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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC Radio 1 Dance (@bbcr1dance)

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.

Though the Burnley native had not initially announced or commented on his departure, he took to Instagram yesterday to break the silence and thank his colleagues, fellow presenters and listeners throughout the years. He said: “I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my wonderful colleagues / talented producers at Radio 1 who many I consider to be friends for life and will miss greatly, you’ve all reached out to me over the past 24 hours and it really has meant a lot.”

He added: “To my amazing fellow presenters I wish I could thank you all personally, I’ve loved working with you it’s been an absolute blast! Big love to Katie Thisleton, Greg James, Arielle Free, Ricky, Melvin & Charlie, Dean & Vicky, Clara Amfo, Matt & Molly, Scott Mills, Grimmy, all the rest of you fantastic lot, and of course my partner in crime Vick Hope…I’ll miss being on air with you every day. MOST IMPORTANTLY the biggest of thank yous to the fantastic listeners who have been really generous and always made me feel welcome, your kind words & messages have been so lovely, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I’ll be back soon, and can’t wait to see you all again.”

The announcement marks a new era for the station, with Laing as the distinctive new voice of the primetime spot. The presenter rose to fame in the early 2010s during the height of the hit reality TV show Made in Chelsea. Laing has since founded multiple successful businesses such as Candy Kittens and JamPot Productions, as well as the incredibly popular comedy podcast ‘Newlyweds‘ who he hosts alongside his wife Sophie.

Having previously worked at the station during Mollie King’s maternity leave, Laing has referred to working at BBC Radio 1 and the new opportunity as “an absolute dream”, and promises to make it “the best show I possibly can for the listeners who love it so much.” Laing is expected to make his debut on the show alongside Vick Hope on Monday March 4. You can listen to the show from 15:30 – 18:00 every Monday to Thursday.

the sound of 2024 longlist is here ✨

a selection of the artists will be performing at maida vale studios on monday 8th january 2024. if you want to be there, register now: https://t.co/O2HAQ3FGLx pic.twitter.com/tdHSIJiiJI

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 4, 2023

 The top ten acts are (in alphabetical order): Ayra Starr, Caity Baser, CMAT, Elmiene, Kenya Grace, The Last Dinner Part, Olivia Dean, Peggy Gou, Sekou and Tyla. From January 1, 2024, a countdown will kick off across Radio 1, counting down the top 5. The number one spot will be revealed live on Radio 1 on Friday, January 5.

It’s very hard to not be grateful ! I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude! Thank you too all my starrs , I see all your messages on me being your top artist , I’m so glad to be doing this life thing with you and that my music brings you peace and joy ! Ayra mob we just… pic.twitter.com/7N3TnyyNk7 — Celestial being (@ayrastarr) December 1, 2023

Head of Radio 1, Chris Price spoke of his excitement about the gender dynamic on the list, mentioning “With so many female artists on the Sound Of list this year, I’m really encouraged about the next generation of festival headliners. The list is as diverse as ever, reflecting the genre-agnostic nature of BBC Radio 1, which has supported every single one of the acts on the longlist. 2024 promises to be a great year for new music!”

The countdown of the Top 5 will kick off across Radio 1 on January 1st, 2204. The winner will be revealed live on Radio 1 during a special broadcast on Friday, January 5th. An event will be hosted at Maida Vale by Radio 1 called ‘BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2024 Live’ on January 8 2024. There is an application for tickets which is now open on the BBC Show And Tour website – see here for details.

The competition dates back two decades, with the first BBC Sound of in 2003! Among the success stories, boasts Ellie Goulding, 50 Cent, Sigrid and last year’s winner, girl group, FLO.

