BBC Radio 1 have organised the touring festival since 2003, visiting a different city each year to put on a weekend of live music and other entertainment. Now a three-day affair, Big Weekend has expanded to include a Friday of activities, which is now its dedicated “Dance Party”. Generally the chosen cities and locations are diverse, ranging from beachside resorts, open park land or historic castle grounds.

Last year’s Big Weekend at Liverpool’s Sefton Park will be a hard act to follow. As if their three headliners of Tom Grennan, Sam Fender and Mumford & Sons weren’t enough, it made the headlines by way of Ed Sheeran’s secret set. Other massive names present included Wolf Alice, Biffy Clyro, and Lola Young. For 2026 Radio 1 are coming to Sunderland, holding three days at the city’s Herrington Country Park. The site hosted the 2005 edition with a top lineup of Foo Fighters, Chemical Brothers, Kasabian, Natalie Imbruglia and KT Tunstall.

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So far this year’s announcement is for the Friday’s Dance Party, which Radio 1 promise will be their biggest and best yet. In a BBC News article on the reveal, they say “It will be the first time the festival will be using all of its stages to host a ‘huge dance party’ on the first day”. The biggest name on the list is DJ Norman Cook, known by his stage name Fatboy Slim. Owner of a Grammy, 9 MTV Video Awards, two Brit Awards and a coveted Ivor Novello Award, he’s done it all in his career. No stranger to clubs or festivals of the world, he’s had countless radio hits and always carried an incredible reputation for his live mixes.

Cook’s main co-headliner is Sonny Fodera, an Australian house DJ who has worked with the likes of Calvin Harris, Glass Animals and Diplo. Also on the top bracket of the bill are fellow-Aussie producer FISHER and American house DJ MK. The rest of the lineup includes BBC Radio 1’s station DJs Arielle Free, Charlie Hedges, Danny Howard and Sarah Story.

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend Sunderland runs from Friday the 22nd to Sunday the 24th of May, with tickets for the Friday on sale now. The Saturday’s lineup is due to be announced on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show next Monday, the 9th of March, with the BBC hinting that the final list will feature over 100 acts. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday go live at 5PM on Wednesday the 11th of March.

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The news was announced this morning by Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter and DJ Greg James, the presenter said: ““FINALLY…Radio 1 HAS COME BACK…to Liverpooool! The last time I was there I was doing a big game of Hide and Seek and was hidden in the Liver building for a week so it’ll be nice to see some daylight and enjoy it properly this time..We can’t wait to bring the biggest artists in the world to this brilliant city in May. Everyone’s going to LOVE the line-up!”

Other additions saw the names of Wolf Alice, Artemas, Tom Odell, Inhaler and Good Neighbours added to the festivities. About 100 acts will be performing across four stages, with over 100,000 fans expected to attend the weekend.

Tom Grennan, Biffy Clyro, Confidence Man and more were recently confirmed, with Sam Fender being the first headliner unveiled. Grennan shared to Facebook about his promotion to headline status: “From BBC introducing to headlining @BBCR1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool can’t wait see you there x.”

Another band that will be performing is Stockport indie rock band Blossoms, they said about the weekend: “We’re delighted that Radio 1 have invited us to play at this year’s Big Weekend. Even more so because it’s taking place in Liverpool, a city close to our hearts, where we’ve worked and recorded every single one of our albums since our debut in 2016. It’s going to be a really special weekend and we can’t wait to perform.”

The festival will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 1 all weekend long, with performances available to watch on iPlayer and BBC sounds.

Tickets will be available from 17:00 on Thursday 13 March and will cost £33 (plus a £4.50 booking fee per ticket). You can find out more information on the BBC website.

More acts will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Sam Fender’s headline slot is no surprise. With two Number 1 albums already under his belt, he’s set to release his highly anticipated third album, ‘People Watching’, in February. Fender’s summer tour doesn’t kick off until June, meaning fans at the Big Weekend will be among the first to hear the album’s new material.  

Blossoms are still riding high after their Number 1 album ‘Gary’, released last year, and Wet Leg, who headlined at 2023’s Big Weekend, make a return to the festival after three years of extensive touring.  

