Radio 1’s Big Weekend is coming to Herrington Country Park in Sunderland from Friday 22 May – Sunday 24 May 2026 and we couldn’t be more excited!
Kicking off the festival season with a bang, the biggest names and hottest new artists perform exclusively for Radio 1 and thousands of fans in an incredible weekend of live music.
Over the course of the weekend, around 100 acts will perform – from the biggest names in music to exciting new and emerging artists. With around 80,000 music fans expected to attend, the event promises to be an unforgettable start to the UK’s festival season.
Olivia Dean, Zara Larsson and Fatboy Slim headline the festival with CMAT, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Lola Young, Ellie Goulding, Nothing But Thieves and loads of others on the star-studded line-up.
BBC Radio 1 is broadcasting live from the festival site across the weekend, with performances and tracks available live and on demand across the Big Weekend Channel on BBC iPlayer channel, on BBC Radio 1 and on BBC Sounds.
Here’s how you can follow all the action…
Friday
Fatboy Slim, Sonny Fodera, FISHER, Clementine Douglas, MK and many more are on the line-up for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2026, kicking off the three-day music spectacular with an electrifying opening day on Friday 22 May.
Fatboy Slim at Big Weekend
Kicking off the festival as Friday night’s Main Stage headliner is the ultimate party starter, Fatboy Slim.
The man who helped take dance music from club floors to festival main stages worldwide is set to bring his legendary show to the north east for a high-energy, hands-in-the-air frenzy. With what promises to be a blockbuster set, expect crowd favourites and his trademark barefoot style – this is the ultimate Friday night Dance Party.
The set will also be broadcast live from the festival on Radio 1 and on BBC Sounds with performances and highlights available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and Sounds.
Can’t wait? You can watch the story of Dance at Big Weekend as we prepare to host Fatboy Slim on iPlayer.
Saturday
Zara Larsson, Louis Tomlinson, Lola Young, Nothing But Thieves and more are set to perform on Saturday 23 May in Sunderland.
Additional artists announced for Saturday also include Ellie Goulding, James Blake, Skye Newman, Rachel Chinouriri, MUNA, Erin LeCount, Mitski, Florence Road and Wasia Project.
Saturday’s line-up promises huge performances from some of the world’s biggest stars, and we’ll be reliving all the action from across the Main Stage and New Music Stage.
Watch Saturday Highlights on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from 11.50pm.
Bringing her anthemic sound to Sunderland is Sweden’s pop phenomenon Zara Larsson, who is fast becoming a Radio 1’s Big Weekend mainstay as she prepares to make her fourth appearance at the festival. Since making her debut in 2017, the then-teenage sensation has grown into a global force and takes to the Main Stage to top the bill for the very first time.
Zara is set to light up Herrington Country Park with huge singalong hits and powerhouse vocals that have made her a festival favourite. Expect a standout Saturday night in the north east as the Swedish hit-maker delivers her most anticipated Big Weekend set yet.
Her performance will be broadcast live from the festival on Radio 1 and on BBC Sounds with highlights available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and Sounds.
Can’t wait? You can watch Zara Larsson’s Road to Big Weekend on iPlayer – for the ultimate look back at the Swedish phenomenon’s rise from teen sensation to headliner.
Sunday
It might be the final day, but it’s far from over. Olivia Dean, Niall Horan, Kehlani and more are heading to Sunderland on Sunday 24 May.
Dermot Kennedy, CMAT and Myles Smith will also perform on the Radio 1 Main Stage. The Radio 1 New Music Stage will welcome Alessi Rose, Ezra Collective, FLO, Holly Humberstone, Jorja Smith (Party Set), Maisie Peters and Odeal.
The stage is set for an incredible Sunday. We’ll be reliving all the action from across the Main Stage and New Music Stage.
Watch Sunday Highlights on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two from 11.55pm.
Olivia Dean at Radio 1’s Big Weekend
Having already achieved the chart double in 2025, star of the moment Olivia Dean has enjoyed an incredible start to the year. She swept the Brit Awards with four wins, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, alongside a Grammy win and a number one single with Sam Fender. And if that wasn’t enough, the record-breaking artist is now set to tick off another major milestone at Radio 1’s Big Weekend as she headlines the festival for the very first time.
Closing the weekend at Sunderland’s Herrington Country Park, Olivia takes to the Main Stage with her soulful storytelling and summer-ready sound for an unforgettable finale packed with fan favourites, warmth and joy.
Her performance will be broadcast live from the festival on Radio 1 and on BBC Sounds with highlights available live and on demand across Radio 1’s iPlayer channel and Sounds.
Can’t wait? You can watch Olivia Dean’s Road to Big Weekend on iPlayer – from her 2020 breakthrough to headlining her first ever festival.
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