BBC Music has announced plans to stage a new music festival called The Biggest Weekend next year, which will bring some of the biggest artists in the world to all four corners of the UK.
The Biggest Weekend will play live shows in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales over the late May Bank Holiday weekend to more than 175,000 music fans.
It will bring all of the BBC’s music stations together over four days from May 25, to celebrate the range and diversity of music on Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3 and 6 Music and also include 1Xtra and Asian Network performances and broadcasts.
BBC Nations TV and Radio and local radio stations across the country will work closely with the main BBC radio stations to put on a range of activity, including educational workshops and gigs by Radio 1’s Academy and BBC Introducing which will showcase local talent.
The coverage will be similar to that of Glastonbury - which will not take place in 2018 – across BBC Two and BBC Four, and sets will be available on BBC iPlayer, mobile and online.
Bob Shennan, director of BBC Radio and BBC Music said: “BBC Music has a strong history of bringing the nation together for some special moments, and this is the biggest single music event ever attempted by the BBC. We will be celebrating the diversity of music from four different corners of the country, bringing the best UK music to the world and the best global music to the UK.”
The Biggest Weekend will be a one-off festival, with no plans currently in place for it to become an annual event.
By Georgina Littlejohn