Lola Young knocked Gracie Abrams off the top of the UK Charts last week with her hit ‘Messy’, and featured on Tyler, The Creator’s October album, ‘CHROMAKOPIA’. Myles Smith played the  Music Introducing stage at last year’s Big Weekend, and called it a “dream come true” to return to the festival. Smith was also shortlisted for the BBC Introducing Sound of 2025 Award, eventually coming 4th.

This year’s Big Weekend marks the event’s first return to the North West since 2007, when it was held in Preston. Liverpool’s iconic Sefton Park will play host this year, as part of a busy first half of the year which will also see the park hosting a candlelight concert and a DJ set from Danny Rampling.  

The format has changed over its two-decade-long history, with stages coming and going, but if the previous years are to be repeated, then fans will be treated to four different stages. With the Main Stage, Future Sounds, Dance Stage, and BBC Introducing, there will be plenty of acts to see for fans of all genres.

Quality lineup so far guys

— John Hamilton (@stigcocard) January 28, 2025

BBC Radio 1’s Head of Station, Aled Haydn Jones, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025 to Liverpool. Liverpool’s vibrant music scene and rich history make it the perfect setting for this iconic event. It’s set to be an unmissable weekend.” 

Taking place over 23-25 May, the festival lines up with the final day of the Premier League season. With Liverpool Football Club on track to lift the trophy, the city could become euphoric, making the weekend even more special for those lucky enough to attend. 

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Tickets for the Big Weekend used to be free, but this changed in recent years, with 2024’s tickets costing £34 all in. They are released in batches and will prioritise local residents first. This approach has led to the BBC saying the event brings superstars to your doorstep, and it’s hard to argue with them when they have Sabrina Carpenter performing in Luton, and The Jonas Brothers in Dundee. 

The Big Weekend kicks off the UK’s festival season and is followed by the likes of Download Festival and Glastonbury in the following month. The first phase of tickets can be expected to be released toward the end of March and anybody wanting to snag a ticket should keep an eye out for any announcements.

angels coming to the Brussels & Utrecht shows please read. i am so sorry and i’m really disappointed pic.twitter.com/iv6GCVxuBg

— Charli (@charli_xcx) May 27, 2022

The ”I Love It” singer took to social media to share a statement, “I’m devastated to inform you that I have to cancel my shows in both Brussels and Utrecht today and tomorrow, I have completely lost my voice and despite trying many techniques to revive it, it is not returning.”

The singer continued to reassure fans that she is receiving treatment, “I am under doctors orders to go on both vocal and physical rest in the hope that my voice will come back as soon as possible. I wish that there was a way that I could perform for you guys, but singing is literally impossible right now and the show is too physical to tackle whilst my glands are flared up and in pain.” Charli XCX then proceeded to apologise to fans and stated that updates will follow, “I am so sorry to let you down, I really am. I was so looking forward to these next 2 shows in Europe. I will keep you updated with my progress and hopefully with rest and the right medication I will be back fighting fit.”

hi everyone. my antibiotics are kicking in and although i’m still not 100% i will be performing in Berlin tomorrow and continuing the tour as scheduled… be gentle with me and make sure to help me out by screaming every single word!! i’ll see you tomorrow

— Charli (@charli_xcx) May 29, 2022

The singer took to Twitter today to provide an update on her condition, she confirmed that she is receiving medication and aims to resume her touring schedule. Charli XCX is set to perform at Berlin’s Astra Kulturhaus on Monday 30th May 2022, on Tuesday 31st May 2022 the singer will perform a second show in Germany at Köln’s Carlswek Victoria.

i’m so sorry everyone. i’ve started taking my antibiotics and hopefully i’ll be back ASAP https://t.co/agFLK4TKDm

— Charli (@charli_xcx) May 27, 2022

Due to the singer’s health issues, her appearance at this year’s Radio 1 Big Weekend was also cancelled, the singer was meant to perform over the weekend at the Coventry held event. Otherwise known as Charlotte Aitchison, the Grammy award nominated singer was scheduled to take the stage on Sunday 29th May 2022. The three-day festival kicked off on Friday 27th May 2022 and is currently enjoying its last evening, billed as the final day’s headliners are Harry Styles, George Ezra, Becky Hill, Chase & Status, Dermot Kennedy, Jax Jones, Lorde and Mabel.

