Laura Klonowski
BBC Music has today announced its ambitious plans to host The Biggest Weekend next year. The event is a music festival which will take in four sites, in four nations, over four days with over 175,000 tickets available to fans.
In 2018 there will be no Glastonbury, so the BBC are bringing the biggest artists in the world to the four corners of the UK with live shows in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland across the late May bank holiday weekend (25th-28th May).
The Biggest Weekend will see all of the BBC music stations coming together over the long weekend in 2018 in a celebration of the range and diversity of music supported by the BBC, and enjoyed by fans across Britain,
The coverage from the BBC will be very similar to that offered around Glastonbury. There will be something for everyone with concerts being hosted by Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, and 6 Music. There will also be extensive TV coverage across BBC Two, and BBC Four. Radio 1 events will include 1Xtra and Asian Network performances and broadcasts. All live sets will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, mobile and online, allowing for audiences to enjoy all their favourites and also explore new music.
Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, and 6 Music will work alongside BBC Nations TV and Radio, as well as local radio stations, to put on a comprehensive range of outreach activity in the lead up to The Biggest Weekend including workshops, Radio 1’s Academy and BBC Introducing gigs which will showcase local talent in each host nation.
Director of BBC Radio and Music Bob Shennan, says: “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 Festival will be for one year only and there are currently no plans for it to become an annual event.
Are you excited for BBC’s The Biggest Weekend next year? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix.
