Sham Rocks Festival returns to the New Forest in 2026
Press Release 09 April 2026
New Milton’s Fawcetts Fields will again host Sham Rocks Music Festival, highlighting 2025’s success for the organisers, performers and the area, and this year – it‘s back with an extra day AND an extra stage.
Over 15th to 17th of May, Sham Rocks presents 40 acts with their Festival Friday launch party setting the scene. Festival Director Emer Druce of Firefly Festivals “inundated with acts wanting to play and patrons wanting to party, we just had to create that additional day and stage. Festival Friday offers a sneak preview taster night. Instead of the pub, why not pop along to get a feel of the festival which features some fantastic, UK-wide regular touring acts, hosted by DJ Rick On The Beat? My colleagues at The Trio and I have again risen to the cost-of-living challenge, keeping entry cost low with adult tickets from £15, accompanied children from £6. £10 Friday and all-weekend offers are also on our site”.
The beauty of Sham Rocks is the organisers industry influence pull, bringing the party to you, so you don’t have to travel. Sham Rocks Music Festival features cover and original acts performing alongside seasoned acts who recreate the looks and sounds of artists. Amy Winehouse, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and M People are the headline tributes and with the cream of local and regional performers from across Hampshire, The New Forest and Dorset complementing the national artists, we’re in for a musical feast.
Highlights include tributes to; Tom Jones, Abba by Abba Queens, Erasure by Blue Savannah, Gloria Estefan from Spain and Britain’s Got Talent Finalist Eva Iglesias, Green Day from The Green Day Experience. Genres, Decades and Concept shows are represented by Acoustic Soul from The Mysteries, Why?2k, Movies and Musicals – featuring The Ice Queen from Snow Princess Parties and Jack Trinder, Rock Chicks from AstoModa, Hype Club’s “band powered DJ set” show, David Caswell & The Moonseeds, Ghost In The Machine.
Also new for 2026 is “Sham Rocks Spotlight”, celebrating a stand-out talent, performing just before the Main Stage support on Saturday night. Power-house vocalist 16 year-old Nevaeh, already a veteran of Wembley and The Southampton International Boat Show has the inaugural honour.
Curator and Stage Manager Clive Leighton enthused “it’s a fab line up. UK Festival legend Robert T Leonard - “Tom as Usual” flies in from Glasgow - a real coup for us. He’s been offered shows here for a while and we’re chuffed he’s chosen Sham Rocks. The Voice semi-finalist, Manchester based Jordan Phillips joins us on his UK Tour and locally we’ve sourced the best originals, covers from every genre with Emma Hardy, Carley Varley, Route 66, The Hinton Cleeves Conspiracy, Charlie James O’Connell, Aoife Wall, Vexmanatra, Samzara, Red Light Spies and The 45s across The Firefly and The GiG Stages.
Currently receiving no funding or financial assistance, Sham Rocks is all about empowering creatives and community support. For mindfulness and wellbeing there’s KvLS - a mental health service providing low cost, affordable counselling and psychotherapy in person and online. The GiG Bar returns and is on the lookout for emerging photographers and journalists who’d like to expand their portfolio. Performers can also benefit from commission free merchandise sales within the Media and Industry Networking Hub. Creative industry performers, production, publicists, promoters and emerging photographers and journalists are urged to make contact to promote themselves and to meet existing and new colleagues.
Embracing local community is also a key priority for Sham Rocks, so they’ve again teamed up with Oakhaven Hospice. Community Fundraiser Hannah Davies” Sham Rocks 2025 was a welcoming, well organised, fun, safe, family friendly, vibrant music festival. The musical talent, staging and sound systems were of extremely high quality – stalls and vendors offered great produce at an affordable price. The organisers emphasis on affordability set them apart from other festivals. It was a highlight of our summer, raising £1111, helping us to support local families needing end of life care. We are really looking forward to working with Firefly Festivals in 2026 and thrilled to be chosen once again as the nominated charity”.
But it’s not just the local community that Sham Rocks is embracing, their reach via Concept Event Solutions has brought in James Hooton, better known as Sam Dingle from Yorkshire TVs Emmerdale. James and business partner Jon will be running the Main bar Ta'Hoots this year so there’s an opportunity for you to compare their beer with that of the Woolpack. “Jon and I are over the moon to be associated with this festival and we are excited to forge a working relationship with Sham Rocks moving forward”.
With dogs and Under 5s allowed in for free…this really is the perfect festival – complete with inflatable slides, bouncy castles, hot delicious donuts and the legendary Sham Rocks Market Place and Food Court full of our region’s premier traders and food & drink concessions.
And – it’s all on our own doorstep.
Sham Rocks is at Fawcett Fields, New Milton Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th May 2026.
For tickets, please go to www.ticketsource.co.uk/fireflyfestivals
For full programme and performer details please go to www.fireflyfestivals.co.uk
If you’d like to get involved in any way, please contact Emer directly via emer@fireflyfestivals.co.uk
Editors Notes:
For interviews and images, contact
Emer Druce emer@fireflyfestivals.co.uk 07745 235 438
Clive Leighton clivel@thegigtvshow.com 07882 352 742