The Cambridge born artist embarked on the European leg of the Crash tour earlier this month, joined by up and coming pop singer Elio for support on select performances. The singer’s lengthy tour is in support of her new album Crash, released on 18th March 2022, the critically acclaimed release marked the singer’s fifth studio album. After eight European dates, the singer is scheduled to appear at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, set to take place on 22nd-26th June 2022. The “What I Like” hitmaker will return to the UK in the summer for a festival appearance, on 27^th August 2022 Charli XCX will appear at London’s All Points East event.

Charli XCX UK tour dates

22-26/06/2022 – Glastonbury Festival 2022 – Pilton
27/08 – All Points East 2022 – Victoria Park, London

Click here to purchase tickets.

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The former One Direction member’s new album Harry’s House debuted at the number one position within this week’s album charts. Completing the chart double, Styles also secured this week’s number one single with “As It Was”, marking eight consecutive weeks at the top spot. The English singer songwriter released his top charting album on 20th March 2022 via Columbia and Erskine Records, Harry’s House marks Styles’ third studio album and was received with great critical and commercial success.

The Official charts have confirmed that the album has sired over 113,00 chart sales making the release this year’s fastest selling album to date, a record last held by Adele for her album 30. The album’s impressive chart sales also mark a personal best for the singer, Harry’s House has become the singer’s more profitable opening week. In 2017, the singer’s debut album achieved 57,000 UK chart sales within its first week and in 2019 Styles’ first week for Fine Line sired 49,000 chart sales. The singer’s recently released album has also placed at the top of this week’s Official Vinyl Album chart, the album secured the top spot by outselling the remaining of the top 40 combined.

Styles’ chart-topping album’s lead single has also proved its selling power with over 80,000 chart sales. After eight weeks at number one “As It Was” has been crowned the longest running number one single of this year thus far. With over 8.9 million streams, the single has overtaken its opening week’s count and has also been crowned this week’s most streamed single in the UK.

With the release of Harry’s House, Styles has also dominated this week’s singles charts, all of this week’s top three singles are taken from the singer’s new album. The second track to be taken from the album was released on 20th May 2022, “Late Night Talking” has placed at number two within this week’s singles charts. Closing the top 3 is “Music For A Sushi Restaurant”, the song is the first track on the album and is an un-released track that Styles premiered at this year’s Coachella festival during his headlining set.

Over the weekend, Styles is set to take the stage for Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the singer will appear in Coventry on Sunday 29th May 2022. Performing alongside Styles on the Main stage are George Ezra, Becky Hill, Chase & Status, Dermot Kennedy, Jax Jones, Lorde and Mabel. The festival kicked off on Friday 27th May 2022 with performances from a host of acts across three stages, ticketholders were treated to sets from Disclosure, BOYOCA, Danny Howard and many more acts.

Your final #BigWeekend Sunday headliner is @Harry_Styles

This is going to be SO special. A full solo festival set

Head here for everything you need to know: https://t.co/4t4HBZtjzI pic.twitter.com/MZxZvfUfc1

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) April 25, 2022

The annual three-day concert series has become BBC Radio 1’s flagship music event and is set to return to a traditional live format this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 and 2020 festivals were presented online. The music event will make its comeback on 27th-29th May 2022 at War Memorial Park, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will see 80,000 music fans flock to Coventry to see some of music’s biggest acts perform.

Some of the network’s most played artists will join Styles as headlining acts. Set to take the main stage on Saturday 28th May 2022 are Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Aitch, AJ Tracey, Anne-Marie, Central Cee, Joel Corry and Yungblud. Full details confirming all headlining acts will soon to be confirmed, and Friday’s main stage acts have yet to be announced.

The festival has become known for showcasing both new and established acts across many stages; this year the event will consist of the Main Stage, Future Sounds Stage, Radio 1 Dance Stage and BBC Music Introducing Stage. The Future Sounds Stage is a new addition to the event and will play host to both commercially successful and emerging artists.

Billed to perform at the Future Sounds Stage on the Sunday are Foals, Alfie Templeman, Griff, Holly Humberstone, Joy Crookes, Koffee, Rina Sawayama and Wet Leg. Sawaymama has spoken about her upcoming performance, “I cannot WAIT to come and play at Radio 1’s Big Weekend for the first time!! It’s going to be such a moment.” On Saturday 28th May 2022 the Future Sounds Stage will be home to Sam Fender, Easy Life, Fontaines D.C., KSI, Mimi Webb, Pa Salieu, Sigrid and Tom Grennan. Salieu has also spoken on his forthcoming appearance, “Excited to be finally performing in my home town Coventry as part of Radio 1’s Big Weekend. I know the Coventry crowd will do our city proud and show all the other artists the energy of the Midlands.”