BRIT School alumna, Olivia Dean has also been named ‘BBC Introducing Artist of the Year’ live on-air, after the ‘secret’ award was announced unknowingly to Ladies Room’ singer, Olivia in an interview with presenter Jess Iszatt. The artist humbly accepted the award, thanking the emerging talent organisation BBC Introducing for all their support. She commented “Thank you so much for all the support over the years BBC Introducing! You are such an important and valuable platform for up-and-coming musicians. From my very first gig at the Lexington until now – poof crazy! So excited to be your artist of the year!!”

i won @bbcintroducing artist of the year !!
wow @jjiszatt thank u for being there from the beginning ❤️ https://t.co/5hSRHCy1J3

— Olivia Dean (@oliviadeano) November 28, 2023

Benny first erupted onto the UK music scene in November 2020 with his single “Paradise”. His debut EP Honey Rum shortly followed which captured the attention of Notion Magazine, who described him as “one to watch for 2021” and Rickie Haywood-Williams of BBC Radio One said he was “one of the UK’s rising stars”. Benny also caught the attention of Hot Press, Highsnobiety, and COLORS.

Earlier this year the singer was awarded the MOBO Help Musicians Grant to help him drive his career forward. The Help Musicians charity was set up to help artists and give them extra support during crucial moments of their careers. They support artists who are just starting out and those who have been creating for several years. The artist said he was “delighted” by the news and said, “I’m gonna use this money to bring you a super potent new batch of music.”

The new single is taken from Benny’s upcoming EP which is set to be released in November this year. A press release revealed that each track from the release will be accompanied by a visualiser and unique artwork inspired by the 1970s. Atlas worked with creative director Sebastian Miller on the series. Miller has also worked with the likes of Kojey Radical, Oliver Malcolm and Manchester rapper, Bugzy Malone.

His first release of 2022, the artist describes “Let You Know” as “a declarative love song that wrestles between the themes of temptation and true love. It is written to cast away any doubts that can arise in a healthy relationship, and consolidate the trust that has already built. I like to draw parallels between love and the universe, and this song plays with the notion that serendipity goes further and beyond human choice.”

Before its release, Benny took to his social media to share the single artwork with fans and the caption told his followers that “it feels good to be back!” He went on to say “been a little while on the sidelines; life, indecision and stinky arse time wasters all contributed to the delay. One thing that never stopped was the music making. Loads coming In the next chapter.”

“Let You Know” is out now on all streaming platforms. Follow this link to listen.

The 30-minute documentary will include the footage of the group’s debut appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge, the famed segment featured on the BBC Radio 1 station. The BBC film will not only chart the rise of BTS but will also examine the increasing popularity of the genre K-pop and the industry which has evolved the style. The Live Lounge broadcast will take place on Tuesday 27th July 2021 at 12 pm and will be available to view on Radio 1’s YouTube channel. Following the radio broadcast, the BBC One programme will air on Wednesday 28th July at 10:35 pm, the show will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

The hitmakers first performance and interview on the Live Lounge will be presented by Adele Roberts, Roberts who once participated in the reality TV show Big Brother is a regular presenter for the station’s segment. The group will perform versions of their successful single ‘Dynamite’ and will perform their new single ‘Permission to Dance’ as well as a cover of the gigantic hit ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ originally performed by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans.

Roberts took to her Instagram page to announce the news, the presenter also conveys her elation to be a part of the show.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adele Roberts (@adeleroberts)

Radio host, Adele Roberts, has spoken on her excitement to be a part of the group’s appearance, the DJ also comments on the band’s accolades and immense popularity. “I am so happy for BTS fans worldwide especially our very own UK Army. They have been so passionate, so supportive and have hoped for a Radio 1 Live Lounge since the first time we played the band. Four years later, BTS have broken records, barriers & boundaries. That dream is now going to be a reality. I’m beyond excited for us to finally be hosting the biggest boy band in the world!”

The BBC documentary entitled ‘BTS @ Radio 1’ will begin by charting their initial relationship with BBC Radio 1, which saw the group’s first-ever radio play in 2017. Ever since their initial radio plays a supportive and large fanbase has developed across the world. Roberts will be conducting an exclusive interview prior to their Live Lounge appearance, where the presenter will reunite with the group.

