Radio 1's Big Weekend 2026 comes to Sunderland this weekend with Olivia Dean and Zara Larsson making appearances
As revealed by Greg James on Radio 1's breakfast show, the festival season is officially upon us, with Big Weekend serving up some big artists for 2026.
Music News Blitz writer Bella Ford reports…
When and where is it taking place?
This year it's happening in Sunderland's Herrington Country Park from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24.
Who is performing?
Big names to be playing this year include Olivia Dean, who has been flooding the Official Charts with ‘Rein Me In’ which features Sam Fender. There's speculation that she might bring him out!
Zara Larsson, the Swedish singer and songwriter, will be making her fourth appearance at the festival.
She is expected to perform bangers like ‘Lush Life’ and ‘Midnight Sun’ on the Saturday.
Prior bandmates Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson are also heading to Sunderland this weekend.
They were part of the global sensation One Direction, but now have released seven solo albums between them.
Fatboy Slim will be headlining Friday night, an iconic musician and DJ with songs like ‘Praise You’ and ‘Right Here, Right Now’ to be expected.
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What are the timings?
On Friday, the gates will open at 2 pm for fans.
On Saturday and Sunday, they'll open at 11 am.
Last entry will be at 9 pm, and each day is expected to finish at 10 pm
What usually happens when allocating tickets for the festivals each year?
Tickets are allocated by ‘Pots’ each year.
Pot one - this year, 30% of general admission tickets will initially be reserved for Sunderland City residents for seven days after being made available.
Pot two - 60% of general admission tickets will be reserved for residents from the wider NECA region (Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle and surrounding areas).
Pot three - the remaining 10% of general admission will be made available for anyone in the UK to purchase.
To purchase tickets from pots one and two, you had to enter the postcode of your home address at the time of purchase to verify for tickets.
How long has Big Weekend been going on for?
The festival has been a significant part of the UK's music scene, with stages introducing new artists and showcasing bigger talents on the main stage.
The festival has been running since 2005, and it has evolved over the years, as it used to be a series of free performances and is now turning into a 3-day festival, for which you have to buy tickets.
The 2026 Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival is this weekend, starting from Friday 22 in Sunderland at Herrington Park.
You can enjoy live performances at home online on the BBC iPlayer too.
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