The Biggest Weekend is coming to Belfast, Coventry, Perth and Swansea this summer
On BBC TV, radio, online and mobile across the entire weekend
The Biggest Weekend is taking place on the late May bank holiday weekend (25-28 May) over four sites in four nations across four days with over 175,000 tickets available to the public and will be the BBC’s biggest ever celebration of music across TV, radio, online and mobile.
There will be performances from the biggest and best-loved names in music celebrating the incredible breadth and diversity of live music on the BBC. Those confirmed for the line-up are -
- Billy Ocean
- Snow Patrol
- Nigel Kennedy
- Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band
Plus lots more star-studded names still to come.
The Biggest Weekend is a truly unique event with concerts being hosted by BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC 6 Music. Across the weekend, there will be extensive TV coverage on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four and sets will be available on BBC iPlayer, mobile and online. The scale of coverage will replicate that of Glastonbury festival on the BBC, allowing audiences at home to enjoy all of their favourite acts as well as discover brand new music.
Tickets for The Biggest Weekend go on sale on Monday 12th February, priced at £18 plus £4.50 booking fee. The booking process will be handled by Ticketmaster - the only official ticketing agent for The Biggest Weekend. There are over 175,000 tickets available to the public and tickets will be geographically weighted with a percentage available to each of the local areas. For more information about tickets, please go to www.bbc.co.uk/biggestweekend
Bob Shennan, Director BBC Radio and Music, said,
The Biggest Weekend is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime festival for everyone that loves music, whether they are at the venues in person or enjoying the whole spectacle of performances being streamed through iPlayer along with all our TV, radio and digital networks. Wherever you are in the country, you will be part of the biggest music event, with the widest selection of musical genres, the BBC has ever put on.”
The four locations, dates and artists confirmed are:
Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales
Saturday 26th May - BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network
Sunday 27th May - BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network
Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland
Friday 26th May - BBC Radio 3
Saturday 27th May - BBC Radio 2
War Memorial Park, Coventry, England
Sunday 27th May - BBC Radio 2
Monday 28th May - BBC Radio 3
Artists confirmed: Billy Ocean, Snow Patrol, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, Nigel Kennedy with the BBC Concert Orchestra plus more to be announced.
Titanic Slipways, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Friday 25th May - BBC 6 Music
Saturday 26th May - BBC 6 Music
The Biggest Weekend news was announced this morning on the BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC 6 Music breakfast shows -
Nick Grimshaw, BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast presenter said,
You know it's the start of the summer when we put on a massive festival, and we’re bringing two of the biggest artists in the world to Swansea. Taylor and Ed plus a whole massive line-up to be announced make The Biggest Weekend THE event of the year."
Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast presenter said,
The Biggest Weekend is shaping up very nicely indeed. Can't wait to find out who else is going to be performing."
Shaun Keaveny, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Breakfast presenter, said:
I am a Belfast virgin, so am absolutely chomping at the bit to immerse myself in the culture of one of Britain’s great cities when BBC Radio 6 Music visits for the first time for BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend. 6 Music will be bringing a superlative line up of artists - with Beck, Manic Street Preachers, Courtney Barnett and Public Service Broadcasting announced today and more to come.”
Also part of The Biggest Weekend, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and 6 Music will work with BBC Nations TV and Radio, as well as local radio stations, forging partnerships to put on a comprehensive range of outreach activity in the lead up to the festival including educational workshops, Q&A's, Radio 1’s Academy, Ten Pieces Assemblies and BBC Music Introducing gigs showcasing local talent in each host location.
The BBC is working closely together with the local councils, communities and businesses in the four UK cities to bring you The Biggest Weekend.
Councillor George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council said:
It’s fantastic news that Coventry has been chosen as the English city to be hosting BBC Music’s ‘The Biggest Weekend’.
We know the city has a brilliant reputation for delivering large, popular events and this weekend will be another wonderful addition to the city’s events programme for 2018.
To be one of their chosen four UK locations shows they have confidence in our ability to deliver successful events and with some high quality names already announced with more acts to follow, I’m sure people are already looking forward to the concerts in May.
These really are exciting times for the city. Our national profile and reputation as a great city will only continue to grow as we build up to being UK City of Culture 2021.”
Further information will be announced in due course.
www.bbc.co.uk/thebiggestweekend
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