Within the BBC film, Roberts will provide an insight into the moment that the group exploded after their hits were broadcasted on the BBC station. Viewers will also get the chance to see Roberts describe her experiences when the presenter set out to explore and document the popularity of BTS. Her exploration took her to Seoul in 2018, it was within this trip that the radio personality met with the group’s choreographer who is responsible for the band’s most beloved and infamous dance routines. Roberts also met with the minister for K-pop to further her understanding for the genre’s industry and the group’s large and loyal fanbase, faithfully called The ARMY. Within the documentary viewers will see the impact of The ARMY within the band’s victories and the sheer admiration in which the ARMY hold for the band.

BTS, otherwise known as the Bangtan Boys, are a south Korean breakout act from the newly popular music genre K-Pop. The band consists of seven members, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. To say that the band are successful is a vast understatement, the seven-piece outfit have rocketed since their inception in 2013. The band are mainly popular with a younger audience and include topical and current themes within their music, their lyrics involve subject matter such as mental health issues, self-love and loss. The band’s music also deals with topics that are geared towards adolescent life, coming of age story themes are prevalent within their lyrics.

Their debut single album, ‘2 Cool 4 Skool’, was released on 12th June 2013 and was well received, the album sired two singles ‘No More Dream’ and ‘We Are Bulletproof pt. 2’, both released in 2013. The band’s second album, which was recorded and released in Korean, was their first big success and became their first step into stardom. The album entitled ‘Wings’ was released in 2016 and sold over 1 million copies in the band’s home country of South Korea. The band soon crossed over into global success, they were awarded the certification from the Recording Industry Association of American and became the first Korean group to receive the certificate, the award was for their single ‘Mic Drop’. The band would soon become the first Korean band to enter into the US billboard 200 Chart, doing so with their album ‘Love Yourself: Tear’ which was released in 2018. BTS would then obtain a Grammy nomination for their massive single ‘Dynamite’ which was released on 21st August 2020. Keeping in line with the band’s lyrical message, the release was meant to improve morale among the world during the COVD-19 pandemic. The single landed at number 3 within the UK Singles charts and became the catalyst for the group’s world domination.

The band have been compared to the Beatles due to their vast and endearingly loyal fan base, much like Beatle fever within the ’60s, BTS hysteria has ensued globally. The group’s success is not only based on their catchy hooks and relatable lyrical content but on a phenomenon, which has spread throughout the world. Due to these reasons, the BBC special along with the Live Lounge, is not just for diehard BTS fans but for music fans everywhere, giving an insightful look into a new and powerful genre of music.

We have a new single OUT NOW with the amazing @jamesvmcmorrow

Go listen to ‘Be Somebody': https://t.co/KBYgyA614a pic.twitter.com/Wan8YQOVuM

— Rudimental (@Rudimental) March 8, 2021

Mac spoke to McMorrow and one-quarter of Rudimental, Piers Agget to discuss how the single came about. McMorrow stated that the track began from a song that he had written a few years ago. that he was “having one of those moments” and said, “Let’s make country music!” Later Rudimental heard the demo and was struck by its “relatability” of uncertainty during the early pandemic and decided to give it a dance twist. Mac commented that the song felt right during this time of optimism and hope.

The song begins with McMorrow’s original stripped-down vocals before the familiar Rudimental sound sweeps in, taking the track to the next level with an irresistibly danceable beat. The Irish singer-songwriter gushed about the collaboration on his official website:

“I f***ing love Rudimental, always have, I have this beautiful memory of seeing their show at Coachella in 2014 right after I’d played, and then driving up to San Francisco listening to their album Home the entire way. To me this song sounds and feels like that album, it’s exciting that we got to do this thing together.”

This is Rudimental’s first release this year following their December collaboration Be The One with MORGAN, TIKE, and drill rapper Digga D. McMorrow and Rudimental teased album releases later this year on Radio 1 with Mac. Both artists also expressed their excitement to get back to performing this summer.

Listen to ‘Be Somebody’ and watch the official lyric video.

‘Be Somebody’ is available to stream everywhere now.

