Radio 2 in the Park is headed to Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex from Friday 5 – Sunday 7 September. Back by popular demand and following its debut at Radio 2 in the Park in Preston last year, there will be a Friday night DJ party to kick things off – featuring sets from Vernon Kay, Scott Mills, Rylan, DJ Spoony and Michelle Visage – ahead of a weekend packed with stellar live performances including headliners Bryan Adams and Def Leppard.

As the excitement builds towards the weekend, several BBC Radio 2 presenters will be broadcasting from the city.

Scott Mills and Rylan Clark will be doing a Pop Top 10 podcast recording with a secret guest, Jo Whiley will be hosting a BBC Introducing special edition of her evening show with listeners able to join the audience, and Jeremy Vine will be presenting his lunchtime show from the town, focusing on the county of Essex and exploring what it has to offer.

All three programmes will be available to hear on BBC Radio 2, the UK’s most listened to single radio station, with a weekly audience of 12.6 million (RAJAR Q2, 2025), and on BBC Sounds.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “Radio 2 has always been proud to take the station out and about across the UK, and these events in Chelmsford in the run up to Radio 2 in the Park provide a wonderful extra opportunity to shine a spotlight on the city and for our star presenters to meet and connect with our listeners face-to-face. We are so excited to bring the full BBC Radio 2 experience to Essex in September and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone.”

For the first time, you can be a part of the action in Pop Top 10, Scott and Rylan’s feel-good podcast where the pair rank the biggest tracks, artists and iconic moments in pop to come up with their own Pop Top 10s. This time, alongside a secret VIP guest – they debate and rank their favourite pop songs live in front of an audience. This will be recorded at Chelmsford Theatre on Tuesday 2 September, and will be available on BBC Sounds from Wednesday 3 September, and will also be broadcast on Radio 2 on Saturday 6 September (1-2am). Expect hilarious stories, pop gossip and a lot of fun. Listeners can get a taste of what to expect by listening to Pop Top 10 on BBC Sounds, with episodes featuring Katherine Ryan, Perrie Edwards and Anastacia.

Scott said: “I’m so excited to take Pop Top 10 out of the studio and into the theatre! Rylan and I have so much fun recording this podcast and it will be amazing to have the lovely Radio 2 listeners with us!”

Rylan said: “Pop Top 10 is coming to Essex! Scott and I always have such a laugh doing this podcast so we can’t wait to welcome you all in.”

Tickets are available here: bbc.co.uk/radio2events

On Thursday 4 September, Jo Whiley is hosting her BBC Radio 2 show live from the local music venue Hot Box (7-9pm) in Chelmsford and a handful of lucky listeners can see behind-the-scenes of a programme being broadcast live, as part of an intimate audience. The BBC Introducing Special will feature live interviews and music from local artists. BBC Introducing is a platform that supports up and coming artists from across the UK.

Jo says: “I am very excited to be broadcasting my show live from Hot Box in Chelmsford ahead of Radio 2 in the Park. Before we hear all the incredible artists performing over the weekend, it seems only right to also take a look at some of the talent of the future, through what promises to be a fantastic BBC Introducing special.”

Tickets will be allocated by random draw for this 18+ live recording. Listeners can tune in to Jo Whiley’s show on BBC Radio 2 from 7pm Tuesday 12 August to find out more information on tickets. The ticket ballot will be available here: bbc.co.uk/radio2events

On Friday 5 September, Jeremy Vine broadcasts live from Chelmsford (12-2pm), with a show that will celebrate and explore the county of Essex. He plans to visit the secret nuclear bunker maintained during the Cold War as a potential regional government headquarters, hear about Chelmsford’s role in the birth of radio, and sample wine from a local vineyard whilst hearing about Essex’s role as arguably England’s wine capital. A local choir will join him to bring some live music, and he’ll hear great stories from the people of Chelmsford as they look towards a great weekend of music from Hylands Park.

BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to single radio station, with a weekly audience of 12.6 million (RAJAR Q2, 2025) and The Radio 2 Breakfast Show is the most listened to Breakfast show in the UK with 6.2 million listeners (RAJAR Q2, 2025). Vernon Kay is the most listened to radio show in the UK with 6.6 million listeners (RAJAR Q2, 2025).

The network’s presenters include Richie Anderson, Michael Ball, Zoe Ball, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Revd. Kate Bottley, Rylan, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini, Mark Goodier, Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Vernon Kay, Shaun Keaveny, Cerys Matthews, Paddy McGuinness, Scott Mills, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O’Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, Romesh Ranganathan, DJ Spoony, Liza Tarbuck, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Jo Whiley and Owain Wyn Evans.

Radio 2 in the Park, the station’s annual flagship live music festival, is a three-day music juggernaut featuring performances from some of the world’s biggest pop stars alongside DJ sets on the Friday 5 – Sunday 7 September from the station’s much-loved presenters. This year, the headliners are Bryan Adams and Def Leppard. Listeners and viewers will be able to catch all the action live throughout the weekend on Radio 2, BBC Sounds and iPlayer.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/radio2inthepark

Radio 2 in the Park full lineup

DJ Stage Friday (Pre-Party): Rylan’s Rybiza Anthems, Scott Mills Wonder Years, DJ Spoony’s Good Groove, Michelle Visage’s Handbag Hits, Vernon Kay’s Dance Sounds of the 90s.

Saturday 6 September: Bryan Adams (headliner), Belinda Carlisle, Ronan Keating, Jessie J, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Marti Pellow, Ella Henderson, Stereophonics.

DJ Stage Saturday: Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour, Fearne Cotton’s Sounds of the 90s, Dermot O’Leary’s Alternative Sounds of the 90s, Paddy McGuinness’ School Disco, Romesh Ranganathan’s For The Love of Hip Hop, Jo Whiley’s Shiny Happy Playlist.

Sunday 7 September: Def Leppard (headliner), Olly Murs, Anastacia, Soul II Soul, Suede, Louise, David Gray, Sophie Ellis Bextor.

DJ Stage Sunday: Rylan’s Rybiza Anthems, Gary Davies’ Sounds of the 80s, Sara Cox’s Wower, Trevor Nelson’s Old Skool Run, Owain Wyn Evans’ Airdrum Anthems, DJ Spoony’s Good Groove, Vernon Kay’s Dance Sounds of the 90s.

BBC Introducing supports musical talent across the UK. There’s over 1,000,000 tracks uploaded to the BBC Introducing uploader and over 300,000 artists registered.

BBC Introducing provides a platform to propel new acts onto the national stage through Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music, The Asian Network and Radio 3.  It gives up-and-coming artists broadcast opportunities on BBC radio, television and online alongside the chance to perform at major festivals and showcases. Big name artists including Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Lewis Capaldi, Raye, Sam Fender, Aitch, Olivia Dean, Myles Smith, Nia Archives and Tom Grennan all received BBC Introducing support at the start of their careers.

BBC Introducing offers new musicians the chance to get played on national day-time radio, to record their own Maida Vale sessions and perform at the biggest festivals in the UK and internationally, including Glastonbury, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, TRNSMT, Reading and Leeds, and The Great Escape.

SVDG 

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