General tickets are selling out fast for the event but a small amount were held back; these tickets were made available to purchase today. Tickets were made available via three tiers, 60% of entry tickets were allocated for Coventry City Council residents. 2% were then allocated for those living in the remaining Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester postcodes, and the remaining 15% were then made available for the rest of the UK to purchase.

Full coverage and highlights of the event will be aired on BBC Radio 1 throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The broadcasts will be available to watch live and on-demand via the BBC iplayer and BBC Sounds.

Click here for more ticket information.

Ed is playing the Main Stage at @BBCR1‘s #BigWeekend this May! pic.twitter.com/LIMLKxy56n

— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) March 14, 2022

Sheeran has spoken on his upcoming performance at Coventry’s War Memorial Park, “I can’t wait to kick off festival season and perform in front of a live audience at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2022 in Coventry. See you all there!”

The “Shape Of You” singer is amongst eight headlining acts who will take to the Main Stage on the second day of the festival. Saturday’s main stage acts also include Calvin Harris, Aitch, AJ Tracey, Anne Marie, Central Cee, Joel Corry and Yungblud. AJ Tracey and Anne Marie also joined Sheeran in last year’s event, where the three acts participated in a virtual event that was held in lieu of a live festival. BBC Radio 1 took to social media to share the headlining acts that will perform on the main stage on Saturday.

Some #BigWeekend line-up news! Performing on the Main Stage on Saturday 28th May: @CalvinHarris @EdSheeran @OfficialAitch @ajtracey @AnneMarie Central Cee @JoelCorry @Yungblud Everything you need to know about this year’s event: https://t.co/GNEZRXbbVS pic.twitter.com/uswiaDjRkJ — BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) March 14, 2022

The event has also announced Sunday’s main stage acts, George Ezra, Becky Hill, Dermot Kennedy, Jax Jones, Lorde and Mabel will headline the festival’s closing day. A long list of up-and-coming acts have also been confirmed to play the BBC Music introducing stage, the smaller stage aims to showcase emerging artists whilst providing a perfect platform in which to grow a fanbase and career and has remained a vital part of the event. Taking the stage this year are Alfie Indra, Crawlers, Danniella Dee, Hope Tala, Lizzie Esau, piri & tommy, Queen Millz and Sad Night Dynamite.

Two further stages have also been confirmed for Saturday, and both feature an impressive line-up of acts. Set to take the Future Sounds Stage are Sam Fender, Easy Life, Fontaines D.C., KSI, Mimi Webb, Sigrid and Tom Grennan. The BBC Music Introducing Stage features Artemas, Celina Sharma, Deyah, Jordan Mackampa, Tamera, Thomas Headon, USNA and Willow Kayne.

The British YouTube sensation, KSI, has spoken on his appearance at the three-day event, “Ya boy KSI is performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2022. Cannot wait to get out and perform in front of you all in Coventry. Expect all the hits and maybe even a few surprises!”

Head of Radio 1, Aled Haydn Jones has provided the following statement concerning this year’s event, “We are kicking off the UK’s festival season in true Radio 1 style with an incredible line up of acts already on the bill, and more exciting names to be revealed this week. We can’t wait to bring our flagship live music event to Coventry for 2022.”

#BigWeekend is coming to Coventry from the 27th – 29th May!

Want to be there? Find out everything you need to know before tickets go on sale on Friday 18th March: https://t.co/IVIdwjCF62 pic.twitter.com/WDjT0QqfnG

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) March 11, 2022

Ticket sales for Radio 1 Big Weekend 2022 go live on 18th March 2022. Tickets are limited to two per person and the availability has been divided into three sections. 60% of tickets are reserved for Coventry residences, 25% are for people who reside within the neighbouring towns, and the rest of the tickets will be released for general sale. A detailed step by step guide on how to get your ticket can be found here.