This is an unusual description for an Indie Rock artist to give to their work, which is more informed by Ty Segall and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard than by Coldplay or U2. However, though it may not fill stadiums the track is certainly worthy of garage rock pedigree and would not sound out of play on either of their albums. The EP is set to feature five tracks in total, beginning with ‘Antidote To Being Bored,‘ then following with ‘That Wasn’t What I Said,‘ ‘Pretty Princess,’ ‘Red Cherry Chapstick,’ and finally ‘Something Has Changed.’ 

It has definitely been a little while since Indie Rock sounded this heavy. Compared to the likes of Declan Mckenna, Lang is practically a heavy rocker, with fuzz pedals and distorted vocals about this is clearly looking back to when rock wasn’t afraid to show its rough edges and before the hyper-clean sound of The 1975 and similar funk-inspired bands who are talented in their own right but lack some of the rough edges that make artists like Ty Segall so captivating.

It is interesting to hear NME also mention ‘King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard,’ as informing the sound, the band have recently released their latest track ‘Automation,’ for free along with all the stem files and video files for fans to make their own remixes and videos completely for free. This type of direct-to-fan approach is likely to be of some inspiration for Oscar Lang and the accessible DIY punk garage ethics of affordable and quirky marketing are not lost on him, his EP is being released on vinyl at a price which most people will actually be able to affordable to the majority of people.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by oscar lang (@oscar.lang) on Nov 3, 2020 at 9:32am PST

The track will have received something of a boost into the mainstream market today when it was played by Jack Saunders on Radio 1 at 10pm. It is always a pleasure and an inspiration to see indie and alternative acts receiving some airplay on Britains premier radio station, allowing them to compete more fairly with some of the more mainstream acts. Unfortunately for fans of London’s answer to Ty Segall, we are not likely to see any live music for at least the next mont and he has not announced any dates for next year as of yet.

According to NME, the last time Lang performed in the UK was in December 2019 before the country’s first lockdown. Now with the UK heading into its second national lockdown for at least the next four weeks, fans well be looking back on December last year and hoping that this year’s December will see at least some music.

Tune into @BBCR1 tonight from 6:45pm to hear All I Need for the first time. @philytaggart stepping in for @AnnieMac will be giving it a first play. pic.twitter.com/8CjNZphGpV

— Jake Bugg (@JakeBugg) October 26, 2020

‘All I Need’ is sort of anthemic, sort of pop, complete with Bugg’s distinctive voice. It’s about not quite fitting in, and the value of that, and about making yourself stand out in your own way. All I need is evidence of Bugg’s style becoming slicker and more refined, with a video of the same quality to match. His previous two singles this year have both been a little more stereotypically ‘Jake Bugg’, mainly aided by being acoustic. ‘All I Need’ sounds closer to a stadium filler.

The video is all in black and white, a series of high-quality vignettes of basketball and dancing and police shields. Although it doesn’t exactly have a storyline, there’s a sense of triumph and euphoria throughout it, of rising up and overcoming. You can watch it below.

All of these singles are rumoured to build up to a new album, although the specific details of it are currently still a mystery. Earlier this year, ‘Saviours of the City’ was accompanied by a short art film interspersed with psychedelic shots. It juxtaposes the monotony of staying in (all too familiar to us all) with the lurid technicolour of making it into the real word. Unlike ‘All I Need’, which has all the energy of a fight to break out, the visualiser for ‘Saviours of the City’ is gentle, although I would say it is not exactly comforting. Bugg brings an element of grit to many of his creative projects.

The pandemic has somewhat interrupted Bugg’s progress on the album front; before live music ground to a halt, he was playing warm up shows ahead of the announcement of his new album. Either way, it is still expected to arrive this year, following 2017’s Hearts That Strain.

View this post on Instagram

Last week I shared a song I’d made about my Dad. I was unbelievably nervous about putting it out into the world, but I can’t begin to describe how it felt to receive so many messages from people who connected with it and opened up to me about their own experiences. I’ve had some amazing conversations about it all week and this afternoon the song is getting played on @bbcradio1 , at 5pm on Life Hacks with @katiethistleton and @vicknhope – I can’t even begin to tell you what this means to me. The song is now also available to stream in all the places you’d expect it to as I was keen for people to be able to listen to it easily. You can find it by searching for: Aymee Weir- Your Car Again, thanks so much to @aymeeweir for working on this with me. I’ve stuck the Spotify link to the song in my bio.

