BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2021 set for second year online!
Taking place across four days for the first time in the event’s 18-year history, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will return with over 100 live online performances for fans to enjoy a weekend of live music across BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer from May 28th to 31st, 2021.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend took place virtually for the first time in 2020, with performances taking place across digital stages. Though dependent on changes to restrictions in the UK, 2021’s event will be designed for fans to enjoy the ultimate bank holiday with friends and family in parks, on beaches, in pub gardens or simply from the comfort of their own homes.
Around 50 of the performances will be brand new live sets recorded exclusively for Big Weekend 2021, with a line up featuring some of the biggest acts on the planet alongside the stars of the future. Five of the new sets will be filmed on location in front of iconic backdrops around the UK, with more to be recorded in the BBC’s Radio Theatre.
Alongside the new sets, listeners will be able to enjoy some of the most memorable Radio 1 performances to have taken place in recent years, from Piano Sessions right through to the Live Lounge. Throughout the weekend, performances will be broadcast on Radio 1 and streamed on BBC Sounds, as well as available for fans to watch on demand on Radio 1’s iPlayer and YouTube channels. In the build-up to the event, Radio 1 will be running an extensive outreach programme designed to give young people an introduction to working in the creative industries.
“I’d hoped everything would have been back to normal by now to be honest. But as we’ve been doing for the last 12 months, we’ll be making the May bank holiday as fun and entertaining as possible with Big Weekend 2021. I can’t wait until we’re all drunk in a field again but for now, we’ll keep doing what we can to thank our listeners and support the artists that have helped make the last year easier to manage,” says Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James.
“This time last year, the position we found ourselves in meant we had to be the first to bring the idea of a virtual festival to life. This year, we’re taking it even further, bringing the many facets of the music industry together to give listeners a huge bank holiday weekend of live music exclusive to the BBC. We can’t wait to share more details about the event very soon. It’s going to be big!” comments Head of Radio 1, Aled Haydn Jones.