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, held on the 28^th May – 31^st May 2021, included performances from UK artists such as Wolf Alice, Ed Sheeran and Royal Blood. The music festival took place online as a result of coronavirus restrictions, as it did the year before, and has been met with eager reception from music lovers that have been deprived of live music for more than a year. It is the perfect introduction to summer – offering optimism for the future with a celebration of some of Britains best musical talent.

Jorja Smith’s talent, both in singing and song-writing, and her soulful R&B has recently regained attention after the release of her EP ‘Be Right Back’. Her BBC Radio 1 performance included the emotional delivering of the single ‘Bussdown’ (featuring Shaybo). This performance, as well as renditions of singles from her critically acclaimed 2018 studio album Lost & Found, are the perfect teaser of what’s to come when the artist tours this summer at UK music festivals Glastonbury and All Points East.

Smith’s recital was filmed at Alexandra Palace in North London, a location that the artist herself chose. The softly lit setting, transitioning between shades of pink and blue, the sublime vocals and the beauty of Alexandra Palace made for a mesmerising performance.

You can watch Jorja Smith’s performance of ‘Bussdown’ featuring Shaybo here:

#BIGWEEKEND RETURNS FOR 2021

We’re bringing you 4 days of live music across @BBCSounds and @BBCiPlayer from the 28th – 31st May!

Get ready for brand new sets recorded exclusively for Big Weekend, alongside memorable Radio 1 performances from the Live Lounge and beyond pic.twitter.com/M4HfB1pUfH

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) March 24, 2021

Radio 1 cancelled its in-person 2020 festival in Dundee last March and held a remote festival in its place in May. Among the cancellation of all UK festivals and live events last year, Radio 1 was able to present an online festival featuring exclusive performances, throwback clips, and coverage that highlighted how fans were combating lockdown with mini-festival celebrations.  Last year’s festival also included home-filmed performances by stars like the Jonas Brothers and Anne-Marie.

It has now been announced that the 2021 Big Weekend will take place on BBC Sounds and iPlayer over four days from May 28^th- 31^st. The BBC reported this announcement stating that this year’s festival is designed to be enjoyed “in parks, on beaches, in pub gardens” as coronavirus restrictions lessen. This decision comes amongst a slew of UK festivals including Latitude, Reading and Leeds, and Wireless who have planned to go ahead in person later this summer.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2021 promises a line-up featuring “the biggest acts on the planet” alongside “stars of the future”. In the past, the festival has hosted big names such as Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.

Speaking on the announcement, Radio 1 breakfast show host Greg James said: “We’ll be making the May Bank Holiday as fun and entertaining as possible with Big Weekend 2021.” He added: “We’ll keep doing what we can to thank our listeners and support the artists that have helped make the last year easier to manage.”

Acts that have taken the transition can be found on the BBC Radio 1 page and you can watch acts such as Doja Cat, Niall Horan, Sam Smith and Blossoms among many others. Along with new performances they also have some classic performances from years gone by. They have performances from ASAP Rocky, Jay Z, Nas and The 1975 going up sometime over the weekend.

Pots, pans and a bed!

We LOVE @Blossomsband #BigWeekend set! Hear it on @BBCSounds https://t.co/Yxg1uVSawA pic.twitter.com/D8FECmvLRT

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) May 23, 2020

Other festivals may want to take a leaf out of the BBC’s book as this has gone down a treat with fans with them commending the effort taken by the broadcaster to give the public a ray of light through these somewhat dark times.  Along with the performances, they also conduct interviews with some of the performers that give insight into the festival. Most notably Greg James did one with Chris Martin about Coldplay’s Big Weekend performance in Exeter.

“It felt very special and it was a beautiful day”

Chris Martin from @coldplay on his homecoming headline set from #BigWeekend Exeter 2016. Hear it now on Radio 1 and @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/sxwmAF6CMy

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) May 23, 2020

Having the artists perform from their own homes also gives the fans a look into their life that they will seldom get the opportunity to see. This, in turn, makes the interactivity of the online festival second to none. Bringing the artist and fans closer than ever before though, in actual fact, they’re further away.

This will no doubt ease the festival blues of the public as they will at least be able to see the prospective line up play in some format, though it will not come close to the experience of a festival. 

Some may view it as a luxury and see the bright side of trading the muddy fields, cold tents and wet socks for central heating, warm clothes and plenty of food. I, for one, do not. Alas you can not beat a festival.