says “We’re delighted to join forces with Crossed Wires as the official fringe festival partner. Delivering value for audiences all over the UK is a big priority for us, so to be able to bring this level of talent and creativity to Sheffield - and for free - is really exciting. These will be memorable live shows and experiences that money can’t buy. Crossed Wires is exactly the kind of event we want to be part of.”

Crossed Wires is also partnering with Audible for a takeover of our iconic main venue. Sheffield City Hall, Sponsored by Audible will proudly present Nobody Expects The Michael Palin Podcast! with Michael Palin and Greg James on Friday 4th July, Help I Sexted My Boss on Saturday 5th July (sold out) and No Such Thing As A Fish on Sunday 6th July.

Dino Sofos, Crossed Wires co-founder said, “We’re over the moon to be partnering with BBC Sounds and Audible. To have two of the world’s biggest audio brands championing our festival is an incredible vote of confidence in this one-of-kind event”.

Also announced this week are _Pod Save the UK with Nish Kumar and Coco Khan, BudPod with Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie, _Political Party with Matt Forde and guest Andy Burnham. Families can enjoy Nick Cope’s I’ve Lost my Bobble Hat! and _Fun Kids Science Weekly._ The shows join the lineup alongside _Dish from Waitrose (sold out), We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson and _Tailenders,_ _Richard Herring’s RHLSTP,_ _Drunk Women Solving Crime,_ On The Sofa and Not The _Top 20._

As well as live shows the festival will be offering meet and greets, fan signings and after parties. The Teen Commandments hosts Sara Cox and Clare Hamilton join a sold-out Day Fever daytime disco.

The festival is headed up by an A-team of podcast pros; Creative Director Greg James (Host BBC Radio 1 Breakfast, Co-host Tailenders) together with co-founders 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).

Tickets to the BBC Sounds free shows will be released on CrossedWires.Live on Friday 6th June at 11AM. Sign up now for priority access on Friday 6th June at 9AM.