A post shared by Matt Edmondson (@matthewedmondson) on Oct 11, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

The track, which contains lyrics like ‘I always felt second best ‘cos I know your depression kinda made me depressed’, is about Edmondson’s father who suffered from bipolar disorder and alcoholism. His father eventually killed himself when Matt was 22, an event that had a profound effect on him. Matt has said that he has only began to come to terms with the tragedy recently, stating that he started going to counselling a couple of years ago.

The process of writing this song apparently had a therapeutic affect too, as having hidden his pain for so long Edmondson now feels a weight of his shoulders and has experience much support since its release.‘I’d never spoken about this because I’d hidden it, I was worried other people would feel pain or I’d bring the vibe down…I also didn’t know if the song was any good but more importantly I’d never spoken about this before. I felt very vulnerable. But the reaction has been unbelievable.’

This sentiment is echoed in the lyrics when Weir sings that ‘My friends ask me but I get upset// They know you were sick but I leave out the rest’. Now that Edmondson has opened up he feels ‘connected’ to listeners who have contacted him about their own personal experiences. It is vital that music like this is made, as it contributes to the on-going conversation about mental health within the music industry, and is an example of how creativity can help heal emotional wounds.

Set in a big, artfully lit studio, London Grammar’s Live Lounge session has a specific ambience to it. Hannah Reid’s haunting voice carries the first verse and chorus, before Dan Rothman comes in with the guitar and triggers the recognisable riff from The Weeknd’s chart topping hit. The London Grammar cover actually bears more resemblance to some of The Weeknd’s earlier work.

Alongside their cover, London Grammar performed their own newest single, ‘Baby It’s You’. This was released in August as the lead single on their upcoming album – the details of which, the band are keeping a secret for now. ‘Baby It’s You’ was favourably received by critics, but it was exceptionally well received by fans, who have been waiting in anticipation of London Grammar’s next move since 2017’s Truth Is A Beautiful Thing.

Fan support extended to their Live Lounge session, as proved by the comments section of the two Youtube videos. One fan enthusiastically declared that “everything they touch turns to gold. Outrageously talented band.” In an Instagram post, Radio 1 called their cover “spine tingling.”

View this post on Instagram

Spine tingling performance from @londongrammar today in the #LiveLounge They performed ‘Baby It’s You’ and a beautiful cover of @theweeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Listen again on @bbcsounds or watch it @bbciplayer

A post shared by BBC Radio 1 (@bbcradio1) on Sep 22, 2020 at 12:44pm PDT

Blinding Lights is the hit from The Weeknd’s latest album, After Hours. Just yesterday, it broke the record for the most weeks spent in the Top Five of the Billboard Hot 100. Spending 28 weeks there, it passes previous record holder, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’. Elsewhere, The Weeknd has been busy in collaboration with Calvin Harris on their new single ‘Over Now’. The single is a unique combination of the two artists’ talents, but fans have noted influences ranging from Michael Jackson to Daft Punk.

London Grammar’s Live Lounge session is part of Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month throughout September. The return of Live Lounge Month was announced a few weeks ago. It takes place on Clara Amfo’s show, with new sets every Tuesday and Thursday, and classic favourite sessions on Monday and Wednesday – including Harry Styles, Demi Lovato and Usher. The lineup of new artists for Live Lounge Month is below.

At the time of announcement, Clara Amfo said, “I am absolutely delighted that Live Lounge Month is returning in September! Live music is an infinite source of joy and something that I know we have all missed terribly over the past few months. From rapidly emerging artists, to our established faves, I can’t wait to hear what all our Live Lounge artists have lined up for us!”

Live Lounge Month Line-up (in alphabetical order!)

Anne-Marie
Arlo Parks
Biffy Clyro
Declan McKenna
Jorja Smith
Little Mix
London Grammar
Miley Cyrus
YUNGLBUD